2017-2018 FIM Endurance World Championship

24 Heures Motos du Mans

Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans, France

April 19, 2018

Provisional Overall Qualifying Results (based upon the average of each rider’s best lap time):

1. Team SRC Kawasaki (Mathieu Gines 1:37.925/Randy De Puniet 1:37.181/Jeremy Guarnoni 1:37.529), Kaw ZX-10R, SBK, 1:37.545

2. F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Freddy Foray 1:38.174/Alan Techer 1:37.137/Josh Hook 1:37.500), Hon CBR1000RR, SBK, 1:37.603

3. TECMAS- – BMW (Julian Da Costa 1:37.013/Camille Hedelin 1:38.647/David Perret 1:37.427), BMW S1000RR, SBK, 1:37.695

4. YART – Yamaha (Broc Parkes 1:37.124/Marvin Fritz 1:37.043/Takuya Fujita 1:39.360), Yam YZF-R1, SBK, 1:37.842

5. Team NRT48 – BMW Motorrad (Kenny Foray 1:37.283/Peter Hickman 1:38.265/Lucy Glockner 1:38.053), BMW S1000RR, SBK, 1:37.867

6. GMT94 Yamaha (Mike Di Meglio 1:37.372/Niccolo Canepa 1:38.074/David Checa 1:38.162), Yam YZF-R1, SBK, 1:37.869

7. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Vincent Philippe 1:37.122/Etienne Masson 1:38.762/Gregg Black 1:38.276), Suz GSX-R1000, SBK, 1:38.053

8. Honda Endurance Racing (Sebastien Gimbert 1:38.498/Gregory Leblanc 1:38.054/Erwan Nigon 1:38.672), Hon CBR1000RR SP, SBK, 1:38.408

9. Wepol Racing by penz13.com (Michael Laverty 1:37.871/Christian Iddon 1:39.292/Danny Webb 1:38.570), BMW S1000RR, SBK, 1:38.577

10. Mercury Racing (Karel Hanika 1:37.969/Jakub Smrz 1:38.642/Sylvain Barrier 1:39.563), BMW S1000RR, SBK, 1:38.724

More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events/FIM Endurance World Championship:

SRC KAWASAKI GETS THE UPPER HAND IN QUALIFYING

SRC Kawasaki beat F.C.C. TSR Honda France and Tecmas BMW to top spot by a whisker after a lively 24 Heures Motos first qualifying session. Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences came out top in Superstock.

SRC Kawasaki’s consistency got them the top spot. No pushing too hard, no crashes: Mathieu Gines, Randy de Puniet and Jérémy Guarnoni all turned in a smooth, steady performance to pick up provisional pole. ‘Since the track was really hot, I asked my riders to keep their prowess in check,’ said SRC Kawasaki team manager Gilles Stafler. ‘This was a working session for us. We’ll go after a fast lap time tomorrow morning, when the track is cooler.’

So the Kawasaki clan is preparing for a much more heated session tomorrow (Friday) morning. It’s worth recalling that Randy de Puniet (the quickest of the Kawasaki riders today, with a 1’37.181 lap) also set the Bugatti circuit’s lap record (1’35.730) last year.

Tecmas BMW rider Julien Da Costa notched up the day’s fastest individual lap (1’37.013). But F.C.C. TSR Honda France finished 2nd on the provisional grid, based on the average best time of the team’s three riders. Josh Hook, Freddy Foray and Alan Techer gave the Japanese Honda an edge over Tecmas BMW’s Julien Da Costa, Camille Hedelin and David Perret in terms of a chance at the win.

YART Yamaha (Broc Parkes, Marvin Fritz and Takuya Fujita) took 4th place after the first qualifying, ahead of the ambitious Team NRT48-BMW Motorrad, whose German rider Lucy Glöckner once again turned in a remarkable performance alongside Kenny Foray and Peter Hickman.

GMT94 Yamaha got slowed down by Mike Di Meglio taking a minor fall, coming in ahead of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Honda Endurance Racing (whose Gregory Leblanc also crashed).

A close fight in Superstock

Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences and Team 33 Accessoires Louit Moto finished neck and neck in the Superstock class. Moto Ain, widely expected to be the favourite in the category, got slowed down by a crash and took 3rd spot in Superstock, ahead of Sarazin Motorsport by Hall Moto 02, Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki (held up by a fuel pump problem) and 3 ART Moto Team 95, which suffered a crash.

So the second qualifying, scheduled for 10.15am tomorrow, will be decisive for all – and undoubtedly very eventful on a cooler, faster track.

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:

SERT ON TRACK AND READY FOR LE MANS 24 HOURS ENDURANCE

SERT – #2 GSX-R1000 – 7th

April Motos Events – #50 GSX-R1000 – 11th

Team R2CL – #87 GSX-R1000 – 18th

Junior Team Le Mans Sud – #72 GSX-R1000 (SST) – 21st

Atomic Motosport – #68 GSX-R1000 (SST) – 30th

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has been on track today for the opening practice sessions ahead of this weekend’s second round of 2018 EWC at the Bugatti Circuit for the Le Mans 24 Hours in France aboard the 2018 SERT GSX-R1000.

The 15-time Endurance World Champions – Vincent Philippe, Etienne Masson and Gregg Black – set an initial seventh position this afternoon, just 0.508 seconds off pole as they worked on various settings before final qualifying begins tomorrow (Friday).

With long-time Team Manager Dominique Meliand back at the helm and recovered from illness that took him away from most of last year’s championship, SERT is one of 60 teams fighting for grid positions for the 41st edition of the 24 Heures Motos – an event the team has won 10 times in the past – that gets underway on Saturday afternoon at 15:00hrs.

SERT is currently fifth in the points, 27 off the lead, but being a 24-hour race, under EWC/ FIM regulations, there is a maximum of 60 points available to the race winner: The race victory gets 40 points, but the team leading at the eight and 16-hour stages of the race will collect an extra 10 points.

Alongside SERT on the new GSX-R1000 is Team April Motos Events after having switched back to the Suzuki brand for 2018. The #50 machine ridden by Matthieu Lagrive, Baptiste Guittet and Grégory Fastré, set the 11th best time today.

The competitive R2CL team completes the leading EWC Suzuki squads and comprises Frenchman Anthony Loiseau, South-African Clinton Seller and Irishman Michael Dunlop – who won the 2017 Isle of Man Senior TT.

In the Superstock category, one of the series favourites, Junior Team Le Mans Sud sees Hugo Clère, Alex Sarrabayrouse and Louis Rossi aboard their #72 SST GSX-R1000, took the best time at the Pre-Le Mans test at the beginning of April ahead of the #68 Atomic Motosport Suzuki.