Böhlen, Germany / Montigny, France. BMW Motorrad France is back in the FIM Endurance World Championship’s Superbike category. The French importer joined forces with Saxonias Penz13.com Racing Team for that assault. The team henceforth will be called “BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com” and will compete in the premier class of motorbike Endurance racing.
Successful team – successful riders
The Penz13.com Racing Team of former rider Rico Penzkofer is no stranger to the Endurance scene. Since 2010 his squad competed in the FIM Endurance Superstock World Cup and never finished worse than fourth in the overall rankings. 2012 success peaked in the FIM Endurance Superstock Cup title and the first world championship performance for the BMW S 1000 RR bike.
The riders line up will be no less than Bastien Mackels, Markus Reiterberger and Pedro Vallcaneras.
Reiterberger and Mackels are no strangers to the FIM Endurance World Championship either, having celebrated the first ever pole position in the history of that sport for a Superstock machine at Oschersleben during last year’s event. Together with their Spanish team mate Vallcaneras they went on to win the 8 hours of Germany in their category in 2014.
Reiterberger is one of the top protagonists in the International German Championship where he won the Superbike category in 2013 and got third overall last year – just in front of his team mate Mackels. Reiterberger will compete for 24 hours for the first time at Le Mans.
But that isn’t the same for Mackels. The Belgian rider already was part of the Penz13.com Racing Team during last year’s weather affected Bol d’Or at Magny Cours and then again part of the Oschersleben winning Superstock squad.
Vallcaneras is a long-time “server” of the Penz13.com team. He joined the Superstock squad in the Championship winning 2012 season and has shown great Endurance skills, riding quick and safe, regular as a clockwork. Vallcaneras earned countless podiums with the Penz13.com Superstock squad and now is looking forward to the new task in the EWC category.
New category, new bike
In joining BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com will step up to the EWC category in 2015 and will bank on the services of the brand new BMW S 1000 RR.
First testing sessions with the 2015 spec Double-R have been held in Spain and France with Reiterberger, Mackels and Vallcaneras saw very promising results. Especially this week at Le Mans the trio was on track in preparation for the legendary 24 heures du Mans to be held later this month (18./19 April). On Tuesday and Wednesday (31st March / 01st April) Mackels, Reiterberger and Vallcaneras took their 2015 EWC spec BMW S 1000 RR bike for some serious spins at the Circuit Bugatti, ending the test highly satisfied with the made progresses after focussing the work on the suspension- and geometry setting side.
BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com once more can count on the reliable support of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport engineers, technicians and expertise, a collaboration which strongly grew in the past years and will do so further.
Live TV times
The FIM Endurance World Championship is back in TV and will be broadcasted at EuroSport 2 and in the EuroSport Player.
Saturday, 18th of April 2015:
15:00 – 16:00 (Germany tills 16:30)
18:30 – 21:00
23:15 – 01:00
Sunday, 19th of April 2015:
07:00 – 11:00
14:00 – 15:30
Markus Reiterberger
Rider
“I am really looking forward to the 2015 season in the Endurance World Championship. I enjoyed my first outing in that kind of sport at Oschersleben last year and I am just happy that my IDM team boss Werner Daemen and my EWC team boss Rico Penzkofer found a solution together. A big thank you also goes to the organizers of the Superbike*IDM for making it possible to have no date clashes between the German and the World Championship. Le Mans will by my first 24 hours race and I am keen to get going. The new BMW S 1000 RR is damn fast and I feel comfortable on her. I am looking forward to the season.”
Bastien Mackels
Rider
“Last year I did two races for this team in the Superstock category already and I am now thankful for having the opportunity to be part of the BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com in the EWC. Obviously it will be much harder to gain successes and be on the sharp end in the EWC-category, but the Endurance sport has it’s own laws. To be racing together with Markus will be much fun and I think we will push each other as well from time to time.”
Pedro Vallcaneras
Rider
“I am proud and happy to be part of the ‘new’ BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com. We shared a lot of success in the past years, including the FIM World Endurance Superstock Cup Title back in 2012, many podiums, race wins and the incredible pole position at Germany last year. Bastien and Markus are very good and fast riders and I think we will form a punchy line up in this year’s assault. It will be a tough and long season, but I am confident that we will be strong right from the word go.”
Rico Penzkofer
Team Principal
“We’ve been constant front runners in the Superstock class of the Endurance World Championship for the last five year, we have won races, got a pole position – the first ever for a stock-spec bike – and got one World title. The step into the EWC category was the logic next step but we have been thinking about this one for a long time – this all would not be possible without strong supporters. For sure we thank BMW Motorrad France for their partnership in the upcoming season, also Werner Daemen, who’s passion for the Endurance made this joint-venture possible and all those, who helped and supported us over all the last years.”
Marcel Driessen
BMW Motorrad France Manager
“We’re really happy to come back in the Endurance World Championship in collaboration with Team Penz13.com. They have shown their skills, competences and high level of motivation during the last years competing in Superstock class with great results for our BMW S 1000 RR. The unbelievable passion of Rico and his team, a fast riders line up and the brand new S 1000 RR are the key success factors for this new season. I strongly believe we will have good results already in 2015.”