Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship 24 Hours of Le Mans Le Mans, France April 18-19 Final Race Results: 1. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Igor Jerman/Steve Martin/Gwen Giabbani), Yam YZF-R1, 727 laps 2. Honda France (Steve Plater/Sebastien Charpentier/Matthieu Lagrive), Hon CBR1000RR, -5 laps 3. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Vincent Phillipe/Barry Veneman/Guillaume Dietrich), Suz GSX-R1000, -11 laps 4. RT Racing Team (J.L. Devoyon/R. Chevre/F. Jond), Suz GSX-R1000, -18 laps 5. Suzuki Junior Racing Team LMS (Freddy Foray/Cedric Tangre/Louis Bulle), Suz GSX-R1000, -24 laps 6. Qatar Endurance Racing Team (Mashel Al Naimi/Rashid Al Mannai/Anthony Delhalle), Suz GSX-R1000, -24 laps, 20.888 seconds 7. Rac41 – City Bike (G. Junod/H. Gantner/V. Houssin), Suz GSX-R1000, -31 laps 8. Team GSR Kawasaki (Julien Da Costa/K. Foray/F. Moreira), Kaw ZX-10R, -32 laps 9. TRT 27/Bazar 2 La Becane (Sebastien Prulhiere/Mathieu Andrieu/Geoffry Gnemmi), Suz GSX-R1000, -35 laps 10. Team Bolliger (Horst Saiger/P. Muff/Rico Penzkofer), Kaw ZX-10R, -35 laps, 55.504 seconds 13. Amadeus X-One (P. Tessari/Will Gruy/A. Dos Santos), Yam YZF-R1, -49 laps 29. Michelin Power Research (William Costes/Hugo Marchand/J. Monge), Hon CBR1000RR, -297 laps, DNF 33. BK Maco Moto Racing (Jason Pridmore/Dani Ribalta/V. Carrasco), Yam YZF-R1, -366 laps, DNF 45. Phase One Endurance (P. Valcaneras/Alex Cudlin/Damian Cudlin), Yam YZF-R1, -680 laps, DNF 46. Yamaha France GMT 94 (Sebastien Gimbert/David Checa/Erwan Nigon), Yam YZF-R1, -717 laps, DNF More, from a press release issued by FIM Endurance Press Office: Yamaha Austria takes victory at Le Mans ahead of Honda France and Suzuki SERT Yamaha Austria Racing Team of Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani takes their first victory at Le Mans, with a seven laps gap over the Honda France of Sébastien Charpentier, Matthieu Lagrive and Steve Plater, and eleven laps over the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team of Guillaume Dietrich, Vincent Philippe and Barry Veneman. First round of the 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship, the race was highly disputed and offered a breath-taking show, with three different manufacturers on the podium. In eighth place is the first Kawasaki, from the official team. In the Superstock class the Suzuki Junior Team LMS took a last minute victory with Freddy Foray, Cédric Tangre and Louis Bulle, ahead of Qatar Endurance Racing Team (Mashel Al Naimi, Rashid Al Mannai, Anthony Delhalle) and the Suzuki TRT 27 Bazar 2 La Bécane (Mathieu Andrieu, Sébastien Pruhlière, Geoffrey Gnemmi). This 32nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was also a great popular success. More than 92,000 spectators were attending the race in 2009, which is 10 % more than last year. More, from another press release issued by FIM Endurance Press Office: Yamaha Austria victory at Le Mans ahead of Honda France and Suzuki SERT Yamaha Austria Racing Team of Igor Jerman, Gwen Giabbani and Steve Martin took their first victory at Le Mans. YART paid a tribute to the Yamaha brand at and to the Austrian anthem at Le Mans. As a permanent team, YART took a first option for the 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship title. YART took victory with a seven laps gap over the Honda France of Sébastien Charpentier, Matthieu Lagrive and Steve Plater and eleven gaps over the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team of Vincent Philippe, Guillaume Dietrich and Barry Veneman. During 24 hours, and very often under the rain and on a damped track, the three Japanese brands were involved in the most intense racing seen for years. As their talented riders managed to avoid crashing, YART could take this victory, with the support of their Michelin tyres that seemed to be perfectly suited for those racing conditions. Honda France neither Suzuki Endurance Racing Team managed to avoid crashing on a very tricky track. Honda France even started the race from the end of the pack after Matthieu Lagrive crashed. The SERT reckons that the lack of track time and development with the Dunlop tyres explain their third place. They’ve already announced to take revenge at Bol d’Or. The Suzuki RT Racing Team Moto Virus of Jean-Louis Devoyon, Frédéric Jond and Raphaël Chèvre took a fantastic fourth place after a faultless race. This is the best result for this permanent team, who has a short career so far, and they score big points for the 2009 championship as well. The first two Superstock bikes are in fifth and sixth position. After an intense battle towards the end of the race, the Suzuki Junior Team LMS (Freddy Foray, Cédric Tangre, Louis Bulle) took a class victory with a tiny twenty seconds lead over the Qatar Endurance Racing Team (Mashel Al Naimi, Masahiro Shinjo, Anthony Delhalle). That gives QERT some great points to conquer the FIM World Cup for the second year in a row. The Qatari team also got the ESCRA prize given for the best pit work. The Suzuki TRT 27 Bazar 2 la Bécane (Mathieu Andrieu, Sébastien Pruhlière, Geoffrey Gnemmi) completes the Superstock podium. The GSR Kawasaki is in eighth place. The official Kawasaki of Julien Da Costa, Kenny Foray and Fred Moreira was delayed by a few crashes and a fuel inlet problem. The Kawasaki Bolliger Switzerland of Patric Muff, Horst Saiger and Rico Penzkofer managed to score some points after several crashes with a tenth place overall and a seventh in the Formula EWC class. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Suzuki Endurance Racing Team riders Vincent Philippe, Barry Veneman and Guillaume Dietrich has finished third in the Le Mans 24 Hours – round one of the 2009 World Endurance Championship that finished this afternoon. The reigning World Champions completed 716 laps on their GSX-R1000, 11 laps behind winners Yamaha Austria and five behind runners-up Honda France at the 32nd running of the event, which attracted more than 92,000 fans. The team had held a 16-second lead briefly just past the two-hour mark but lost it when heavy rain fell. They then circulated in second place for the next 20 hours after a small crash, but remounted to keep their podium hopes alive. Suzuki’s filled six of the top-10 positions with the Junior Team Suzuki squad topping the Superstock class and placing fifth overall. Le Mans Results: 1: YAMAHA AUSTRIA RT – JERMAN / MARTIN / GIABBANI (YAMAHA) – 727 laps. 2: HONDA FRANCE – PLATER / CHARPENTIER / LAGRIVE (HONDA) – 722. 3: SERT – PHILIPPE / VENEMAN / DIETRICH (SUZUKI) – 716. 4: RT RACING TEAM – DEVOYON / CHEVRE / JOND (SUZUKI) – 709. 5: JUNIOR TEAM SUZUKI LMF – FORAY / TANGRE / BULLE (SUZUKI) – 703. 6: QATAR ENDURANCE RT – NAIMI /SHINJO /DELHALLE (SUZUKI) – 703. 7: RAC 41 CITY BIKE – JUNOD /GANTNER /HOUSSIN (SUZUKI) – 696. 8: GSR KAWASAKI – DA COSTA / FORAY / MOREIRA (KAWASAKI) – 695. 9: TRT27 – PRULHIERE / ANDRIEU /GNEMMI (SUZUKI) – 692. 10: BOLLIGER TEAM – SAIGER / MUFF /PENZKOFER (KAWASAKI) – 689.