Markus Reiterberger wins the 2017 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy.

• Markus Reiterberger scores maximum 500 points to add a second Race Trophy title to the one he claimed in 2014.
• Sébastien Le Grelle and Jordan Szoke finish second and third.
• Nine titles for BMW riders and teams in various championships.

Berlin. The winner of the 2017 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy is: Markus Reiterberger (GER). Having previously won this unique competition in its inaugural season back in 2014, Reiterberger has now been crowned the top BMW Motorrad privateer in the world for the second time. The German scored a maximum 500 points this season. Second place went to Sébastien Le Grelle (BEL), with last year’s winner Jordan Szoke (CAN) in third place.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport this year provided a total prize purse of 100,000 Euros, which has been distributed among the top 30 participants. Bonuses were also awarded in various categories, such as to the nine riders and teams who won the title in their respective series, for the “Best BMW Rider in Class”, and the “Best Newcomer”. The presentation ceremony for the best participants and teams took place at the BMW Motorrad plant in Berlin (GER) on Friday.

A complex system is used to calculate the standings in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. A rider can score a maximum 500 points, regardless of how many races are held in their respective championship. The total score is made up of the race points for the individual race results, together with bonus points, such as for pole positions or winning a title. The races in which a participant records their poorest results, are dropped and not included in the score. The number of dropped results varies according to the championship – depending on how many races are held in a series throughout the course of the season.

Reiterberger achieved the remarkable feat of scoring a maximum 500 points in the 2017 season. Competing in the International German Championship (IDM), he secured every pole position, won 13 of 14 races and wrapped up the title with races to spare on the BMW S 1000 RR, which was run by the Van Zon-Remeha-BMW Superbike Team. His “worst” result, second place in race one of the season-opener at the Nürburgring (GER), was dropped. Reiterberger received 15,000 Euro in prize money for his victory in the Race Trophy. He and his team also received bonuses for winning the title in the IDM (see below for details).

“It was a great season for me, and victory in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy is the perfect way to end it,” said Reiterberger. “I am very proud to have won the Race Trophy for the second time – and with the maximum score. The field is growing every year, and there are so many strong and successful BMW riders from a diverse range of series. It is not easy to come out on top against this strong opposition from within the BMW family. I will look back fondly on this year. Our motto is: ‘Only teamwork makes the dream work’ and we proved that. We are a small team, but a tight-knit unit. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport engineers, who work with us and support us superbly, are also part of this team. We have achieved an awful lot together this year. Our goal is now to continue in this vein in the FIM Superstock 1000 European Championship next season.”

Belgium’s Le Grelle raced for the Herpigny Motors – BMW Motorrad Belux team in the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) in 2017, and added a second title to the one he won in 2015. Le Grelle scored 460.09 points in the Race Trophy, and was rewarded for his second place with a cheque for 10,000 Euros. Szoke, who won last year’s Race Trophy, continued his winning streak in the Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK). The rider from the Mopar Express Lane BMW Superbike Team claimed his twelfth title in this series. In the Race Trophy, Szoke scored 440.00 points to finish third and claim 7,500 Euros in prize money. Like Reiterberger and all the other champions, Le Grelle, Szoke and their teams also received bonuses for winning the title in their respective championships.

The Race Trophy was launched in 2014 as a key pillar in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport customer racing programme. Since then, the global competition has grown consistently. 69 riders entered in the first year of the competition, and that number has grown steadily ever since. In 2017, 159 riders from 26 different countries registered for the Race Trophy. They rode for 106 teams in 27 different championship classes.

“Congratulations to our winner Markus Reiterberger, and all the successful participants in the 2017 Race Trophy,” said Uwe Geyer, Marketing Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “This year, the Race Trophy has once again shown that the global BMW Motorrad racing family is growing and getting stronger all the time. Compared to 2016, the number of participants rose by another 25 per cent, and we are proud that this concept has been so well received by private BMW riders and teams around the world. The Race Trophy also shows how multifaceted and diverse customer racing is at BMW Motorrad: the top ten riders come from seven different countries and nine different racing classes. Regardless of which continent they compete on, our customer teams know that, in BMW Motorrad Motorsport, they have a strong partner on their side, on whose support they can rely. And we know that we could not wish for better global ambassadors for our brand than our racing customers.”

The BMW riders and teams are supported in their pursuit of titles, wins and podiums by a global network of BMW Motorrad Motorsport experts with great success. The riders in this year’s Race Trophy picked up 80 wins and 251 podium finishes this season – on the racetrack and at major international road races, including the Isle of Man TT.

“We have a busy season behind us. Since the start of the year, our engineers have been at work in a diverse range of racing series around the world, weekend after weekend,” said Marc Bongers, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “The work on site at the circuit is complemented by the support we provide from Munich. We can be proud of our contribution to the many successes achieved by our customers. Our extensive know-how helps to ensure that the BMW S 1000 RR is prepared perfectly for the races, whilst at the same time observing all the technical specifications and regulations, some of which can be very different in the individual series. This is shown by the many victories and titles our customers have achieved again this year. Our BMW riders and teams are dominating many circuit racing championships, and on the international road racing scene. Word has got around that the RR is the bike to beat. At the same time, the information that we gather from the race outings serves to intensify our know-how, thus allowing us to offer even better support. As such, all parties benefit from this close cooperation between our experts and the teams.”

BMW riders and teams won titles in nine different race series. BMW Motorrad Motorsport rewarded the teams with a title bonus of 7,500 Euros, while the riders received 2,500 Euros each for their title wins:

• Markus Reiterberger (GER) – Van Zon-Remeha-BMW Superbike Team – International German Championship (IDM)
• Sébastien Le Grelle (BEL) – Herpigny Motors – BMW Motorrad Belux – International Road Racing Championship (IRRC)
• Kenny Foray (FRA) – Tecmas Racing Team – French Superbike Championship (FSBK)
• Carmelo Morales (ESP) – Graphbikes easyRace Superbike Team – Spanish Championship (CEV)
• Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FRA) – Gers Moto Vitesse Ordannaise – French European Bikes Championship (FR EU)
• Jordan Szoke (CAN) – Mopar Express Lane BMW Superbike Team – Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK)
• Michal Filla (CZE) – Dominator Racing Team – Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship Superbike class (AARR SBK)
• Michal Prášek (CZE) – Rohac and Fejta motoracing Team – Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship Superstock class (AARR STK)
• Muhammad Farid Badrul Hisam (MAS) – HKM Times Bike Racing Team – Malaysia Superbike Championship Superbike class (MSC SBK)

2017 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Final top 30.