BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com ready to test at Suzuka
Markus Reiterberger fresh from World Superbike wildcard ride +++ Bastien Mackels fit again and re-joining the team +++ Tommy Bridewell fast addition to the squad
Boehlen, Germany / Suzuka, Japan. BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com continues it’s preparations in the 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship season with this week’s official test for the legendary 8 hours of Suzuka, taking place on 25. / 26. of June 2015.
The team’s riders have been celebrating great success in different championships after coming home in seventh at the 24 hours of Le Mans season opener in April earlier this year and now team up again to get the BMW S 1000 RR EWC bike ready to race at what is the most prestigious race in Japan. Markus Reiterberger (GER), Bastien Mackels (BEL) and Tommy Bridewell (GBR) will share the handlebars of the Penz-Endurance Double-R.
Reiterberger recently was on a high at the International German Superbike Championship by winning eight out of the first ten races, his “worst” result coming with two second place finishes. Reiterberger flies directly from the last IDM meeting at the Hungaroring yesterday to Suzuka. The German rider went on to race the Riviera di Rimini Round of the FIM World Superbike Championship at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in June, taking home 3 world championship points.
Mackels was side-lined at the opener of the EWC due to arm and elbow injuries he picked up at a pre-season test prior to his IDM commitment. The Belgium ace returned racing at the Nürburgring round of the IDM taking a strong fourth in the second Superbike encounter of the day, washing all doubts about his fitness for the 8 hours of Suzuka away. In yesterday’s IDM race at the Hungaroring he earned a third spot and his first podium.
Brit racer Tommy Bridewell is a new addition to the BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com squad. The 26 year old not only has won a race in what is the most competitive national Superbike Championships in the world, the British Superbike, he also ranks amongst the upper part of the overall table there. Bridewell proved to be quick in Endurance racing as well and is the “experienced” Suzuka rider of the squad, whereas Mackels and Reiterberger will have to start by learning the track during the test.
This year’s 8 hours of Suzuka will be one of the most high profiled editions of all times: Former double MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner is giving his racing comeback, current MotoGP™ riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith will team up together. Further the reigning FIM World Supersport Champion Michael van der Mark is returning to the scene after being part of the Suzuka winning squad at the last two editions already – plus many more riders of the sharp end of World- and National Championships.
Rico Penzkofer
Team Principal
“We are all very excited to go to Suzuka with our team for the first time. I have raced there in the past and know how special this event is, especially for the Japanese fans, who consider this one as the most important race of the year. With it being the first time our team is going to race the Suzuka 8 hours – a long dream of all of us – there was no question about joining the official pre-test there. Markus and Bastien will have to learn the track, so this is a welcome opportunity for them and we are sure Tommy’s experience will be crucial to them to get the preparations right for the race later in July.”