8 HOURS OF OSCHERSLEBEN: D-15
The 8 Hours of Oschersleben, the third round of the FIM EWC 2016-2017, will take place in Germany on Saturday 20 May. GMT94 Yamaha, the winner of last month’s 24 Heures Motos, also won the 8 Hours of Oschersleben in 2016. The team is targeting a fresh victory, which could put it in a position to challenge current championship leader Suzuki Endurance Racing Team’s top place.
The winner of the 8 Hours of Oschersleben will notch up 30 points, and there is a 24-point gap separating Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, which is currently topping the FIM EWC standings, and a GMT94 Yamaha squad fresh from its win at the 24 Heures Motos, ahead of YART Yamaha Official EWC Team. Like the French team GMT94, the Austrian Yamaha squad is on a winning streak, and also tipped as a favourite for a first-place finish in Germany. In 2016, YART Yamaha Official EWC Team led the race for more than 6 hours at Oschersleben before withdrawing with a technical problem. And of course Suzuki Endurance Racing Team remains a top contender, even though the squad will be racing, as at Le Mans, on their GSX-R 2016 while finalizing the preparation of the new Suzuki model.
Some other teams are well-placed in the standings and will be worth keeping an eye out for: F.C.C. TSR Honda and Maco Racing Team, but also Honda Endurance Racing (11th to cross the finish line at the 24 Heures Motos), Bolliger Team Switzerland, Team April Motos Motors Events, which got off to a shaky start this season, and Japanese team Eva RT Webike Trick Star, an Oschersleben newcomer.
A lively Superstock scenario in store
The Superstock teams regularly feature in the Top 10, and the squads that shone at the 24 Heures Motos will continue their battle in Germany. Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, Moto Ain CRT, Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences and AM Moto Racing Compétition finished in 6th to 10th place at Le Mans. Meanwhile the German teams, like Völpker NRT48 by Schubert Motors and GERT56 HMT by RS Speedbikes, will be looking to fly the BMW colours high on home terrain.
The 20th edition
German Speedweek, which includes the Oschersleben round of the FIM EWC each season, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Initially launched as the 24 Hours of Oschersleben in 1998, the race became part of the FIM EWC world championship in 1999. The 8 Hours of Oschersleben has been held in Germany since 2008.
The first tests for the 8 Hours of Oschersleben 2017 will get underway at 10am on Thursday 18 May.