BMW racer Ilya Mikhalchik is 2019 IDM champion – Peter Hickman qualifies for BSB Showdown on the BMW S 1000 RR.
Ilya Mikhalchik successfully defends his title with races to spare in the International German Championship.
Peter Hickman secures one of the coveted Showdown places in the British Superbike Championship.
Another podium in the BSB Superstock class for Taylor Mackenzie.
The 2019 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy is in full swing. This season, a total of 26 championship classes in 21 racing series all around the world count towards the Race Trophy ranking. Week after week BMW riders and teams do battle for victories, titles and Race Trophy points in these championships. ‘BMW Motorrad Motorsport News’ allows us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.
International German Championship: Ilya Mikhalchik is champion.
The BMW Motorrad Motorsport family can celebrate its next 2019 season champion. Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) wrapped up the successful defence of his title at the seventh, and penultimate, round of this season’s International German Championship (IDM) at Assen (NED). Mikhalchik bagged another brace of wins at Assen on the new BMW S 1000 RR, run by alpha Racing-van-Zon-BMW, meaning he can no longer be caught at the top of the championship standings. “The whole weekend was perfect, as we were first in every session and won both races,” said Mikhalchik. “I am delighted, and winning the title ahead of the final race is not bad either. We worked really hard this year and won more races than last season – and we still have another two races to come. It’s nice to be able to approach them in a more relaxed fashion, and I’m looking forward to the end of the season at the Hockenheimring.” BMW racers have dominated this season’s IDM. Mikhalchik is followed in second and third place in the Riders’ Championship by team-mate Julian Puffe (GER) and Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NED / Team Dutch Comfort Houses). BMW had already secured the IDM Manufacturer title at round six at Most (CZE).
The RR also claimed further podium finishes in both of the weekend’s races at Assen. Bastien Mackels (BEL) finished runner-up behind Mikhalchik in race one, making it a BMW one-two. In race two, Bijsterbosch came home third to claim a spot on the podium.
British Superbike Championship: Peter Hickman qualifies for the Showdown.
He has done it: the crucial ninth round of the 2019 British Superbike Championship (BSB) at Oulton Park (GBR) saw Peter Hickman (GBR) secure one of the coveted Showdown places on the new BMW S 1000 RR. The Smiths Racing rider was one point outside the all-important top-six in the championship ahead of the trip to Oulton Park. Although he crashed out of race one, two eighth-places in races two and three earned Hickman enough points to make him one of the six riders who will battle it out for the title over the final three events of the season. “Practice and qualifying went really well and I was confident I could finish in the top-six in race one,” said Hickman. “The fact that I failed to finish due to a crash, which was not my fault, was a big disappointment. That made the second race difficult, as I had to start from way down the grid. However, we pulled ourselves together in race three and it is fantastic to be back in the Showdown again. I’ll be giving it my all at the last three race weekends.” Christian Iddon (GBR / Tyco BMW) finished fifth and seventh in the first two races, but crashed in race three. Team-mate Glenn Irwin (GBR) was seventh, 15th and eighth.
In the Superstock class (BSB STK), Taylor Mackenzie (GBR / Bathams Racing) claimed another podium. He finished third in class in the second of the two. Mackenzie had previously come home sixth in race one.
MotoAmerica: BMW racers in action in New Jersey.
This year’s MotoAmerica AMA Road Racing Series (MA) is on the finish straight. New Jersey Motorsports Park (USA) hosted the penultimate round of the season in which Jake Gagne (USA / Scheibe Racing) finished eighth on his RR in both the Superbike races (MA SBK). Travis Wyman (USA / Weir Everywhere Racing) also competed in the Superbike class this time, and came home twelfth and eleventh.
Australian Superbike Championship: Round five of the season at the Winton Motor Raceway.
The Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) was at the Winton Motor Raceway (AUS) this weekend for round five of the season. Aaron Morris (AUS) from the NextGen Motorsports / Maxima BMW Racing team finished the two races in 13th and seventh places.
BMW Motorrad BoxerCup: Fifth round of the season at Assen.
Assen (NED) was also the venue for round five of the re-launched BMW Motorrad BoxerCup promoted by Wilbers. The series sees riders go head to head on identical BoxerCup bikes. One race was held at Assen, with victory going to Chris Höfer (GER) from the Wunderlich Motorsport team. His team-mate Nate Kern (USA) was second, while Ryan Vos (NED) completed the podium in third place.