BMW has announced the schedule for the 2001 Boxer Cup racing series to be held in conjunction with selected 500cc Grand Prix and Endurance World Championship rounds. In its third year of existence, the Boxer Cup requires that riders race on a close-to-stock version of the BMW R1100S with special mufflers boosting output to nearly 100 horsepower.

Organizers say that three-time World Champion Luca Cadalora and American Grand Prix hero Randy Mamola will participate in the series, which will be televised on Eurosport.

The series features a cash purse of 225,000 Euros (about $198,000) and the overall series winner also receives a BMW Z3 car. The series runner-up will receive a BMW R1150R with third place in the championship getting a BMW C1.

Bmw also announced that it will no longer participate in the Paris-Dakar off-road rally and that it will instead concentrate on the Boxer Cup.

2001 BMW Boxer Cup Schedule

4/14 Le Mans, France*
6/2 Mugello, Italy**
6/16 Catalunya, Spain**
7/14 Spa Francorchamps, Belgium*
7/21 Sachsenring, Germany**
8/11 Oschersleben, Germany*
9/15 Bol d’Or, France*
*FIM Endurance World Championship Round
**FIM Grand Prix World Championship Round