New regulations add to the attraction of the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy in 2015.
Second season: new points system, more racing series and extra prize money.
Munich, 19th February 2015. The BMW Motorrad Race Trophy is entering its second season – and is now even more attractive, thanks to new regulations. The competition, the only one of its kind in the world, for privateer BMW Motorrad riders, was launched in 2014. This innovative project allows BMW Motorrad Motorsport to offer its racing customers around the world the opportunity to compete for the title of the top BMW Motorrad privateer in the world, despite competing in completely different championships. In the competition’s inaugural season in 2014, 69 privateer riders took part in the BMW Race Trophy, contesting a total of 206 races across 19 countries in six continents. Victory in 2014 went to Markus Reiterberger (DE), who was rewarded with a winner’s cheque for 20,000 Euros.
Certain areas of the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy regulations have been revised for the 2015 season. Among the most important of these is a new points system. Among other things, this makes it possible to react to changes to individual race calendars. Additional championships have also been included in the list of racing series, and more prize money will be distributed come the end of the season – not just to the riders, but also to successful privateer BMW Motorrad teams.
“We were delighted that the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy attracted so much interest around the world in its inaugural season, and that we received such positive feedback,” said Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Technical Director. “This project has brought our global BMW Motorrad Motorsport family even closer together. It was great to see the enthusiasm with which our riders committed to the Race Trophy, and the ambition with which they followed the overall standings every week. We are confident that the new regulations will make the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy even bigger and more exciting.”
“The BMW Motorrad Race Trophy was a great success in its first year,” added Udo Mark, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Marketing Director. “Based on the experience gained in 2014, we put our heads together over the winter and looked into ways to further optimise the concept and make the Race Trophy even more attractive for the competitors. Therefore, we have introduced a new points system, additional championships, more prize money for successful riders and teams, and a number of other new features to the regulations. We have further developed the Race Trophy and are now looking forward to an exciting battle for the title of the world’s top BMW Motorrad privateer in 2015.”
The best BMW Motorrad riders and teams will be given their prizes in the Award Ceremony at the end of the season.
The 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy in detail.
Scoring period for the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy.
The scoring period for the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy runs from 17th November 2014 to 22nd November 2015. All results achieved by participants in their respective championships during this time are included in the calculations for the overall standings. The early start to the scoring period on 17th November 2014 takes into account the fact that, in 2014, two series were still staging races after the scoring period for the 2014 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy had come to an end (Brazilian Superbike Championship and South African Motorcycle Championship). The results achieved by participants in these races, held at the end of November/start of December 2014, will be incorporated in the 2015 Race Trophy standings.
The new points system.
The new points system ensures that any changes to a calendar can be reacted to immediately, and that the overall standings can be recalculated accordingly. As a basis for the calculation, the organisers have defined a maximum score, which can be achieved by any participant during the scoring period within the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. For any calculation, the minimum number of races per season is eight. The only exception is the FIM Endurance World Championship (see below).
This maximum score is 500.00 points, divided into race points and bonus points. Each rider can score up to 400.00 race points during the scoring period, regardless of the number of races in their respective championship. On top of this, a further 100.00 bonus points can be scored for pole positions (maximum 30.00), championship title wins (40.00) and the application of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport sticker on their bike (30.00). The bonus points are added to the race points at the end of the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy season.
In addition, ‘throw out results’ have also been introduced this year. The races, in which a participant achieves his poorest results, are scratched and not included in the overall standings. The number of ‘throw out races’ varies depending on the championship and is defined for each individual series by BMW Motorrad – also depending on how many races a series holds over the course of the season. For example, if a championship consists of 16 races and features two ‘throw out races’, only the 14 races in which a rider achieved his best results are included in the overall standings as ‘rated races’.
To calculate the points for an individual race, the maximum 400.00 points achievable over the course of the season is divided by the number of rated races. Depending on their position in a race, the competitors are awarded a certain percentage of the points determined in this manner. 100% for first place, 80% for second, 64% for third, and so on. If a rider finishes outside the top 15, but does complete the race, he still receives 4% of the score. The scoring in races held within the Endurance World Championship form an exception to this rule: here, the number of race points up for grabs in each race depends on the duration of the respective race.
Here are some examples of how the points are calculated for an individual race: rider A competes in a championship consisting of 18 races, two of which are ‘throw out races’. Therefore, the number of rated races is 16. Rider A finishes first in this race, which is to count towards the overall standings. He consequently receives 400.00: 16 = 25.00 points. Rider B starts in a series with nine rated races and finishes third in the race. The points on offer for a win were 400.00: 9 = 44.44. As the third-placed rider, he receives 64% of this amount, which gives him 28.44 points.
The bonus points for a pole position are also calculated according to this formula: the maximum 30.00 points achievable over the course of the season are divided by the number of scoring qualifying sessions. Here too there are throw out results, the number of which is defined for each individual championship. Therefore, all participants have the opportunity to score the same number of bonus points over the course of the season (30.00), regardless of whether they have 13 or the minimum of five qualifying sessions in their respective series. For example: rider C starts in a championship with ten rated qualifyings and secures pole position. He scores 30.00: 10 = 3.00 bonus points as a result. Should the field consist of fewer than 12 starters in a race or qualifying session, fewer points are awarded, depending on the number of starters.
Should there be a change to the calendar and number of races held during the scoring period in a series, the system reacts immediately by recalculating the points of all the participants affected, according to the revised number of rated races.
In 2015, the participants in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy can once again compete in more than one championship. However, the points they score in the different championships are no longer added together, but are calculated separately for each individual series. Only the points from the race series, in which the participant has scored the greatest number of Race Trophy points at this point in time, are included in the overall standings. Example: rider D competes in the Brazilian Superbike Championship (BRSBK) and the French Superbike Championship (FSBK). On 10th July he scored 97.36 Race Trophy points in the BRSBK and 83.45 in the FSBK. In the overall standings he is ranked according to his current score of 97.36 points from the BRSBK. On 3rd August he has scored 101.17 Race Trophy points in the BRSBK and 103.65 in the FSBK. At this point, the 103.65 points scored in the FSBK count towards the Race Trophy standings.
More series.
In its inaugural season in 2014, the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy consisted of 15 championships. For the 2015 season, the number of race series, in which participants can score points towards the Race Trophy, has been increased. 19 championships, with a total of 30 different classes, are now incorporated in the overall standings. These include the new “BMW Combined Road Race Challenge”, in which the four major road-racing events are grouped together as one series: the North West 200, the Isle of Man TT, the Ulster Grand Prix and the Macau Grand Prix. (See full list below).
Bonus payments in addition to the prize money for the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy.
The 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy features a total prize purse of 100,000 Euros. This prize money is divided between the top 15 participants at the end of the 2015 season of the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. The winner receives a cheque for 20,000 Euros.
In addition to the prize money, new bonus payments for winning a title are introduced this year – both for privateer BMW Motorrad riders and for privateer BMW Motorrad teams. Every participant in the Race Trophy who wins the title in his respective championship receives 2,500 Euros in extra prize money, regardless of what position he finishes in the Race Trophy. The team, with which the participant won the championship, receives 7,500 Euros. This prize money is only awarded once to each team.
Further information.
You can find more information on the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy online at:www.bmw-motorrad-motorsport.com
An overview of the race series in the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy.
FIM Superbike World Championship
FIM Endurance World Championship
FIM Sidecar World Championship
FIM Superstock 1000 Cup
FIM CEV Superbike European Championship
Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship *
British Superbike Championship
French Superbike Championship (Championnat de France Superbike)
French European Bike Championship
Superbike IDM, Int. German Championship
Campionato Italiano Velocità (Italian Superbike Championship)
MotoAmerica AMA Pro SuperBike Championship *
Moto 1000 GP (Campeonato Brasileiro de Motovelocidade)
Canadian Superbike Championship
MFJ Superbike, All Japan Road Race Championship
Malaysia Superbike Series *
Super GP Champions Trophy South African Motorcycle Road Racing Championship
AustralAsian Superbike Championship *
BMW Combined Road Race Championship *
* series included for the first time in 2015