Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team aims high with strengthened assault in 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship
Second season in the EWC category of the FIM Endurance World Championship sees the Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team squad fielding Frenchmens Kenny Foray, Mathieu Gines and Lukas Pesek from Czech Republic – World Champions and Grand Prix winners bank on the BMW S 1000 RR.
Kamenz/Böhlen, Germany. The Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team has regrouped it’s squad to start a strengthened assault on the FIM Endurance World Championship in 2016. Signing Kenny Foray, France, Mathieu Gines, France, and Lukas Pesek, Czech Republic, to ride the EWC-spec BMW S 1000 RR in the 2016 season brings together successful, talented and highly motivated top athletes from the world of motorbike racing. All three aiming for more success – as the team do.
Foray, 31, from Olivet in France, is a proven race winner and Endurance World Champion from 2014. Last year he again finished the EWC championship in runner-up position and was crowned French Superstock champion.
Gines, 27, from Monnieres, France, twice collected the French Supersport title and has EWC race wins under his belt, though missing a 24 hours triumph, which he is looking for to seek with Penz13.com BMW Motorrad France. Last year Gines won the German Superstock IDM title by taking 9 race wins and further 12 podiums. Now switching to Markus Reiterbergers team in IDM, who swapped over to World Superbikes and therefore also is leaving the Penz EWC squad, Gines also enters the Endurance scenery on BMW S 1000 RR.
Pesek, 30, from Prague, Czech Republic, already had his first Endurance experiences with the Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Team team in 2015. At the 24 hours Bol d’Or at Le Castellet he earned a final sixth position in the race, riding together with Reiterberger and Bastien Mackels. Pesek has built on his Grand Prix racing experiences – two GP wins, 9 podiums in total, 2007 best season in 4th in the 125cc GP World Championship, and a full MotoGP season in 2013 – by riding BMW S 1000 RR machinery most of last year, arriving competitive at the Bol to enter the race, recommending himself to stay for 2016.
The team just met to sign all contracts at the facilities of one of the teams long standing sponsors, Franks Autowelt in Kamenz, Germany. No with the formalities done and dusted, the first test of the new formed squad will take place during the BMW Motorrad Race Camp at Almeria at the beginning of March.
Kenny Foray
Rider
“My target is as always a victory in the 24 hours, first a podium but for sure a victory. I win the World Championship, I finished a lot of times second, but now we have a big team to make a big race as well. I hope to make good results and those quickly, with BMW, because this is a really good project and this is a good day for me to sign here. At the beginning of March I will first test this bike and I expect it to be incredible. During last year’s Bol d’Or I rode together with the old riders on track and saw the bike is perfect, so I can’t wait to get on it.”
Mathieu Gines
Rider
“For me this is a nice opportunity, because after two years with Yamaha I now do the German Championships IDM with the Remeha Van Zon Team and the Endurance World Championship with the Penz team on the BMW. This is absolutely nice for me because this is what I wanted. I am so happy also my team mate from last year is coming with me and I think we can expect a lot for this season. I am sure this is a good bike – if you look around, maybe not the French riders, but in Germany – 80 per cent of all bikes in the Championships are BMWs. For sure this is a good bike! Rico wants a podium, I want a win – I am sure, we can make a good season!”
Lukas Pesek
Rider
“My target is always the top, so now I have new team mates with a lot of experience. I am happy to be in the team with them. For sure it would be so nice to be on the podium because already in Le Castellet we were close so now I am looking forward to be up there this year and if it will be first or third doesn’t matter but it will be the first step.”
Rico Penzkofer
Team Principal
“I am happy today to present our team and I am proud of our rider trio we now have – Kenny Foray, Mathieu Gines and Lukas Pesek. Of course it is a pitty to lose someone like Markus Reiterberger who did an outstanding job last year, but he needs to go on and there is no question about it he belongs in the Superbike World Championship now. We wish him all the best of luck and that he can be as successful and competitive there as quickly as he was in IDM and the Endurance.“
“2015 has been our Rookie year and we got a final position of fourth which isn’t bad at all. We were able to beat experienced Endurance teams such as Honda Endurance Racing, YART and Bolliger, which was quite an achievement for us. But we also had a couple of small technical problems, which were unforeseen and that always can happen in Endurance sport. In the end this cost us the podium in a couple of cases and this is what we aim for in 2016. Last year one clearly could see our potential to fight for the front and now, with some further issues and small adjustments, we hope to amongst the top three during the races.”
“A big ‘thank you’ for sure goes out to everyone that is supporting us – be it our industry partners, mechanics, friends and fans, sponsors, and of course above all BMW with BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW France. Our riders are highly motivated, especially Kenny and Mathieu who are facing a brand new challenge. They hope – as we do – to battle for success. And if this is not going to happen we just have one chance and that’s me stepping back on the bike into action [laughs].”