BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport: Successful weekend at legendary Macau Grand Prix.

Four BMW riders in the top 8 – The supported Penz13.com Team celebrated a strong sixth place for the BMW HP4 in the streets of Macau.

Macau/Munich, 16th November 2013. The experts of BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport were in action in the Far East this weekend: at the famous Motorcycle Grand Prix in the streets of Macau. They were on site to support the BMW teams and riders who tackled the 47th edition of the challenging motorcycle race on the Guia Street Circuit, mainly the Penz13.com BMW Racing Team. The squad of former race Rico Penzkofer (GER) fielded two BMW HP4s, ridden by Jeremy Toye (USA) and Herve Gantner (SUI). It was a successful journey for BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport and the Penz13.com Team: Toye finished a strong sixth, and Gantner, who contested this race for the first time, came home in 15th. In total, 32 riders took the challenge to race through the narrow streets of Macau.

Last year, Macau was the venue of the first ever race outing of the BMW HP4 and the race debut of an electronic damping system. The bike is equipped with the innovative DDC. Back then, it was Penzkofer who was in action on the BMW HP4. He finished his active career afterwards and from then on focused on his role as Team Principal. Over the past year, the BMW HP4 has become a winning bike in national and international championships. At Macau, one of the most challenging races for motorcycles, the competitiveness of the bike was once more confirmed.

Already the free practice and the qualifyings went well for the Penz13.com squad, who was supported on site by BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport. This continued in the race. Toye took a strong start on board his BMW HP4 and gained some positions.  Over the course of the race, he was going a fast pace and successfully battled for a top 6 finish. Macau debutant Gantner also had a good start and was fighting in the mid-field. The race had to be red flagged after a crash and only 11 out of 15 laps went to the final classification. The crashed rider was unhurt, but his bike was on the racing line. Toye claimed a strong sixth position, directly behind fellow BMW rider James Storrar (GBR / DMR Racing), who was classified fifth. The positions seven and eight also went to BMW riders: to Martin Jessopp (GBR / Riders Motorcycles BMW) and Didier Grams (GER / Heider-Motorsport.de). Gantner finished his first-ever Macau Grand Prix in 15th. The race was won by Ian Hutchinson (GBR).

“Congratulations to our BMW teams and riders for their strong performances at Macau”, said Berthold Hauser, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “Racing in these narrow streets is one of the toughest challenges one can imagine. Not only for the riders, also for the machines. Macau has its own characteristics and is totally different to normal race tracks. Together with the Penz13.com squad, our BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport experts were working hard over the past days to find the perfect set-up for the BMW HP4s. For the race, we found a setting which allowed Jeremy Toye to do lap times which were as fast as those of the top 4 riders. With his sixth place, he once more showed the potential of the BMW HP4. Also Herve did a good job. It was his debut at Macau, and he not only finished this challenging race but he also did so within the top 15 which really is an achievement. Overall, we can be very satisfied with this weekend. BMW riders finished in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, which is a strong result for our brand.”