Strong BMW performances in the new European Superbike Championship and more wins for the BMW S 1000 RR in Italy, France and Great Britain.

Munich, 29th April 2015. Portugal, Italy, France, Japan and Great Britain: BMW Motorrad privateers were back in action in a variety of championships last weekend. The new European Superbike Championship enjoyed a successful debut in Portimão (PT). In Misano (IT), Fabrizio Perotti (IT) won on his BMW S 1000 RR at the opening round of the Italian championship. In Nogaro (FR), Michel Amalric (FR) won the “European Bikes” category in the French championship, and moved into the lead in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy (see below for latest standings) as a result. BMW privateers in the Japanese championship headed to “Autopolis” for round two, while Guy Martin (GB) dominated the road racing scene with victories on his RR at the Cookstown 100.

FIM CEV European Superbike Championship in Portimão, Portugal.

This season, the former Spanish Superbike Championship has been elevated to the status of a European Championship. The opening round of the new FIM CEV European Superbike Championship (CEV) was held last weekend in Portimão (PT). Among the strong international field were five BMW Motorrad privateers, who started their European Championship campaigns with good results in Portugal. The best-placed BMW rider was Spain’s Iván Silva. He finished fourth in both races on a Targobank Motorsport BMW S 1000 RR. Race one featured a sensational comeback from Silva: the Spaniard left the track briefly and dropped back to eighth as a result. However, he then fought his way back to fourth courtesy of some courageous overtaking manoeuvres. His fellow Spaniard Daniel Rivas also impressed in Portugal: he completed his first laps on the new RR fielded by the Boxmotos.com EasyRace SBK Team on Friday, before coming home hot on Silva’s heels in fifth in both races. Rivas’ team-mate Adrián Bonastre (ES) finished ninth and 11th.

In the privateers class (CEV AM), privateer BMW Motorrad rider Eeki Kuparinen (FI) scored his first podium of the season at the opening round – and that despite riding with a broken ankle. He guided his Motomarket Racing BMW S 1000 RR to second in his class (eighth overall) in race one and followed this with a fourth place (tenth overall) in race two. After the first race weekend of the year, Kuparinen lies second in the privateer standings. Ricardo Mateus Marinho Lopes (PT / RLPerformances58) finished 11th and 14th in the privateer class (18th and 21st overall).

Italian Superbike Championship in Misano, Italy.

Misano (IT) was the venue for the opening round of the 2015 Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) last weekend – and the series kicked off with a win and a podium for the BMW S 1000 RR. Fabrizio Perotti (IT) won the first of two eventful races on his Tutapista RR. He was joined in the top ten by a further four BMW riders: Denni Schiavoni (IT / 2R Racing) was fifth and Luca Oppedisano (IT / DMR Racing) seventh, while Gianluca Vizziello (IT / Moto x Racing) came home ninth with Marco Marcheluzzo (IT / DMR Racing) hot on his heels in tenth.

Race two saw Alessio Corradi (IT) finish runner-up to claim a spot on the podium. In doing so, the DMR Racing rider made amends for crashing out in race one. Oppedisano was eighth, just ahead of Schiavoni. Francesco Ciacci (IT) finished 12th on the Furius Bulls Sibarys RR, while the winner of race one, Perotti, had to settle for 14th. Perotti spent over two thirds of the race in second place, battling for the lead, until a mistake saw him drop back down the field.

French Superbike Championship in Nogaro, France.

Round two of the French Superbike Championship (FSBK) took place in Nogaro, in southern France, last weekend. In the “Superbike” category, in which EVO and Stock bikes take to the track together, Emeric Jonchiere (FR / ERT BMW Motorrad Club France) was once again the most successful BMW Motorrad privateer. Jonchiere came home 11th and fifth on his BMW S 1000 RR, earning him fourth and second in the Stock class. These results have propelled Jonchiere into second in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy standings. His team-mate Emilien Jaillet (FR) crossed the finish line 13th and 27th – that is sixth and 20th in the Stock class. Nicolas Pouhair (FR / MSC Courneuvien 93) competes on an EVO version of the RR in the FSBK. He ended the opening race in eighth but failed to finish race two.

In the “European Bikes” championship (FR EU), which is restricted to motorcycles from European manufacturers and holds its races on FSBK weekends, the BMW S 1000 RR remains the dominant bike. In Nogaro, five of the six podiums went to BMW Motorrad privateers, with nine RRs finishing in the top 11 in both races. The strong contingent of BMW riders was led by Michel Amalric (FR / GD Performance). He won the opening race and finished runner-up in race two to earn a second spot on the podium. The Frenchman not only moved into the championship lead on the back of these results, but also to the top of the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy standings. In race one, Amalric was joined on the podium by brothers Cyril and Florian Brunet-Lugardon (both FR / Gers Moto Vitesse Ordannaise) in second and third place. In the second race, Florian Brunet-Lugardon finished third behind Amalric to claim another podium.

Road Racing: Cookstown 100 in Northern Ireland.

In preparation for this season’s major international road racing events, the British Tyco BMW team was back racing again last weekend – and claimed its next victories for the BMW S 1000 RR courtesy of Guy Martin (GB). Martin clinched a double at the Cookstown 100 in Cookstown (GB), Northern Ireland: he won both Superbike races held at this event. After his success at the Spring Cup in Scarborough (GB), these were wins number two and three of the still young season for Martin on the Tyco BMW RR. His team-mate William Dunlop (GB) was fourth and fifth. The season really gets going in one and a half weeks’ time: the North West 200, on 9th May, is the first major road racing event of the year. This is also the first event of the new “BMW Combined Road Race Challenge” (BMW RRC), which comprises the North West 200, the Isle of Man TT, the Ulster GP and the Macau Grand Prix.

MFJ Superbike All Japan Road Race Championship in Kamitsue, Japan .

The “Autopolis” circuit in Kamitsue (JP) was the venue for round two of the 2015 MFJ Superbike All Japan Road Race Championship (MFJ) last weekend. This time, four BMW S 1000 RRs raced in the fiercely-contested JSB 1000 class. Daisaku Sakai (JP / CONFIA Flex Motorrad 39) and Kohji Teramoto (JP / Team Tras 135HP) finished in the points in 11th and 14th respectively.

2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.

In 2015, the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy comprises a total of 19 international and national championships. Registration is possible until 30th June 2015. Participants in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy can once again compete in multiple championships in 2015. However, the points scored in the different championships are not added together, but are calculated separately for each individual race series. The current standings only include points from the race series in which the participant has scored the most Race Trophy points. You can find all the information on the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy, including the regulations and registration form, online at the BMW Motorrad Motorsport website:

www.bmw-motorrad-motorsport.com

Status: 29th April 2015

16. Nicholas Kershaw (ZA/RSA SBK GP/36,19), 17. Markus Reiterberger (DE/EWC SBK/36,00), 18. Luca Oppedisano (IT/CIV/27,20), 19. Léon Benichou (FR/FR EU/24,62), 20. Marcel Irnie (CA/AMA STK/24,62), 21. Gary Mason (GB/EWC STK/24,00), 22. Stefan Capella (GB/EWC STK/24,00), 23. Emilien Jaillet (FR/FSBK STK/22,15), 24. Ryuichi Kiyonari (JP/BSB SBK/21,33), 25. Tommy Bridewell (GB/BSB SBK/21,33), 26. Uwe Gürck/Manfred Wechselberger (DE/AT/SWC/20,80), 27. Peter Hickman (GB/BSB SBK/19,81), 28. Camille Hedelin (FR/FSBK STK/19,69), 29. Michael Laverty (GB/BSB SBK/15,24), 30. Nicolas Pouhair (FR/FSBK STK/12,31), 31. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/12,00), 32. Jean Foray (FR/FR EU/9,85), 33. Lee Jackson (GB/BSB SBK/6,10), 34. Kohji Teramoto (JP/MFJ/6,00), 35. Yuuta Kodama (JP/MFJ/4,00), 36. Fabio Marchionni (IT/STK1000/4,00), 37. Michael Truchot (FR/FR EU/3,69), 38. Noriyuki Tsujimoto (JP/MFJ/2,00), 39. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/2,00), 40. Janez Prosenik (SI/AARR SBK/0,00), 41. Martin Choy (BG/AARR SBK/0,00), 42. Michal Fojtik (CZ/AARR SBK/0,00), 43. Milos Cihak (CZ/AARR SBK/0,00), 44. Pawel Gorka (PL/AARR SBK/0,00), 45. Sabine Holbrook (DE/AARR SBK/0,00), 46. Jeremy Cook (US/AMA STK/0,00), 47. Mika Höglund (FI/CEV AM/0,00), 48. Jordan Szoke (CA/CSBK PR/0,00), 49. Chris Schmid (DE/IDM SBK/0,00), 50. Pepin Bijsterbosch (NL/IDM SBK/0,00), 51. Thomas Hainthaler (DE/IDM SBK/0,00), 52. Dominik Vincon (DE/IDM STK/0,00), 53. Eric Vionnet (CH/STK1000/0,00), 54. Federico D’Annunzio (IT/STK1000/0,00)