Munich. The number of titles won by BMW Motorrad Motorsportriders in the 2018 season has risen to four: Florian Brunet-Lugardon(FRA) has been crowned champion for the second time in a row in the French European Bikes Championship (FR EU). In the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC), BMW racers achieved a top-sevenlock-out at the season finale at Frohburg (GER). Kenny Foray (FRA)dominated the final races of the season in the French Superbike Championship (FSBK). There were also podium results in the Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) and the Italian National Trophy 1000 (INT).
International Road Racing Championship at Frohburg, Germany.
The title recipient in the International Road Racing Championship(IRRC) was already known: Danny Webb (GBR) of the Wepol Racing byPenz13 team had already been crowned champion at the penultimate roundof the season at Hořice (CZE). The iconic Frohburger Dreieckrennen(GER) then formed the 2018 season finale. BMW racers dominatedproceedings with a top-seven lock-out in the first of the twoscheduled races on Sunday. Race two was cancelled due to poor weather.
Conditions were already wet for race one, however, that did notprevent the BMW S 1000 RR riders from showing what they are capableof. They occupied all the top-seven positions. The three podium spotsall went to Wepol Racing by Penz13 team riders with champion Webb onceagain emerging triumphant. The two guest starters, Derek Sheils (GBR)and Davey Todd (GBR), finished second and third. They were followed inpositions four to seven by Didier Grams (GER / G&G Motorsport byBMW Motorrad), Marek Červený (CZE / Wepol Racing by Penz13), ErnoKostamo (FIN / Markka Racing) and David Datzer (GER / D & M Road Racing).
The top six places in the final championship standings are held byBMW racers; Webb is champion, Grams runner-up and Kostamo third, Červený ended the season in fourth place, with Datzer fifth and JamieCoward (GBR / Wepol Racing by Penz13) sixth.
French Superbike Championship at Albi, France.
Albi (FRA) was the venue for the finale of this season’s FrenchSuperbike Championship (FBSK). Tecmas Racing Team’s Kenny Foray (FRA)enjoyed another perfect weekend, with two pole positions, two wins andtwo fastest laps. Despite that he missed out on the title by justtwelve points, ending the season in second place.
Both races ended with BMW one-twos: Foray won both, ahead of MatthieuGines (FRA / Team MDS) both times. In the Superbike Challenger class(SBK Ch), Maxime Bonnot (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team) finished second andfirst (eighth and seventh overall).
Kenny Foray: “It was a really good weekend because wewon both races and we made the extra points for the pole positions andthe fastest race laps, but it was not enough to win the title thisyear. Congratulation to Jeremy Guarnoni; he had an incredible season.A big thank you goes to my Tecmas Racing Team for all the support. Iam really happy with the season. We won six races and we secured manypole positions and fastest laps. So thanks to everybody and see you soon.”
French European Bikes Championship at Albi, France.
Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FRA) went into the finale of the 2018 FrenchEuropean Bikes Championship (FR EU) at Albi (FRA) as the hot favourite – and successfully wrapped up the defence of his title in the first ofthe two races. The BMW racer from the Gers Moto Vitesse Ordannaiseteam claimed his second championship win in a row. Brunet-Lugardon’seighth place in race one was sufficient to ensure that he could nolonger be caught by title rival and fellow BMW rider Jonathon Germany(FRA). Germany ended the season with second place in the championship.
The main protagonists in race one were the other BMW riders:Alexandre Leleu and Maxime Pellizotti (both FRA) claimed a one-two forthe BMW S 1000 RR. Léo Challamel (FRA) and Julien Brun (FRA) came homefourth and fifth, with Germany sixth.
The newly-crowned champion ended the season in style in race two.Brunet-Lugardon took his fourth win of the year and was joined on thepodium by runner-up Leleu. Brun, Challamel and Germany finished fifth,sixth and seventh.
Italian Superbike Championship at Mugello, Italy.
The Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) held its penultimate eventof the 2018 season in Mugello (ITA). BMW riders claimed two podiumresults. Alex Bassani (ITA / DMR Racing) finished runner-up in thesecond of the two races, ahead of team-mate Luca Vitali (ITA) inthird. Vitali had previously come home fourth in race one, withBassani sixth.
Italian National Trophy 1000 at Mugello, Italy.
The Italian National Trophy 1000 (INT) was also at Mugello (ITA) forits penultimate round of the 2018 season. Two BMW racers made it ontothe podium: Remo Castellarin (ITA) was runner-up with Luca Salvadori(ITA) in third. Federico D’Annunzio (ITA) finished fourth, narrowlymissing out on the podium by just five-hundredths of a second. Therace was a real thriller, with the first four riders crossing thefinish line within just 0.3 seconds.
MotoAmerica at Barber Motorsports Park, USA.
There was another finale this week when at MotoAmerica (MA) the finaltwo races of the year were held at the Barber Motorsports Park (USA).Three BMW riders started in the Superbike class (MA SBK). Danny Eslick(USA / Scheibe Racing) finished sixth twice. Geoff May (USA /CCFOfficeSolutions.com) was twelfth and ninth. Ben Young (CAN / BenYoung Racing), who is a regular rider and second in the CanadianSuperbike Championship (CSBK), came home 13th and tenth.
In the Superstock class (MA STK), Travis Wyman (USA / Weir EverywhereRacing) finished fifth in the final race of the season. Wyman endedthe year in second place in the championship.
