SUZUKI BACK ON TRACK FOR NEW ENDURANCE SEASON

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team are back on track for a new season of Endurance World Championship racing at the Paul Ricard Circuit in Castellet in southern France for the Bol d’Or 24-Hour opening round of 2017-2018 season with a new team and new machine.

Long-time SERT riders Vincent Philippe and Etienne Masson are joined by new rider Gregg Black, a long-time EWC and Superstock rider and former Suzuki Junior Team LMS rider and champion, aboard the new 2017 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike.

This weekend’s race sees 59 teams on the grid and a total of 33 teams signed-up for the five-round series – including 12 new teams to EWC – that culminates with the Suzuki 8-Hour at Suzuka Circuit in Japan on July 29th in 2018.

There will be five factory-backed teams on the line at the Bol d’Or and for the season; Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, GMT94 Yamaha, YART Yamaha, F.C.C. TSR Honda France and Honda Endurance Racing.

In today’s in initial practice and qualifying sessions, SERT was in provisional second position thanks to Philippe’s time of 1:58.893, Masson’s 1:59.432 and Black’s 1:58.842 in their individual sessions.

Qualifying starts again tomorrow (Friday) to determine the start grid for Saturday’s race.

Provisional 2017-2018 FIM EWC Calendar:

Round 1: 16/17 September 2017 – Bol d’Or (24 h) / Le Castellet – France
Round 2: 21/22 April 2018 – 24 Heures Motos / Le Mans – France
Round 3: 12 May 2018* – 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring / Slovakia
Round 4: 9 June 2018* – 8 Hours of Oschersleben / Germany
Round 5: 29 July 2018 – Suzuka 8 Hours / Japan

* Race held on the Saturday