World Endurance: F.C.C. TSR Honda France Wins 24 Hours Of Le Mans (Updated)

World Endurance: F.C.C. TSR Honda France Wins 24 Hours Of Le Mans (Updated)

© 2018, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2017-2018 FIM Endurance World Championship

24 Heures Motos du Mans

Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans, France

April 21-22, 2018

Provisional Overall Race Results:

1. F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Josh Hook/Freddy Foray/Alan Techer), Hon CBR1000RR, SBK, 843 laps, Total Race Time 24:01:04.008, Best Lap Time 1:37.976

2. Honda Endurance Racing (Gregory Leblanc/Sebastian Gimbert/Erwan Nigon), Hon CBR1000RR SP, SBK, -1 lap (includes one minute time penalty), 1:38.129

3. Wepol Racing by penz13.com (Michael Laverty/Christian Iddon/Danny Webb), BMW S1000RR, SBK, -3 laps, 1:37.579

4. Bolliger Team Switzerland (Roman Stamm/Robin Mulhauser/Sebastien Suchet), Kaw ZX-10R, SBK, -5 laps, 1:38.803

5. Team SRC Kawasaki (Mathieu Gines/Randy De Puniet/Jeremy Guarnoni), Kaw ZX-10R, SBK, -10 laps, 1:38.104

6. 3ART – Moto Team 95 (Alex Plancassagne/Matthieu Lussiana/Pepijn Bijsterbosch), Yam YZF-R1, STK, -10 laps, 45.254 seconds, 1:39.072

7. Moto Ain (Roberto Rolfo/Alex Masbou/Christoffer Bergman), Yam YZF-R1, STK, -10 laps, 54.924 seconds, 1:39.201

8. Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Hugo Clere/Alex Sarrabayrouse/Louis Rossi), Suz GSX-R1000, STK, -15 laps, 1:38.877

9. Mercury Racing (Karel Hanika/Jakub Smrz/Sylvain Barrier), BMW S1000RR, SBK, -19 laps, 1:38.815

10. GMT94 Yamaha (Mike Di Meglio/Niccolo Canepa/David Checa), Yam YZF-R1, SBK, -20 laps, 1:37.471

24. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Vincent Philippe/Etienne Masson/Gregg Black), Suz GSX-R1000, SBK, -41 laps, 1:37.909

43. TECMAS- – BMW (Julian Da Costa/Camille Hedelin/David Perret), BMW S1000RR, SBK, -328 laps, DNF, 1:38.079

54. Team NRT48 – BMW Motorrad (Kenny Foray/Peter Hickman/Lucy Glockner), BMW S1000RR, SBK, -607 laps, 1:37.966

56. YART – Yamaha (Broc Parkes/Marvin Fritz/Max Neukirchner), Yam YZF-R1, SBK, -672 laps, 1:37.426

More, from a press release issued by WEPOL Racing by Penz13.com:

WEPOL Racing by penz13.com finishes 24h Le Mans in 3rd on the podium

Le Mans, France. The WEPOL Racing by penz13.com team has finished yet again on the podium of the second round of the 2017/2018 FIM Endurance World Championship, ending the 24heures Moto du Mans on third spot.

After 840 laps the squad consisting of riders Michael Laverty, Christian Iddon and Danny Webb crossed the line just three laps behind the winners of FCC TSR Honda and two laps behind #111 Honda in second place.

There was drama on course of the whole race and it didn’t go by the WEPOL Racing by penz13.com racing team. On his first stint, Michael Laverty had a little spill in the Dunlop chicane but was able to lift the bike and finish his run. At the planed pit stop, the damaged foot peg was replaced. Christian Iddon took over but as a result of the crash the handle bar broke under braking so he was forced to come back in to the pits.

After that the race would go according to plan until midnight, when Danny Webb had a similar crash as his team mate Laverty in the beginning. Webb dislocated his shoulder but was also able to continue and finish his stint.

Michael Laverty – Rider:

“First of all I am sorry for my crash in my first stint but I tried as hard as I could on course of the race to make up my mistake. I was lucky the bike didn’t get too damaged so I could continue and finish my stint. Considering we had all but not a problem free race, this podium tastes even sweeter. I am happy we made it through in first line, but to stand up there here in Le Mans is a special feeling”

Christian Iddon – Rider:

“We had some issues and problems, which made it harder for us all , especially when I did head out for my first stint and the handle bar broke after Michael’s crash. I am really happy and surprised what professional job the team did and even more I am happy we could bring it home on the podium.”

Danny Webb – Rider:

“I am over the moon. It was my second 24 hours race and we made it to the podium two times in two races. Not too bad for an Endurance rookie like my, hum? I am sorry I had this little of during my night stint, but it didn’t cost us too much. I am simply more than happy we are on the podium again.”

Rico Penzkofer – Team Principal:

What a race! After Michael had his little crash during his first stint, we dropped back in the order completely and now we are on the podium. Of course we had some luck with the bad luck of the others, but also this is Endruance – and also for us not everything went according to plan. But what we as a small private team gained here is something, the whole team can be proud of

More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events/FIM Endurance World Championship:

A JAPANESE TEAM AND BRIDGESTONE SCOOP FIRST-EVER WIN AT LE MANS

F.C.C. TSR Honda France has won the 24 Heures Motos and made history into the bargain. This is the first time a Japanese team has made it to the top step of the podium at Le Mans, finishing ahead of British squad Honda Endurance Racing and BMW-mounted German team Wepol Racing by Penz13.

The 41st edition of the 24 Heures Motos will go down in history for several reasons. The most notable one is the victory of the Japanese team: a Honda France partner this season. Three-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner F.C.C. TSR Honda France today became the first Japanese team to win the 24 Heures Motos. By doing so, the squad handed tyre manufacturer Bridgestone its first Le Mans victory, and shot to the top of the 2017-2018 FIM EWC provisional standings.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France had previously won a spot on the championship podium in 2016, but today the squad’s determined riders Freddy Foray, Alan Techer and Josh Hook finally enabled Honda to once again taste victory at Le Mans. The brand’s last win here dates back to 2006, with National Motos.

Three different nationalities and manufacturers

Another CBR 1000 RR-mounted team was also on the podium: British squad Honda Endurance Racing. Gregory Leblanc, Sébastien Gimbert and Erwan Nigon did a fantastic climb back up after slipping down to 38th place in the early stages of the race due to an electronics problem.

Germany was represented on the podium too, by Wepol Racing by Penz13. The BMW-mounted team comprising Michael Laverty, Christian Iddon and Daniel Webb ran a superb race despite a crash and all the pitfalls of a 24-hour race. Wepol Racing by Penz13 had picked up 2nd place at the Bol d’Or last September.

Three nationalities were represented on the podium, and three tyre manufacturers: Bridgestone, Dunlop and Pirelli, in that order. An absolute first.

Switzerland narrowly missed a podium place: Kawaski-mounted Bolliger Team Switzerland’s all-Swiss line-up (Roman Stamm, Robin Mulhauser and Sébastien Suchet) finished fourth.

In 5th place (and deserving of a mention for sheer tenacity) was Team SRC Kawasaki. After lapping in front in the early part of the race, a crash followed by a radiator problem saw the team plunging to the bottom of the rankings. But Randy de Puniet, Mathieu Gines and Jérémy Guarnoni rode hard and doggedly for the full 24 hours to finish in the Top 5. Their perseverance netted Team SRC Kawasaki the Anthony Delhalle EWC Spirit Trophy, which rewards a team’s fighting and competitive spirit.

Superstock podium trio in the Top 8

3ART Moto Team 95 (Yamaha/Alex Plancassagne, Matthieu Lussiana and Pepijn Bijterbosch) got the upper hand in this category, coming in on the heels of the factory-backed Kawasaki after a hassle-free race, just ahead of Moto Ain (Yamaha/Roberto Rolfo, Alexis Masbou and Christoffer Bergman) and Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki’s Hugo Clère, Alex Sarrabayrouse and Louis Rossi (the Suzuki-mounted team was also on the Superstock podium at the Bol d’Or).

The 2018 24 Heures Motos will also be remembered as an action-packed race peppered with upsets. Many of the leading teams had a rocky time of it. YART Yamaha had no choice but to withdraw following a crash. BMW-mounted NRT48 threw in the towel because of an electronics problem. Tecmas BMW was stopped by an engine breakdown. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team was afflicted by brake problems and finished far back in 24th place. GMT94 Yamaha, which was constantly in the lead for 557 of the race’s 843 laps, lost its footing after two crashes and finished 10th, just behind Mercury Racing.

76,000 spectators were at Le Mans to watch the 41st edition of the 24 Heures Motos.

Next race on the FIM EWC calendar: the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring on 12 May.

More, from a press release issued by Honda Endurance Racing:

24-hour podium joy for Honda Endurance Racing at Le Mans

24 Heures Motos

Circuit des 24 Heures, France

There are celebrations at Le Mans today after the Honda Endurance Racing team placed the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 on the podium after finishing the 24 Heures Motos in second place. Having been on track for 24 hours Honda’s endurance specialists Gregory LeBlanc, Sébastien Gimbert and Erwan Nigon completed 842 laps over an approximate race distance of 3,523km.

The 24-hour race got underway at 3pm local time on Saturday 21 April, with the Honda team starting from seventh. However it wasn’t plain sailing in the early stages with the team suffering from electrical issues. A quick turn around by the super-slick pit crew and the Fireblade was back on track, albeit in 38th position.

Over the next few hours as the sun set and rose again over the 4.185km Bugatti Circuit; with pure grit, determination and team spirit throughout, the riders pushed hard and it was LeBlanc who broke into the top-five in the early hours of this morning. At the next stop it was Nigon who took over and moved the CBR into podium contention. As the hours passed the Honda-men kept putting in consistently fast laps, eventually taking second place.

During the closing stages of the race it was all eyes on the Honda team to see if they would finish the legendary race on the podium. Closing the race for the team was Gimbert and with a carefully timed pit stop from the crew, he crossed the line second after 24 hours on track. The result from today sees the Honda team third in the overall FIM Endurance World Championship standings; with the next round the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring on 11-13 May.

The Le Mans 24-hour was a huge success for the Japanese manufacturer with the Honda Endurance Racing team claiming second place, but the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team took the win with Freddy Foray, Alan Techer and Josh Hook – giving Honda its first 1-2 at Le Mans since 1986.

Sébastien Gimbert 111

I am very happy with the result today and for all my team! Honestly, yesterday we were in a very bad position in 38th, so to be stood here in second is just incredible! I push with my teammates Greg and Erwan throughout the night and every time our laps were fast and we were consistent throughout. For me finishing second today is the best present of the year! I am very happy for Honda, for the team, for the mechanics and for everyone who is involved, it is good for today, but also for the championship. The Fireblade is perfect for me, it was so fast and I was able to push to the maximum with no issues, while passing lots of riders on track – so I am very happy. We finished the Bol d’Or third, Le Mans second, so the next time we go for the win!

Gregory LeBlanc 111

Well that was crazy! We started and it wasn’t so bad, then we had the issues and back into 38th place, which was not so good! I spoke with Seb and Erwan during the night and we said we have to push, we had no other option and that’s what we did! Honestly if you had told me we’d be on the podium after 38th, I would not have believed you! The Fireblade worked so well and we were so fast, I was passing people all the time and it was amazing. This is my second race with Honda and my second podium with them, so maybe I am a good luck charm?! The first time we finish third, this time second and maybe Slovakia we win! This is also the first time this team finish on the podium at Le Mans, so it’s very special. For me this is my eighth podium from ten race starts at Le Mans, so it’s not so bad and is a very special place to me.

Erwan Nigon 111

I am very happy today to be on the Le Mans podium with my team, I didn’t think it was possible with us in 38th at one stage, but to be on the podium was amazing! Of course it was hard work, but the Fireblade was the perfect tool in getting us back to where we were meant to be. We did have some small issues at the start, but sometimes this happens. The CBR is a very good bike to ride and I enjoyed racing today so much, I passed lots of riders as I was so strong and I just felt amazing. This is a very good result for the team and also for the whole championship with the standings. It’s also a great result for Honda with the 1-2 today!

Jonny Twelvetrees

Team Manager

Yet again I am amazed! The Bol d’Or I thought was a one-off with how it finished and the amount of drama after the 24 hours. Then it happens to us again here but in the opening stages! It just shows how amazing endurance racing is, we came from 38th to finish 2nd! Once we ironed out the small issues, the CBR worked faultlessly throughout the rest of the race and the guys were able to put in fast lap, after fast lap, after fast lap. Erwan, Greg and Sébastien are great guys and so much fun to work with, they have a great work ethic and it’s a pleasure to have them with us. A huge thanks also to the team for all their hard work and faultless pit stops – with the combination of the riders, the Fireblade and the crew it all got us to the podium, our first at Le Mans and just shy off the top-spot where we aim to get next time.

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

GMT94 Yamaha 2nd in EWC Championship Standings Following an Emotionally Charged 24 Hours

A valiant end to an intense and dramatic 41st running of the 24 Heures Motos, round two of the FIM EWC World Championship, saw the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team recover from two crashes and two costly pit-stops for an awe-inspiring top-10 finish. As one of the most demanding races in the world, it didn’t come without issues for the Pole sitters YART Yamaha Official EWC. After taking over the lead on lap 153, YART’s Marvin Fritz had an enormous crash that saw his YZF-R1 tumble end-over-end down the circuit, causing damage that cost the team 40 minutes and 33-Laps, and eventually forced a decision to regrettably retire from the race.

The 24 Heures Motos is the ultimate test of man, machine, teamwork, compromise and perseverance. Demonstrating their strength in all of those areas, both of the Official Yamaha Racing teams qualified inside the top five with YART’s Broc Parkes, Marvin Fritz and Max Neukirchner on Pole, and GMT94’s David Checa, Niccolò Canepa and Mike di Meglio in fourth.

After topping the charts in Warm-Up with almost identical lap-times – YART only 0.014 clear of GMT94 – anticipation for the buzzer signaling the start of the race was high. When it sounded off, YART’s Broc Parkes and GMT94’s David Checa got their YZF-R1’s off to reasonable top-10 starts and remained calm in the progression towards the front of the field.

At the end of the first stint, Checa was up into second place when he handed his GMT94 YZF-R1 over to Niccolò Canepa, while Parkes got to third before giving his YART YZF-R1 to Marvin Fritz.

GMT94 inherited the lead immediately after the first pit stop, with Canepa taking full advantage of a mistake from the early race leader. He then ran a series of smooth, fast and consistent lap-times and remained untroubled by the pressure that was being applied by the young and flamboyant YART rider, Fritz. A wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead lasted a solid 33-laps before both riders pulled in for their second pit stops, handing the handlebars of their YZF-R1 machinery to teammates Mike di Meglio and Max Neukirchner. Both di Meglio and Neukirchner replicated the race smarts of their teammates that went first, and remained focused and in control before the next set of rider-transitions.

A much hotter climate added an extra element to the already grueling 24 hour race this weekend. The additional heat was not only taxing on the riders, both physically and mentally, it was also taxing on the bikes and the tyres, as they had to work exceedingly hard to maintain high-performance and durability.

This race is renowned for the challenges it provides for the riders, teams, and technical partners alike. One of the biggest challenges this weekend was tyre selection. Due to the warmer temperatures, tyres were wearing out quicker than expected. YART’s Marvin Fritz found out first hand while trying to push a hot-pace on a worn front tyre. On lap 153 the German lost the front on a fast right-hander and was spat off of the bike and into the gravel, calling for the safety-car to group the riders and slow them down so that the track could be cleared of debris.

Credit must be given where credit is due, and that is to the passionate mechanics that belong to the YART team. After finally receiving the damaged YZF-R1, they incredibly rebuilt it from the ground up and offered Neukirchner the chance to test it. While Neukirchener re-entered the race, YART’s Team Manager Mandy Kainz went back to the drawing board and weighed up the risk versus reward of completing the race. Combined with the unfortunate events of the opening round of the EWC World Championship at Bol d’Or, which were repeated on lap 153 today, the decision was made to withdraw from the event due to time loss and danger of learning to ride a repaired bike in extremely tough and challenging conditions.

The safety car cost GMT94’s Niccolò Canepa more than 40 seconds, but the Italian was quick to bounce back and by night-fall they had already stretched their lead out to more than 1-lap.

With YART retiring from the race, GMT94 carried the torch for Yamaha into the night stint. The night air and cooler climate offered more traction but less vision, meaning the riders would still need to walk a fine-line and attack the track and the race, but with caution. Clever in their craft, all three GMT94 riders maintained a steady lead, and were rewarded for the efforts with 10-points toward their FIM EWC World Championship point tally for leading at the 8-hour mark. Soon after that, they were at another advantage with their closest rival pulling in to pit-lane for running repairs that allowed the team to extend their lead to 2-Laps.

Darkness blanketed the venue, causing most riders to slow down. Not the GMT94 trio though. All three riders, Checa, Canepa and di Meglio, maintained their speed and even increased it from time-to-time with Mike di Meglio setting the fastest lap of the night session.

While many of the 60 teams that entered the demanding race either slowed-down or retired, the GMT94 team seemed to get stronger as the time-clock ticked down and they were awarded another 10-points for leading the race at the 16-hour mark while di Meglio was out on his run.

Systematic in their ways with 17.5 hours and 620 laps complete, and a 5-Lap buffer over the rider in second place, it appeared GMT94 had a firm grip on what would have been their second consecutive round victory this season. Without the need to push or take any risks, the sun had reappeared and di Meglio handed the GMT94 YZF-R1 over to his teammate and one of the most seasoned riders in Endurance racing, David Checa. As a rider that joined the GMT94 Team back in 2003 and has been present ever since, with not a single raced missed in the 16 years he has been racing, it came as shock to hear the legendary Spaniard had fallen from the lead on the far side of the circuit. Checa’s crash caused an enormous amount of damage to the bike, to the point it was even difficult to push back. Adding to the heart-wrenching scenario, the rule states ‘riders must get their bikes back to their pit-boxes without any assistance at all’, and it was at that moment that Checa’s passion and commitment to racing and his team was highlighted as he, fatigued from being awake for more than 24-hours, battered and bruised with rips all over his leathers, found the strength to untangle the broken parts on his YZF-R1 and pushed it for more 1km back to pit-lane. Upon arrival, his bravery saw him receive a standing ovation from the teams of the other competitors and the fans a like.

It took the team 29 minutes to do a complete rebuild of the bike before it was handed to Niccolò Canepa to head back out on track, 18 laps off the leader and in eleventh place. The Italian didn’t waste any time in charging forward, he was running faster lap-times than anyone else on-track and before the end of his stint he had made a successful dash for tenth place.

Like Canepa, di Meglio continued the piping hot pace as he charged forward and up into ninth place before he lost the front and fell. The Frenchman returned to the pit-box where the team went to work for another 7 minutes before placing the YZF-R1 back in the capable hands of di Meglio, except this time in eleventh-place, 22 Laps off of the lead.

Soon after, 700 laps were complete with 3 hours left on the clock. Despite the heart-breaking events that had robbed them of a second consecutive win, the team continued to push forward and kept their spirits high. Their determination in such circumstances was admirable as the trio put their heart and souls into achieving as much points as possible. They were tenth place at the flag, which gave the team 11-points, plus the 20 points that were awarded for leading at the 8hr and 16hr marks, to add towards their EWC World Championship campaign.

The reigning and defending FIM EWC Champions, the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team will head to the third round of the FIM EWC World Championship only 4-points shy of the new series leaders, in second place.

In hopes of putting their first set of points this season on the board, the YART Yamaha Official EWC team will also head to the third round, which is an 8 hour race titled the ‘8 hours of Slovakia Ring’. The race will take place on the weekend of May 12th

Niccolò Canepa

GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Rider

This was not the race that we expected after 18 hours of leading and 5 laps of advantage from the second place rider. But this is Endurance, this is what we do, and sometimes it’s unfair. But, when you push at the limit for the last three years and you win almost every race and a World Championship title, you know that one day or another something can happen. We have no regrets, we are a great team and today everybody did the best job possible. We are a TEAM in glory, but also in bad days like this one. Anyway, the Championship is still open, and we will fight till the last corner of the last race! I have to say a huge thanks to all the GMT94 Team. Today they have been amazing, the fastest at every pit stop and they rebuilt two bikes in record time. I am proud to be part of this team and proud to have two great team mates like David Checa and Mike Di Meglio. We will come back stronger!

Christophe Guyot

GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager

The races follow each other and are not alike. We have to accept this blow of fate. David Checa always respected the running chart that we set together. We don’t have any regrets. We were 5 laps ahead and running excellent lap times throughout the night, but that only gave us a 10 minute advantage, and 10 minutes is not a really comfortable advantage. Following his fall, David was amazing because the head of the bike was blocked and it was very difficult to move. We do not know how he managed to get it back to the box. The mechanics managed to fix a damaged motorcycle, the fuel rail, tank, handlebars, radiators, exhaust system, dashboard, brakes, foot pegs, everything, in less than 30 minutes.

Finishing this race after the disappointment of losing the lead has been a great satisfaction for us. We look forward to the next race in Slovakia.

Mandy Kainz

YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager

We did nothing wrong all week, we were always the fastest, so it is unfortunate to leave Le Mans without any points. Let’s just focus on the positive parts. We were the fastest in Qualifying, and we made Pole Position. We were also fast in most of the practice sessions. The riders were riding well; it was just unlucky for Marvin to crash. The bike was really damaged and it took 1 hour to repair it, which cost us a lot of laps and time. We made the decision to withdraw to preserve the riders and the material so we will be ready for the next race in Slovakia Ring, where we will also be the team to beat. We will do our best to return to the top of the championship.

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