This weekend the 24 Hours Bol d'Or were held, and the race has been somewhat delusional. to get started Bol d'Or's victory went to Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, the current champions with Vincent Philippe, Freddy Foray and Olivier Four. But the guys from Yamaha Austria who arrived as leaders and the title at hand after the 8 Hours of Albacete would suffer persistent electrical problems, and finished thirty-fifth.
Despite the complicated race and the result (they finished at least), Yamaha Austria Racing Team are already champions of the World Endurance 2009, dethroning the almighty SERT who has not had a season of the brightest in memory. Unlike YART, which in recent campaigns have grown from less to more. The podium was completed by the Michelin Power Research Honda led by Josep Monge, William Costes and Matthieu Lagrive, while Team GSR Kawasaki with Kenny Noyes, Javier Forés and Kenny Foray, were third.
Unfortunately there was controversy. An irregularity with the fuel tank capacity of the second classified would cause the Team GSR was second, and Team 18 with Suzuki third. The clear SERT victory came with 815 laps completed in 24 hours, and the Honda disqualifiers finished three laps behind them. A shame. Team GSR finished seven laps behind the winners, and Team 18 15 laps more. An even better result, but won once in the back room, which somewhat detracts from it.
In SuperStock the victory went to Maccio Racing's Kawasaki. The Motors Events / Joe Bar Team Suzuki was second, a short lap which shows the close fight that took place in Superstock, and two laps from them another Suzuki, the Qatar Endurance Racing Team. Qatar Endurance achieved the FIM Cup with this result in their category, with a test yet to be played in Qatar back in November … where they will surely celebrate the victory.
In the soulless Open category, the BMW R 1200 HP2 that encouraged it in 2008 are still missing this year. Among its few participants, the Metiss boys would have to withdraw and did not finish the race, remaining alone the Ducati 848 from Ducati Endurance. Winner in its category, in thirtieth place overall and also has the title a stone's throw away.
- SUZUKI ENDURANCE RACING TEAM EWC SUZUKI 815 Laps
- MICHELIN POWER RESEARCH TEAM EWC HONDA 812 Laps
- TEAM GSR - KAWASAKI EWC KAWASAKI 808 Laps
- TEAM 18 SAPEURS POMPIERS EWC SUZUKI 793 Laps
- RAC 41 - CITY BIKE EWC SUZUKI 793 Laps
- AM MOTO RACING COMPETITION EWC SUZUKI 783 Laps
- MACCIO RACING SST KAWASAKI 781 Laps
- MOTORS EVENTS / JOE BAR TEAM SST SUZUKI 780 Laps
- QATAR ENDURANCE RACING TEAM - QERT SST SUZUKI 778 Laps
- BOLLIGER TEAM SWITZERLAND EWC KAWASAKI 775 Laps…
- DUCATI ENDURANCE RACING TEAM OPEN DUCATI 730 Laps
It was bad for Yamaha GMT-94, and therefore for David Checa. Although they started the test well, as usual, fighting for the top positions, but early on Sunday they had to retire with engine overheating problems.
A hard blow that could have meant a possible double for Yamaha, who have not won the endurance title since 2004 being won by Yamaha Phase One, others who had to leave here at Nevers Magny Cours. The Swiss of the Bolliger Kawasaki, endurance team with tradition where they exist was tenth.
The next and last event on the Endurance World Cup calendar will be in Doha, at the Losail Circuit, Qatar on November 14.
