Rennie Scaysbrook | April 21, 2019
Team SRC Kawasaki has taken victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019, following a tense race-long battle with the Honda Endurance Racing Team.
Team SRC Kawasaki has taken victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019, following a tense race-long battle with the Honda Endurance Racing Team.
The Kawasaki squad of Jérémy Guarnoni, David Checa and Erwan Nigon completed 839 laps of the Bugatti Circuit, as did the Honda squad of Randy de Puniet, Yonny Hernández and Sébastien Gimbert, although they were 60 seconds off the win in what was the closest ever finish at Le Mans.
Third for the 2019 endurance classic went to the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team with riders Vincent Philippe, Etienne Masson and Gregg Black. The French squad finished one lap down in what was legendary Suzuki team manager Dominique Meliand’s last-ever 24 hour event.
Wepol Racing (Yamaha), Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki), 3ART-Moto Team 95 (Yamaha) and National Motos (Honda) also pulled off solid performances to finish fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth, respectively, more than 10 laps behind the three squads leading the race. National Motors also took the victory in the Superstock class.
It was a shocking Le Mans 24 Hours for defending champions F.C.C TSR Honda France, with two crashes dropping the team out of the points in 35th at the flag.
Likewise, pole sitters Team ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance suffered a crash due to a mechanical problem and retired. The Yamaha Austria Racing Team, who qualified second on the grid, retired at 1:30 am with engine failure.
America Melissa Paris and the Girls Racing Team came home 30th overall and 15th in Superstock.
24 Hours of Le Mans Results 2019
The 2019 Endurance World Championship is kicking off this weekend at the Bugatti Circuit in France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It was a good day for the factory ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance team of Kenny Foray, Julien Da Costa and Mathieu Gines, who took pole for the 2019 event ahead of former EWC champions Yamaha Austria Racing Team, with riders Broc Parkes, Marvin Fritz and Niccolo Canepa. Third overall was the VRD IGOL PIERRET EXPERIENCES Yamaha team of Florian Alt, Florian Marino, and former MotoGP rider, Xavier Simeon.
Current EWC Champions, F.C.C TSR Honda France finished up seventh on the grid.
American Melissa Paris and her Girls Racing Team Yamaha outfit with teammates Joland Van Westrenen and Melodie Coignard qualified in 51st place.
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24 Hours of Le Mans Results 2019-Qualifying