Press Release | May 28, 2019
Clash Predicted at Oschersleben
This is a press release from FIM EWC…
The 8 Hours of Oschersleben is a decisive FIM EWC round. The handful of teams with a chance of winning the world title will battle it out at the race in Germany – the penultimate round of the 2018-2019 season ahead of the Suzuka 8 Hours grand finale. The Superstock World Cup winner will be decided at the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, the final season race in the class.
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team get to Germany at the top of the world standings with a 10-point lead over Team SRC Kawasaki France. A duel between the two factory teams is on the cards at the 8 Hours d’Oschersleben. A few other contenders are close behind, with 30 points on offer to the winner in Germany, plus additional points for the teams claiming positions 1 to 5 on the starting grid.
Wepol Racing: a serious challenger
The highly focused privateer team Wepol Racing will be worth keeping a very close eye on. Their “most disappointing” results since the start of the season have been a 4th place at the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring and at the 24 Heures Motos. A podium finish is well within the reach of the German Yamaha-mounted team managed by Rico Penzkofer and riders Sheridan Morais, Daniel Webb and Michael Laverty. They are only 14 points behind Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, and clearly out to give the factory-backed teams a run for their money.
Wepol Racing are ahead of YART Yamaha and F.C.C. TSR Honda France in the standings. The Austrian squad and the Japanese team (the reigning champions) have clawed their way back into the Top 5 after their 1st and 3rd-place finishes in Slovakia, but are still 26 and 34 points respectively behind the standings leader. They will pull out all the stops at the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, as will Honda Endurance Racing and Bolliger Team Switzerland, currently 6th and 7th in the standings. The other contender to watch out for is the tempestuous VRD Igol Pierret Expériences, who finished 5th in Slovakia.
ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance are seeking redress. Having been forced to throw in the towel at all three races in the season so far, the German factory-backed team are determined to go all out at their home race. They finished 4th at Oschersleben last year.
Tense Superstock final
After a thriller of a Superstock race in Slovakia, the final in Germany is set to be a particularly fierce battle. GERT56 by GS Yuasa currently lead the FIM Superstock World Cup, but their rivals are nipping at their heels. Three teams are tied 11 points behind the leader: Junior Team LMS Suzuki, BMRT 3D Maccio Racing and Moto Ain. Team 33 Coyote Louit Moto, the 3rd-place Superstock finisher in Slovakia, are also in the running for the race and World Cup win.
The first official tests on the Oschersleben circuit will take place on Thursday 6 June evening with a night session, followed by free practice and first qualifying on Friday 7 June.
The 8 Hours of Oschersleben will be flagged off at 1 p.m. CEST on Sunday, June 9.
FIM EWC – Teams Ranking
1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team 113
2. TEAM SRC KAWASAKI FRANCE 103
3. WEPOL Racing 99
4. YART – YAMAHA 87
5. F.C.C. TSR Honda France 79
For more information on FIM Endurance World Championship, visit www.fimewc.com