Press Release | April 8, 2022
The FIM EWC Championship is back on track at Le Mans next week (April 14-17) for the 45th 24 Heures Motos. A total of 33 teams have registered for the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship
This is a press release from FIM EWC…
Six months since the 2021 FIM Endurance World Championship finale was decided by 0.070 seconds, the ultimate test of rider and machine is back on track at Le Mans next week (April 14-17) for the 45th 24 Heures Motos.
The opening event of the 2022 EWC season is one of three day and night races on the calendar along with the returning 24H Spa EWC Motos at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and the centenary edition of the Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard in France.
Using the 4.185-kilometer Bugatti Circuit, the 24 Heures Motos promises to be an action-packed contest with a three-year-high 52-bike entry featuring 13 riders who have been part of FIM Endurance World Championship-winning lineups.
ESSENTIALS
What? 45th 24 Heures Motos, FIM Endurance World Championship 2022, Round 1
When? April 14-17, 2022
Where? Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, France
Track length: 4.185 kilometers
Race starts: 15h00 CET, April 16
EWC Qualifying best lap: Team SRC Kawasaki France (Randy de Puniet) 1m35.730s, 2017
EWC Race best lap: Team SRC Kawasaki France (Randy de Puniet) 1m36.408s, 2017
Open to fans once again after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, the 24 Heures Motos matches its four-wheeled equivalent for atmosphere, while winning carries the same kudos, as well as the crucial championship points.
Last year’s event, held in mid-June, ended with a home victory for the Yoshimura SERT Motul team, which is based a short distance from the Le Mans paddock and claimed the FIM Endurance World Championship crown at the end of the season.
Returning to its traditional April date will increase the challenge facing the riders, teams and tire manufacturers, particularly due to the prospect of changeable weather, less daylight and the chance of colder ambient and ground temperatures.
Local hero Louis Rossi explains: “The weather is always the question. At Le Mans it can be good one day and the next it can be dramatic. You have to adapt in every situation and the night is a difficult moment because you have to adapt to the cold conditions. But this is the 24 hours and it’s part of this spectacular race.
“If it’s cold it’s very physical because you have a lot of tension and you are quite tired and you have to try to manage your brain and your body to be fit during all night. Then, after the sun starts to come up, you regain some energy to finish the race. But for sure the end of the night is every time a challenging moment.
“But it’s a mythical race, especially for me because I am born in Le Mans and I live in Le Mans so it’s a very special track for me. I like the atmosphere and for sure the comeback of the public is great for everybody. We can’t wait for the race to happen.”
24 HEURES MOTOS FAST FACTS
- The 2022 24 Heures Motos is the 45th edition of the event and the second year running as the FIM EWC season opener.
- Following two years without spectators due to COVID-19, fans are back for this season.
- The first 24 Heures Motos took place April 22-23, 1978 with Jean-Claude Chemarin and Christian Léon riding a Honda to victory.
- It followed the Bol d’Or—the other French 24-hour classic bike race appearing on the EWC schedule—relocating to Circuit Paul Ricard after the 1977 event.
- After starting at 14h00 local time in 2020 and 2021, the 2022 edition of the 24 Heures Motos is set to be flagged-off at 15h00.
INTRODUCING THE DUNLOP SUPERSTOCK TROPHY
New for 2022, the Dunlop Superstock Trophy is a joint initiative from EWC promoter Discovery Sports Events, Dunlop and the promoters of the individual EWC races. It follows on from the appointment of Dunlop as the single tire supplier to the Superstock (SST) category.
All teams are allocated the same number of tires for each race and there are two choices of front compounds and two choices of rear compounds. A reward scheme exists with teams receiving free tires based on their race result. For example, if a team is allocated 20 tires and receives 15 tires for winning the race, a bill for five tires is issued.
David Chevallier, a contender for the Dunlop Superstock Trophy as part of the Falcon Racing team, said: “Obviously podium finishes for the whole season would be beautiful and we are allowed to dream. After all, with this team we are already in a dream and we can do beautiful things together.”
Dunlop Superstock Trophy competitors are eligible for the FIM Endurance World Cup, which is contested at the 24 Heures Motos, 24H SPA EWC Motos and Bol d’Or. The Dunlop Independent Trophy, last awarded in 2021, is no more although teams competing without the support of a bike manufacturer in either Formula EWC or Superstock can still chase their own Independent Trophy.
To view the final entry list and more details, visit FIMEWC.com.