Estoril, Portugal,
26
September
2020
|
22:20 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

Dunlop team SERT crowned World Champion at 12 Hours of Estoril

  • Dunlop tyres take SERT to the Endurance World Championship
  • Double podium for Dunlop squad Wojcik Racing Team
  • 12 Hours of Estoril concludes thrilling EWC season

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, one of Dunlop’s lead endurance racing partner teams, was crowned FIM Endurance World Champion on Saturday evening after a thrilling 12 Hours of Estoril in Portugal while another Dunlop partner, Wojcik Racing Team, took a well-deserved podium finish.

Suzuki riders Etienne Masson, Gregg Black and Xavier Simeon took the No. 2 Suzuki GSX-R1000 to fourth position in the season-ending 12-hour race at Estoril on Saturday; more than enough to secure the team’s 16th championship win.

SERT’s championship-winning campaign started a year ago with a win in the Bol d’Or. The French team followed this up with a consistent fifth place finish at the 8 Hours of Sepang, followed by a third-place result at last month’s 24 Heures Motos. On Saturday, it finished in fourth position and was always in the top five for the entire race.

SERT finishes the four-race season on 167.5 points, putting it 18 clear of its closest rival in the final standings. Dunlop teams Wojcik Racing Team placed fourth, while BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team completed the season in sixth. The BMW crew led the first stint but suffered a crash early in the race, but hard work got the bike up to seventh at the end. 

Wim Van Achter, Motorsport Manager, Dunlop: “Congratulations to SERT on a well-earned Endurance World Championship title. They had an impressive season with consistent pace throughout, and they truly deserve this success. Estoril was a good race, and Dunlop handled it well despite the last-minute nature of the preparation for everyone. BMW’s comeback performance should be applauded too: after their unfortunate crash early in the race, the No. 37 bike’s pace was consistent and impressive.”

Wojcik on the podium in both classes

Dunlop’s top finisher at Estoril was Wojcik Racing Team, which not only finished third overall with its Formula EWC superbike, but third in the Superstock category with its other bike. Both Yamaha YZF-R1s were the highest finishing Dunlop bikes in their respective classes.

The Polish squad trusted Gino Rea, Broc Parkes and Sheridan Morais in its No. 77 Yamaha racing in the top class. Just like SERT, the Wojcik bike never dropped out of the top five throughout the race, which lasted all day long from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. At the finish line, it was the highest placed independent team and therefore received the largest prize purse from the Dunlop Independent Trophy.

In the Superstock category, Wojcik’s Marek Szkopek, Adrian Pasek and Christoffer Bergman also finished on the podium. Their third place finish in class was good enough for a respectable 12th overall, ahead of a number of faster Formula EWC bikes. 

Last weekend, Wojcik entered the Campeonato Nacional de Velocidade (CNV) races at the circuit near Lisbon. Parkes won one sprint race and shared the podium with Morais in the other. With the team’s results today, the team’s extra preparation clearly paid off.

Wim Van Achter, Motorsport Manager, Dunlop: “As well as our other teams’ success, Wojcik should be especially commended. For an independent team to finish ahead of factory operations with decades of experience is always nice to see. Their preparation at Estoril last weekend was certainly useful, as they leave Portugal as the best-placed Dunlop team in both classes. Congratulations to all involved!”

In the Superstock category’s FIM World Endurance Cup, No Limits Motor Team placed second in the final standings after finishing fifth in the race. Luca Scassa, Luca Vitali and Christopher Kemmer raced a Superstock version of the Suzuki GSX-R1000, which is much closer to the production bike than the version racing in Formula EWC. Wojcik’s Superstock team finished the season in fourth. 

 

About Dunlop

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 74,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.