Viltais Racing Igol leads Dunlop podium sweep in 100th anniversary Bol d’Or

• Top three teams all chose Dunlop, including winner Viltais Racing Igol
• Dunlop tyres delivered pace and longevity in season finale
• Inaugural Dunlop Superstock Trophy champions crowned

Dunlop tyres were the choice of the top three teams in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season finale Bol d’Or, with Viltais Racing Igol leading Wojcik Racing Team and Webike SRC Kawasaki France after 24 hours of flat-out racing at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France. The Dunlop KR slick tyres performed day and night, giving teams reliable and impressive grip. 

In a race that saw many front-runners suffer issues in the early hours, the fourth and final round of the 2022 EWC season was one that rewarded the teams with the best combination of reliability and outright pace. French Yamaha team Viltais Racing Igol came home victorious after riders Florian Alt, Erwan Nigon and Steven Odendaal completed 718 laps. Their result was enough to propel them to third position, and the highest placed independent team, in the final World Championship standings. 

On Sunday, they finished one lap ahead of another independent team, the #77 Wojcik Yamaha shared by Dan Linfoot, Sheridan Morais and Mathieu Gines. The third and final place on the podium was taken by the factory Kawasaki of Webike SRC Kawasaki France, which bounced back from below 30th position after early technical issues. Amongst four different tyre manufacturers, Dunlop tyres were the choice of seven of the top ten finishing teams, providing longevity and pace. 

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team came to the Bol d’Or not just looking for its second 24-hour race win of the season, but in contention for the championship, too. Sadly, the Belgian operation, which earlier in the season won its home race at Spa-Francorchamps, retired early in the race with a technical issue, but its performance was clear to see. On Friday, riders Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mykhalchyk and Jeremy Guaranoni put the BMW M1000RR on pole, underlining the outright pace of the Dunlop KR slicks. 

Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers crowned Dunlop Superstock Trophy champion

In the Superstock class, to which Dunlop became the exclusive tyre supplier this season, Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore was crowned the 2022 Dunlop Superstock champion and FIM Superstock World Cup winner. The Yamaha team, which represents the firefighters of France, won the 24 Heures Motos back in April. In this weekend’s race, the Superstock class win went to the Honda of RAC41-Chromeburner.

Superstock teams use many of the same tyre specifications as the top Formula EWC teams. This weekend, every Superstock team had a choice of two front and two rear tyres from the KR109 and KR108 slick ranges. Formula EWC teams that chose Dunlop, in open competition, had similar choices plus additional softer options, as those teams tend to change their tyres more often, benefitting from quick wheel release systems. The top three Formula EWC finishers, including the winners, raced on standard KR specifications that are readily available for sale. 

David Auerbacher, EWC Event Leader, Dunlop: “At the end of the EWC season we extend our congratulations to each team for putting on an incredibly close and high quality performance at every round. In the first season of the Dunlop Superstock Trophy, we have seen great racing, with 12 teams coming to the Bol d’Or with a chance of being crowned champion. Therefore, Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers’ title is very well deserved. 

“Thank you, also, to the teams that chose Dunlop in the top class. We enjoy working with each of them, and the likes of #11 Kawasaki, #37 BMW plus the independent teams like Viltais and Wojcik, amongst others, have shown their skills in a challenging season. We look forward to the start of an equally exciting 2023 FIM EWC campaign.”