2024 FIM Endurance World Championship
Round Two – 8 Hours of Spa Motos
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – Belgium
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team banished the memories of its 24 Heures Motos fall by standing tall in the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, netting its second consecutive victory in the FIM Endurance World Championship at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Living up to its billing as an all-out sprint for EWC glory, the 8 Hours of Spa Motos quickly developed into a thrilling strategic battle. While the YART team had the ultimate pace, its level of fuel consumption was such that it had to make one more pitstop than its rivals and had to push to the maximum as a result.
Round Two – 8 Hours of Spa Motos
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – Belgium
That kept the victory fight firmly alive at the iconic Belgian venue until the final hour when Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul, the winner at Le Mans in April, was effectively forced to concede first place to its rival, the 2023 EWC champion team, albeit by a slender margin of 40.145s.
Heading to the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race in Japan next month, YART is one point adrift of Yoshimura SERT Motul, such is the close nature of the competition in the EWC.
In the Dunlop-supplied Superstock category there was a maiden victory for Aviobike by M2 Revo and the Aprilia brand. However, by finishing second, National Motos Honda extends its advantage in the FIM Endurance World Cup ranking. Team 33 Louit April Moto completed the Superstock podium.
Starting with Honda power in the EWC for a second time, Tati Team Beringer Racing made it two Spa podiums in three attempts in third place followed by Honda Viltaïs Racing and F.C.C. Honda France.
After a troubled outing, F.C.C. Honda France demoted Team Bolliger Switzerland for a position in the closing moments of the race. Honda Viltaïs Racing could have finished higher up the order had it not lost in the pits while a faulty component was replaced. However, its capture of fourth place was aided when Kawasaki Webike Trickstar retired from third due to a mechanical failure.
Lining up in pole position, riders Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika excelled for the Austria-based YART team with Fritz completing the weekend as the new Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps lap record holder following his qualifying heroics on Friday when he bettered Hanika’s previous benchmark time of 2m18.845s by clocking a 2m18.551s best.
“When we came here for the testing on Thursday we saw it would be tough because we knew we would need a bit more fuel and one more pitstop in the race than our competitors,” Fritz explained. “For sure in qualifying we were super-fast and to have the new lap record at Spa is amazing. But we knew the race would be tough and our only chance was from the beginning to put the pressure on all the others. Niccolò started amazing and me and Karel continued like Niccolò started and pushed every lap, we had to but we made it made it perfect and the team did amazing job, everyone giving 110 per cent. Everyone deserved this victory.”
YART Team Manager Mandy Kainz said: “In reality this race was a pre-Suzuka and we were running close to a Suzuka-spec, but with a bit more safety because the track is very demanding. So we decided for a strategy to be aggressive. We consolidate a bit in the first hour but if we would have to push we could push, which we could adjust with power. So we gave a little bit more extra power than usual to the bike and the guys used it perfect. Also, the Bridgestone tyres performed very, very good and the bike was the perfect package.”
BMRT3D Maxxess Nevers, which included Belgian riders Loris Cresson and Vincent Lonbois in its line-up, placed seventh in Formula EWC followed by Motobox Kremer Racing, Maco Racing Team and KM 99. Florian Marino was in fourth for KM 99 but a fall at Les Combes after 15 minutes wrecked the Yamaha team’s hopes of home success.
Markus Reiterberger capitalised from the superior top speed of his BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team entry to sweep into first place along the long Kemmel straight on the opening lap. While the Belgian outfit soon dropped out of the ultimate fight for victory, it was forced to retire its #37 entry due to a persistent oil leak, which contributed to Sylvain Guintoli’s crash on the exit of the second part of the Bruxelles right-hander at 16h20.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France hit trouble for the second event in a row. Initially unable to start his bike, Alan Techer mounted an impressive recovery when he did get going to the extent he was leading after 42 minutes during the first pit stops. But a crash for Josh Hook through the Campus right-hander after one hour 10 minutes proved to be another costly setback with two lengthy pitstops required to restore the #5 machine to full working order, which allowed the fightback to fifth place to begin. With Mike Di Meglio unable to race through injury, Hook and Techer were praised for competing as a duo.
A first Aprilia-powered Superstock category win was also the first for Aviobike by M2 Revo, which relied on San Marino’s Luca Bernardi and Italian Kevin Calia to ride as a pair after Francesco Cocco was unable to start. The Italian team headed National Motos Honda and Team 33 Louit April Moto after an exciting battle for FIM Endurance World Cup honours.
Calia said: “Winning the race is always good. Last year we win the Bol d’Or with Team 33. At the end of the year I believed a lot in the Aprilia project and it start well. In Le Mans we were close to the podium but at the end of the race we did some mistake and were unlucky. Unlucky is part of endurance but sometimes you need to be lucky to gain the result. I’m disappointed Francesco couldn’t ride and I hope he gets well soon. We went with a strong strategy, Luca and me both did double stints. The race was so close with the #55, they were so fast during the race and also in the box. So a big shoutout for them. But we are very happy with this victory for all the team.”
Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore finished fourth with Team Slider Endurance and pole-sitting Team Étoile next up. ADSS97 charged to seventh as it made it up for recent DNFs.
3ART Best of Bike came back from a crash nearing the hour mark to finish eighth with Honda No Limits also hitting back from a fall to finish as the next best permanent Superstock team behind DDB Lux-Moto Racing and one place ahead of JMA Racing Action Bike.
Honda No Limits was in the Superstock podium places when Lorenzo Gabellini crashed at Les Combes while attempting to pass the Wójcik Racing Team EWC Honda. It followed an unscheduled pitstop for Johan Nigon to allow the Italian outfit to repair a technical issue earlier in the race.
TRT27 AZ Moto showed promise, particularly in the early stages when Tom Ward was in the Superstock podium battle. But a mechanical issue forced the Honda-powered squad’s exit at 15h45.
Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda also failed to go the distance due to a mechanical failure. Starting second and leading at one stage, Wójcik Racing Team STK’s challenge ended when Danny Webb crashed heavily at 16h25, exiting the Pouhon Double Gauche section.
The 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race forms Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship from 19-21 July.
2024 24 Heures Motos Results
- YART – Yamaha
- Yoshimura SERT Motul – Suzuki +40.145s
- Tati Team Beringer – Honda +3 laps
- Honda Viltais Racing – Honda +4 laps
- F.C.C TSR Honda France – Honda +5 laps
- Team Bolliger Switzerland – Kawasaki +5 laps
- Team Aviobike by M2 Revo – Aprilia +5 laps
- National Motos – Honda +6 laps
- BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers – Kawasaki +7 laps
- Team 33 Louit April Moto – Kawasaki +7 laps
2024 FIM Endurance World Championship Points
- Yoshimura SERT Motuk Suzuki 88
- YART Yamaha 87
- Tati Team Beringer Honda 54
- BMW Motorrad 53
- Team Bolliger Switzerland Kawasaki 43
- Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar Kawasaki 39
- BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers Kawasaki 38
- Motobox Kremer Yamaha 33
- KM99 Yamaha 29
- F.C.C. TSR Honda France 26
Up Next
Following the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans, the EWC will next visit Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in June, Suzuka Circuit in Japan the following month and Circuit Paul Ricard in France for the Bol d’Or in September. The EWC’s 45th season will consist of two races run for a duration of 24 hours and two taking place over eight hours.
2024 FIM Endurance World Championship Calendar
- 24 Heures Motos (Le Mans, France): 18-21 April (FFM)
- 8 Hours of Spa Motos (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium): 6-8 June (FMB)
- 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, Japan: 18-21 July (MJF)
- Bol d’Or (Circuit Paul Ricard, France): 12-15 September (FFM)
