September 16th, 2024.



The 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season has concluded at Le Castellet, with the Bol d’Or. The 24-hour race provided a championship decider packed with close racing, drama, and fierce on-track battles across both the premier Formula EWC class and Dunlop Superstock Trophy category.

In the open competition Formula EWC category, KM99 Yamaha (pictured) delivered an outstanding performance, claiming its first-ever EWC podium in just the team’s second year of competition. Earlier in the season, the Belgian squad also impressed with a solid showing at the Suzuka 8 Hours, where riders Randy de Puniet, Jeremy Guarnoni, and Florian Marino fought their way to a commendable tenth place finish.

The Dunlop-equipped BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team also showed its strength, securing a hard-fought third place in the championship and demonstrating fierce determination despite facing several setbacks during the race.

The Dunlop-equipped #37 BMW started the Bol d’Or from pole position for the third consecutive year, consistently running in the top two and remaining a strong contender for victory for the majority of the race. Late electrical issues caused the team to drop out of the podium positions, but a fourth-place finish in class was enough to secure third in the championship, trailing the second-place YART Yamaha team by 54 points.

A crash in the early hours of the morning for the BMW squad sidelined rider Hannes Soomer with an injury, leaving the experienced duo of Markus Reiterberger and Ilya Mikhalchik to complete the race as a team of two. Earlier in the race, Reiterberger had set a new lap record of 1m52.517s, aided by the quick warm-up of Dunlop’s KR slicks.

The Dunlop-equipped KM99 Yamaha team qualified in seventh on Friday but also took full advantage of the quick warm-up and consistent performance of its KR slicks to steadily climb into second place over the course of the race. The Belgian squad held their ground to secure a career-best second place overall, resulting in Dunlop-equipped teams taking three of the top five finishing positions in the race.

Additionally, six of the top ten finishers were Superstock teams equipped with Dunlop KR slicks, reaffirming Dunlop’s presence and performance in the competitive world of endurance racing.

In the highly competitive Superstock class, for which Dunlop is the exclusive tyre supplier, National Motos Honda FMA was crowned the 2024 Dunlop Superstock Champion and FIM Endurance World Cup winner.

The Honda team arrived at the Bol d'Or weekend with a commanding 53-point lead in the standings, having secured victory in the Superstock category at Le Mans and a strong second-place finish at Spa. However, the team faced a tense night at the Bol d’Or after losing valuable time due to a broken footrest and radiator replacement. Despite the setbacks, a 17th-place overall finish was all the team needed to claim the FIM Endurance World Cup, capping off the French squad’s impressive season.

Elsewhere in the Dunlop Superstock category, polesitter Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team's hopes for Bol d'Or glory were quashed when they were forced to retire just after the fourth hour. This left Team Étoile and Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers CMS Motostore locked in a fierce battle for Superstock victory. Ultimately, the #18 Sapeurs-Pompiers CMS Motostore claimed the class win, pulling ahead to carve a dominant four-lap lead at the top of the Superstock classification by the end of the race.

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 tyre options, with additional softer compounds available for the rear. These teams tend to change their tyres more frequently, benefiting from quick wheel-release systems. All Dunlop teams raced on standard KR specifications that are readily available for sale.

David Auerbacher, International Motorcycle Race Event Leader, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, commented: “Congratulations to our Dunlop supported teams in both classes for putting on a thrilling race in tough endurance conditions. As the EWC season concludes, we commend each team for their consistently close and high-calibre performances at every round.

“The Dunlop KR range is renowned for its wide operating window and quick warm-up characteristics, and we are proud that both of these attributes have been proven in today’s race. It’s a testament to the development and durability of Dunlop’s range of KR slicks, demonstrating the performance they can offer, even in the most demanding of endurance races.”


www.dunlopmotorcycle.co.uk