The performance and consistency of Dunlop's tires helped to create some thrilling action in the 24H Spa EWC Motos, the second round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) on Saturday and Sunday.
Dunlop teams in the open tire competition Formula EWC category and all teams in the Dunlop-supported Superstock class had available a range of compounds from Dunlop's KR109 front and KR108 rear ranges.
Fighting for the overall win was BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which won at Spa 12 months ago and returned to the Belgian circuit looking for another home victory. After qualifying in second and starting strongly, some bad luck early on delayed Markus Reiterberger, Jeremy Guarnoni and Ilya Mykhalchyk.
Nevertheless, the BMW team exhibited inspirational determination and excellent pace and consistency to climb back up the field to finish on the podium in third. The bike's comparative fuel efficiency allowed the team to run slightly longer stints than its rivals, thus losing less time in the pit stops. With this strategy, Dunlop tires that maintained their level of performance throughout each stint were crucial.
Fellow Belgian team KM99 finished sixth, showing an impressive performance to finish as the highest-placed privateer team in only its second race. Its Yamaha got off to a strong start, moving up to fourth on the first lap. Despite an early crash, the team's resilience shone through in a display of its potential.
National Motos Honda wins exhilarating Dunlop Superstock Trophy battle
French outfit National Motos Honda won the highly competitive Superstock class, beating the Team 33 Louit April Moto Kawasaki, No Limits Honda and Chromeburner-RAC 41 Honda in an intense four-way battle that lasted most of the race.
National Motos riders Sebastien Suchet, Valentin Suchet and Guillaume Raymond qualified third and ran in the top three positions for the entire race. Solid on-track performance and agile strategy calls secured the team's first win since the 2021 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans.
All teams in the Superstock class race on Dunlop tires, but this category's rules don't include the use of quick change wheel mechanisms. As a result, Superstock teams tend to change their tires every two to four fuel stops, meaning tire consistency throughout multiple stints is even more crucial.
All Dunlop teams had the same choice of KR racing slicks, with two front and two rear options. While the Formula EWC teams did have another two softer rear tire specifications available, they generally opted for the same medium compound as the Superstock competitors. Track and ambient temperatures stayed moderately warm throughout the race and conditions were largely dry, except for some light localised rain in the final couple of hours.
David Auerbacher, Event Leader EWC, Dunlop: "Congratulations to all Dunlop teams for a thrilling race. The battle for the win in Superstock was intense and shows the level of professionalism and quality in this category. Both the BMW and KM99 teams exhibited impressive determination to bounce back from bad luck early on, showing pace that could have put both teams on the podium."
Now at the halfway point of the season, Formula EWC teams will head to Japan for the Suzuka 8 Hours in early August, while the Superstock class will reconvene at the Bol d'Or for the final round in September.
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