RACE RESULTS

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (2007)
Although the Official BMW Motorsport team competed this year on HP2 Megamotos the Max BMW Motorsports Team represented the HP2 Enduro. The following link goes to a video of the Pike's Peak race onboard with Gordon Mullavey of Max BMW Motorsports on the infamous HP2 Enduro (joined by Max Stratton, Gordon placed just one second behind Markus Barth of the official BMW Motorsport team.) This video is a full 13 minutes and is about as exciting as you can get without dropping everything and racing instead. http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/video/GordonUphill.MOV
Erzberg Rodeo (2007)
Major Success at the 2007 Erzberg Rodeo. The powerful troupe representing the Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport at the 13th Erzberg Rodeo in Eisenerz, Austria, lived up to its reputation. Between June 7th and June 10th, General Manager BMW Motorrad Motorsport Berti Hauser's team secured outright victory both in the King's Class and Iron Road Prologue. In ideal weather conditions, Chris Pfeiffer (GER), Simo Kirssi (FIN), Micky Dymond (USA) and brothers Greg and Gary Trachy (USA) entered the prestigious race of the high-capacity 2-cylinder King's Class on the BMW HP2 Enduro. With a lead of about 4 seconds over last year's winner David Knight (GBR) of KTM, Flying Fin Simo Kirssi was able to assert himself against tough competition and went on to win the two-heat race. World Streetbike Freestyle champion Chris Pfeiffer achieved an outstanding 7th place, while Supermoto pros Micky Dymond and Greg and Gary Trachy were pleased to finish 6th, 8th and 15th in their Erzberg debut. The Friday and Saturday of the event were devoted to the Iron Road Prologue, as is traditional. The "Iron Giant" was hot and dusty in the bright sunshine. More than 1300 riders from 24 nations took up the challenge and attempted the race, with some of the top motorcyclists reaching speed of over 100 mph. Once again, two time Prologue winner and clear favorite Simo Kirssi dominated the proceedings -- and actually managed a hat trick. With times of 00:09:01.06 min and 00:08:44.03 min, Simo mastered the approximately 14 km gravel and rubble track on his BMW HP2 Enduro, winning for the third time a race which puts enormous strain on both man and machine. Successful performances were also given by team mates Micky Dymond (4th), Chris Pfeiffer (8th) and Gary Trachy (18th). Over the two days, Chris Pfeiffer could be seen winding his way up the mountain road a total of four times: the four time Hare Scramble winner qualified for the infamous Hare Scramble Race on Sunday on the prototype of the 450 sports enduro, as did last year's runner-up Andreas Lettenbichler (GER). "We have nothing to lose, we can only learn," said BMW Motorrad Motor Racing Director Berti Hauser before the event, commenting on the strategy for Chris Pfeiffer and Andi Lettenbichler. Both started the Erzberg Rodeo from the front line. Only the 500 best riders of the Prologue qualify for this tough and highly challenging off-road race with its many steep climbs, drops and numerous other obstacles. Successful though the single-cylinder's performance has been at recent races, the mountain took its toll in this event. Two cases of accident damage and one technical problem put an end to the 450's winning streak at the 2007 Erzberg Rodeo. Shortly after the BMWs retired the race organizers stopped the race because of a thunderstorm. Simo Kirssi once again captivated spectators on this occasion by making the first five of 15 checkpoints on this difficult track aboard his HP2 Enduro. Berti Hauser enthused, "All I can say is, we are thrilled. The team and the riders have done sensational work, without which none of this would be possible. Perfect tactics, discipline, unlimited commitment, team spirit and an outstanding performance on the part of the riders and the HP2 made this success possible. Of course we would have liked to achieve a positive result in the Hare Scramble, but one ought to see the result and the insight gained from it as a good outcome overall. After all, we are still in the testing phase with the sports enduro." King's Class results: 1. Simo Kirssi (FIN) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 2. David Knight (GBR) -- KTM 950 Superenduro 3. Werner Muller (AUT) -- KTM 950 Superenduro 4. Giovanni Sala (ITA) -- KTM 950 Superenduro 5. Marc Coma (ITA) -- KTM 950 Superenduro 6. Micky Dymond (USA) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 7. Chris Pfeiffer (GER) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 8. Greg Trachy (USA) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 9. Klaus Martinjak (AUT) -- Aprilia 550 RXV 10. Peter Bachler (AUT) -- Aprilia 550 15. Gary Trachy (USA) -- BMW HP2 Enduro Prologue - overall ranking: 1. Simo Kirssi (FIN) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 2. Werner Muller (AUT) -- KTM 950 Superenduro 3. Juha Salminen (FIN) -- KTM 300 EXC 4. Micky Dymond (USA) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 5. Giovanni Sala (ITA) -- KTM 950 Superenduro 6. Bernhard Walzer (AUT) -- KTM 300 7. Werner Muller (AUT) -- KTM 300 8. Chris Pfeiffer (GER) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 9. Marco Tarkkala (FIN) -- KTM 450 EXC 10. Paul Edmonson (GBR) -- Suzuki 250 RM 11. Chris Pfeiffer (GER) -- BMW 450 18. Gary Trachy (USA) -- BMW HP2 Enduro 19. Andi Lettenbichler (GER) -- BMW 450 Hare Scramble results: 1. Tadeuz Bzazusiak (POL) -- KTM 250 EXC 2. Tom Sager (GBR) -- KTM 250 EXC 3. Juha Salminen (FIN) -- KTM 300 EXC 4. Wayne Braybrook (GER) -- GasGas 300 EC 5. Paul Edmonson (GBR) -- Suzuki 250 RM 6. Gerhard Forster (GER) -- Beta 525 7. Paul Bolton (GBR) -- Honda 250 8. Marco Tarkkala (FIN) -- KTM 450 EXC 9. Kyle Redmond (USA) -- KTM 250 2T 10. Ralf Scheidhauer (GER) -- KTM 250 EXC
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
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BMW Motorrad wins at Pikes Peak. BMW came, saw and conquered at the US hill-climbing classic at Pikes Peak in the Rocky Mountains. At the first appearance of the BMW Offroad Factory Team with factory rider Simo Kirssi and guest rider Casey Yarrow (26) from California, they dominated the Exhibition Class for motorcycles above 750 cc on their HP 2 Enduros, taking first and second positions. In the unofficial total ranking of all motorcycles, the BMW riders are placed fifth and sixth. The race up to the 4300 meter Pikes Peak, first held 90 years ago, is the undisputed US off-road classic. The track starts at a height of 2900 meters and ends right at the summit. The "84th Race to the Clouds" takes riders over a distance of 12.47 miles (about 21 kilometers); it has 156 bends and serpentines. About a third of the track is now asphalted, the rest consists of a sand-covered and heavily compressive natural path; there are virtually no sidings. Of the two riders Simo Kirssi is the most familiar to BMW fans outside the US. The 'flying Finn' has already achieved an impressive list of results on BMW's high-performance off-road machine in 2006, including winning the inaugural Snow Speedhill race (up a ski slope in Germany), and the infamous Erzberg Iron Road Prologue. The other rider, Casey Yarrow, is a 26 year-old Californian currently racing in the AMA National Supermoto series but for this race is stepping aboard an HP2 to take on 'America's Mountain'. The California Supermoto Schools instructor started racing at the age of four and has plenty of experience riding high-powered off-road bikes on loose surfaces, winning numerous awards and championships in Flat Track racing and Supermoto. Casey Yarrow finished in 12.20 minutes - a very respectable result; this put him seven seconds ahead of Kirssi. Yarrow was the fastest rookie with an average of just under 100 km/h and a total time below the track record up to last year - a milestone in PPIHC race history. With a top speed of 156 km/h, Simo Kirssi managed the top performance for motorcycles on the "Americas Mountain" as Pikes Peak is also referred to by locals. "I have no experience on asphalt whatever, and of course four hours of training isn't enough to be really fast," said the Finnish BMW rider, obviously in a good mood. Casey Yarrow, right up front in the US Supermoto Series, praised the HP 2 Enduro ("a great bike) and beamed after his successful performance. "I hope to be in it again next year when BMW has a second go," he said. BMW Motorrad head Berthold Hauser was more than satisfied with his team's showing. "We came here as rookies and we're taking a class victory home with us. This great result shows us where we are and next year we will certainly be able to get involved in the overall rankings."Micky Dymond, who set a new record last year on his KTM with 12:12 minutes, improved by 24 seconds this year, but still finished one second behind winner Gary Trachy (Husqvarna 660), making him only second in the 750 cc class. Results: Unofficial overall rankings: 1. Gary Trachy (750 cc class), Husqvarna 660, 11:46,841; 2. Micky Dymond (750 cc), KTM 450, 11:47,846; 3. Greg Trachy (Supermoto), Honda CRF 450, 12:00,007; 4. Davey Durelle (450 cc), Honda CRF 450, 12:10,477; 5. Casey Yarrow (Exhibition), BMW HP 2, 12:20,951; 6. Simo Kirssi (Exhibition), BMW HP 2, 12:27,037; 7. Greg Chiccoine (450 cc), Kawasaki KX 450 SPR, 12:42,587; 8. Jeff Steinberger (250 cc), Kawasaki KX 259, 12:43,936; 9. Mark Miller (250 cc), Yamaha YZ 250, 12:47,417; 10. Rick Gunby (750 cc), Harley-Davidson, 12:50,124 minutes.
Götschen Ski Centre, Bischofswiesen Germany
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BMW HP2 Enduro is King of the Hill. Official BMW Motorrad rider Simo Kirssi took his HP2 Enduro to victory in the first ever Snow Speedhill competition on February 25, 2006. The BMW rider beat famous competitors on their different enduros and motocross bikes from several manufacturers to take the title in the inaugural event held in the Bavarian resort. The win added another accolade to the HP2 Enduro's already impressive list of race appearances that include the Erzberg Rodeo, Baja 1000 and 500, and the German, Italian and Austrian cross-country championships. The Snow Speedhill is a unique event and it takes a unique bike to master it. The HP2 Enduro's combination of power and handling (and by the way the only twin bike in this competition), along with the skill and bravery of Simo Kirssi was just the right mix. Practice for the event started at 5:30pm and by the time the actual racing started there were a large number of spectators eager to watch the amazing sight of 60 riders trying to race their off-road bikes to the top of a floodlit 800-meter ski slope. The evening's entertainment culminated at around 11pm with the final to decide the champion of Snow Speedhill. Both the Motorrad Team Offroad riders, Simo Kirssi and Chris Pfeiffer had won their respective heats to line up alongside each other to race for the crown. The Flying Finn, Kirssi grabbed the win with an emphatic victory while Pfeiffer brought his identical HP2 Enduro home in sixth place. "The HP2 Enduro was the perfect bike for this unique and very challenging race," explained Simo. “I needed loads of power and the HP2 certainly has that but it also handles really well in the tricky conditions. Chris Pfeiffer added: "The whole event was great fun and a unique experience. Hopefully this will be the first of many Snow Speedhills." Both Kirssi and Pfeiffer were under added pressure during the event. Berti Hauser, the General Manager of BMW Motorrad's motorsport department was also racing with his riders on an HP2 Enduro. So not only did the factory racers have to beat stiff opposition from the other manufacturers but they also had to compete against their boss!

See BMW's international site www.bmw-motorrad.com to navigate to the HP2 pages for all up-to-date race reports and results. Last years results may also be viewed here.