BMW Motorrad USA and BMW XPLOR are pleased to welcome off-road riders Gordon Crockard and Glen Kearney to the BMW XPLOR Race Team.

The riders will pilot BMW's all-new sports enduro – the G 450 X – in the XC1 Class in the 2008 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing Series.

BMW's XPLOR Race Team is led by Scott Summers, a pioneer of professional off-road racing, who recently joined BMW for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons, after racing very successfully for American Honda for nearly two decades.

"The 2008 season holds a lot of challenges for me as a professional racer," observed Crockard. "I will be learning an entirely new style of racing, on a brand new motorcycle. In the past months, I've been able to spend time with Scott Summers riding the new BMW 450 bike and I'm confident in both the motorcycle and Scott's ability to help me make the transition a success. As a competitor, I've always enjoyed challenges and never been afraid of hard work. I know how important physical conditioning, mental strength and proper equipment is to succeed in off-road racing. I know that Scott Summers and the entire team will support me 100%, and along with my new BMW motorcycle, I know I'll have one of the best programs in the paddock in '08 and the rest will be up to me."

"I'm looking forward to working with Scott on a professional level; we have been friends for a number of years now and get along great," added Kearney. "I'm looking forward to racing the new BMW and making the transition from 2 stroke back to 4 stroke machines where I feel comfortable and aboard which I had some of my best success in Australia before leaving for the US. The BMW I feel will help make this transition an easy one because it is designed to be so user friendly."

"We are very excited to welcome Gordon and Glen to our race team. They are tremendous competitors, and will definitely make BMW a formidable contender in the GNCC race series," said Arturo Pineiro, head of BMW Motorrad USA.

"Scott Summers has played a significant role in making the GNCC what it is today – the most competitive cross country class in the world.  Now, with the addition of these accomplished riders, BMW XPLOR Race Team is certain to energize the 2008 GNCC series, and make us even more competitive," added Dirk Biehler, Manager of Marketing at BMW Motorrad USA.

"I could not be more excited about being given the opportunity to introduce the new BMW 450 off-road motorcycle into competition in North America," commented Scott Summers. "I also take the responsibility of BMW North America's first entry into national championship off-road racing very seriously. I know that a great deal of the commercial sales success of the bike in the coming years will be determined by my team's results on the track. When looking at potential racers for my team, I focused on looking for true professionals who would be just as serious about the success of the program as I was. Results are what matters the most in any form of competition and GNCC racing is the highest form of off-road motorcycle racing in the world in my view. I truly believe Glenn and Gordon will bring a lot of different skill sets and experiences to the team. I feel the combination of these two riders and the new BMW 450 will be a recipe for success during the 2008 GNCC Series.

 

Tough night in Barcelona for BMW's Lettenbichler and Goblet

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders Andreas Lettenbichler and Jean Francois Goblet's participation in the opening round of the '07 FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup proved to be an eventful occasion as both riders learned just how difficult, exciting and unpredictable indoor enduro racing can be. Both taking part in their first ever major indoor enduro event the two BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders found themselves competing in the same qualification group and up against seasoned indoor enduro competitors.

Disappointingly, despite their best efforts, and after two action filed qualification races, neither rider made it through into the night's main events. With only the top three riders from each of the three qualification races and an additional two riders from the last chance qualifier race passing through into the finals Andreas Lettenbichler went on to finish fifth with Jean Francois Goblet 12th in their qualifying group.

With the opening round of the first ever FIM indoor enduro series attracting close to 14,000 spectators to Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi stadium BMW's Andreas Lettenbichler showed that despite his near complete lack of experience of international indoor enduro competitions he certainly has what it takes to compete against many of the riders considered to be the world's best. Finishing fifth in both of his qualification races Andreas dealt with the track's many challenging hazards with ease and learned a huge amount about what it takes to excel at indoor enduro racing. Competing in the event's Night Race, in which the stadium's lights were turned off and riders forced to use only the lights on their bikes to see where they were going, Andreas placed third behind seasoned WEC campaigners Seb Guillaume and Christophe Nambotin from France.

For Jean Francois Goblet, the '07 edition of the Barcelona Indoor Enduro proved to be a difficult one. One of BMW's new signings for the '08 World Enduro Championship, having had little time to familiarize himself with his new race bike after several seasons competing on two-stroke machinery the Belgian saw several heavy falls spoil his night.

Both riders will now spend time testing and training ahead of the second round of the FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup, which is being held in Munich, Germany on Sunday, December 16.

Andreas Lettenbichler:
"I really enjoyed the Barcelona Indoor Enduro - it was a fantastic event. Obviously I am a little disappointed not to have made it into the final but considering that I was not able to train as much as I wanted before the event due to heavy snow at my home I am really happy. I also learned a lot as this was my first major indoor enduro event. The track was hard, but I like that. I am pretty confident that with a little more experience of this type of racing I will be able to be more competitive. I'm really looking forward to the next round of the series in Munich."

Wolfgang Fischer:
"With the Barcelona event being the first major indoor enduro for both Andreas and Jean we were interested to see how both riders would fair against experienced indoor riders, who were competing on machinery that they were well used to. Although it was disappointing that neither rider qualified for the finals seeing them competing against world-class riders as well as testing some new parts on the bikes made for a great night. As some consolation Andreas was pleased with his ability to match several of the top riders for speed across many of the harder obstacles and claimed a well-deserved third place result in the Night Race, ahead of some strong opposition."

'07 FIM Indoor Enduro World Cup series standings (after one of three events)

1. David Knight (Isle of Man) 4 points (1+2+1)
2. Mika Ahola (Finland) 9 points (2+5+2)
3. Xavi Galindo (Spain) 13 points (4+1+8)
4. Bartosz Oblucki (Poland) 15 points (3+7+5)
5. Taddy Blazusiak (Poland) 17 points (11+3+3)
6. Cristobal Guerrero (Spain) 19 points (5+10+4)
7. Tom Sagar 23 (England) points (8+4+11)
8. Gregory Eyries (France) 23 points (8+4+11)
9. Johnny Aubert (France) 24 points (9+9+6)
10. Simone Albergoni (Italy) 27 points (7+11+9)
11. Alessandro Botturi (Italy) 28 points (10+8+10)

 

Scott Summers Joins BMW Motorrad USA XPLOR Race Team

Scott Summers, one of the most celebrated off-road racers in the U.S., will join the BMW Motorrad USA XPLOR Race Team starting with the 2008 GNCC Series. Scott joins BMW after racing very successfully for American Honda for nearly two decades.

Scott Summers first started receiving support from American Honda Motor Company during 1989. During his time with Honda Scott earned nearly 100 overall national off-road event wins as well as 9 AMA National Overall Championship Titles. Scott did much more than win races and titles, he set the standard of what a professional off-road racer would be measured by. This benchmark still exists today.

Scott will be continuing his GNCC team for the next three years with the BMW Motorrad USA XPLOR Race Team. Scott's GNCC team for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons will have two riders in the XC1 class. The new partnership between Scott Summers and BMW is sure to energize the 2008 GNCC series.

"Over the years I had the pleasure to meet and work with a lot of great people at Honda. I have many wonderful memories from my years at Honda and have friendships that will continue,” said Scott Summers. “I'm very excited about my new career path and the opportunities it will allow me. My new relationship [with BMW] will provide an opportunity for me to attend a lot of new events and meet a lot of new people."

"We are very excited to welcome Scott to our race team. He is a real champion both on and off the race course," said Arturo Pineiro, head of BMW Motorrad USA. "These are very exciting times at BMW, these are also historic times."

"All of us at BMW Motorrad are eager to show how competitive BMW can be on the race track, on and off-road," said Dirk Biehler, Manager of Marketing at BMW Motorrad USA. "We have some very exciting bikes in our line up, and had a terrific 2007 race year. We look forward to even a more competitive 2008."

BMW Motorrad USA and BMW XPLOR are very pleased to welcome Scott to their fast growing racing team.

 

Simo hits rock bottom at GNCC

Simo Kirssi's high hopes for a promising debut on the 450cc sports enduro in the American Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series came to a premature end when he crashed out of contention at the Indiana circuit on Sunday.

The BMW Motorrad factory rider had been highly motivated and looking forwards to competing on the prototype BMW in the prestigious GNCC race in Crawfordsville, and early practice had shown the new bike to be competitive. Unfortunately, Simo drew a race number that meant he had to start behind lots of other riders, which meant 'playing catch-up' right from the very beginning.

The 'Flying Finn' managed to pass a lot of his competitors in the first few corners, but then he chose a different line to get past even more riders. This turned out to be the wrong decision because he failed to negotiate a big rock, which caused him to slide out and crash heavily. As a result of this heavy fall, Simo injured his shoulder and was not able to finish the race.

The team is currently still awaiting a full medical report to determine the exact extent of the injuries. On behalf of all race fans that have enjoyed watching his considerable achievements this year on the 450cc sports enduro, BMW Motorrad Motorsport would like to wish Simo a speedy recovery.

 

BMW G 450 X Makes its U.S. Debut at Grand National Cross Country in Crawfordsville, Indiana

Simo goes Stateside for GNCC action!

BMW Motorrad Motorsport is heading back to the USA for the second time during 2007. In July, the factory team was in Colorado to contest the Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds on the HP2 Megamoto. This time though, it's the 450cc sports enduro that will be in action in Crawfordsville, Indiana on 27 and 28 October for the final round of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series.

The AMA/ATVA-sanctioned Grand National Cross Country series is America's premier off-road racing series. The 13-round race series stretches through the eastern US, starting with the season-opener in Florida in March and concluding with the season-finale in Indiana in October. Cross-country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The riders must navigate rugged terrain such as woods, mud, dirt, rocks and jumps for nearly three hours, while racing against the best talent in the world.

The GNCC championship has drawn interest internationally, as riders from Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand compete regularly, usually backed by factory teams with an array of technicians at their disposal. Upwards of 1,500 racers compete at each GNCC round in various classes and the race action draws several thousand fans each weekend as well as a loyal following on TV.

Finland's ten-times World Champion Juha Salminen won the 2005 and 2006 titles and his class and grace as a champion have helped cement the GNCC series on the international map. Fellow countryman Simo Kirssi has raced several times in previous GNCC series events but this will be his first time competing there on the sports enduro. It will also be the first three-hour race for the 450cc prototype machine, according to BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager Wolfgang Fischer:
"We're really looking forwards to competing at Crawfordsville, as it's the finale of the season and is one of the most popular races of the year. All the cross-country races we've competed in so far in Europe have been two hours long so we hope everything goes alright with the bike on its first roll-out in the USA. We had planned to participate in this series earlier on in the year but we felt that the bike wasn't ready for this kind of race distance. Since then, we've developed some new parts that we hope will help Simo get to the end of this tough race. Obviously, we're not going there to win, but we do want to showcase the bike's development in this important and prestigious series."

At Crawfordsville, there will be a huge starting field of over 300 riders and Simo Kirssi will be entering the Pro Class on the 450cc sports enduro. BMW Motorrad USA will be in attendance to publicize the new bike and promote the company's ever increasing participation in off-road motorsport. The course runs near riverbanks and there will be plenty of elevation change. If it rains, the hills will be the toughest sections for the riders, as the course will be routed around the creeks. If it doesn't rain, the riders will have to be aware of all the rocks in the creeks. Just making it to the finish at Crawfordsville will be an achievement, according to Wolfgang Fischer:
"Simo will need the bike to run perfectly and he'll also need to ride a perfect race, but that still may not be enough. Because there are so many riders and machines, he'll also need a lot of luck to make it to the finish, as well as a good eye for the right line to take. He'll also need to be extremely patient, because he'll need to be able to wait to pass slower, less experienced riders in the safest places. We'll do the best we can at this round, as we want to show the potential of the bike compared to other teams and riders."

As the 2007 motorsport season draws to a close, Fischer is extremely pleased with the progress the team has made with the 450cc sports enduro prototype and believes that the best is still yet to come:
"It was great to get our first win earlier this month at the European Cross Country final in Schefflenz. Our plan for 2007 was to develop a race bike and make it competitive - we weren't expecting any results like this in our first season! Therefore, I'm really pleased at how our debut year has gone and how the bike is progressing. Let's hope that we can keep this success story going at Crawfordsville!"

 

BMW 450 performs well at German Enduro Championship final

German Enduro Championship - Zschopau

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team rider Joel Smets came through one of Europe's hardest enduro events with flying colors recently when he finished sixth in the Enduro 2 class at the Zschopau Enduro - the final round of the '07 German Enduro Championship. Widely regarded as one of Europe's toughest enduro races the GEC final attracted several of the world best enduro riders including seven-time world champion Juha Salminen from Finland, Alessandro Belometti from Italy and Marko Tarkkala from Finland. Despite the demanding nature of the event BMW's prototype 450 sports enduro bike, piloted by Smets, claimed a strong sixth place result in the competitive Enduro 2 class, having completed the event without problems.

With experience gained from participation in three World Enduro Championship events this season former five-time World Motocross Champion Smets started the Zschopau Enduro prepared for a demanding race. With the event living up to its reputation Joel and BMW's new 450cc sports enduro bike battled their way through the day-long competition with both bike and rider performing without problems. With numerous challenging rock-covered climbs providing spectacular viewing for the many thousands of spectators that turned out to watch the event, after close to one-hour of special test action Joel placed sixth, two-and-a-half minutes behind eventual E2 class winner Juha Salminen.

Joel Smets:
"I enjoyed Zschopau very much, but it was tough. The bike worked perfectly and was much easier to handle than at the WEC race in France some weeks ago. Unfortunately, in the special test I made some mistakes, which cost me quite a lot of time. I hoped to finish a little higher in the results but with my mistakes it simply wasn't possible. Anyway, it was a great event and another positive result."

Markus Theobald, project manager:
"We are again very happy with the way the bike performed and with our result in Zschopau. Joel did a great job once again and just like the bike came through a very demanding event with flying colors. Sascha (Eckert) also contributed to the development of the bike as he tested several new parts in the event, which worked well during the first half of the race."

Results - German Enduro Championship, Zschopau - Enduro 2 class

1. Juha Salminen, FIN (KTM), 54:28.97
2. Marcus Kehr, GER (KTM), 54:48.56
3. Alessandro Belometti, ITA (KTM), 54:50.30
4. Ralf Scheidhauer, GER (KTM), 56:20.58
5. Jörg Haustein, GER (KTM), 56:24.10
6. Joel Smets, BEL (BMW), 57:08.71
7. Taddy Blazusiak, POL (KTM), 57:27.34
8. Rüdiger Bachmann, GER (Beta), 57:43.76
9. Stefan Geyer, GER (Suzuki), 57:45.76
10. Lars Petri, GER (KTM), 58:43.08

 

Triumphant End to '07 XCC Season

XCC European final Schefflenz, Germany

Developing the new 450cc sports enduro machine in the very public arenas of both the World Enduro Championship and the Germen Cross Country Championship the constant cycle of testing, developing and racing, that had delivered both promising results and disappointments in near equal measures prior to the Schefflenz event, finally saw the BMW Motorrad Motorsport claim their maiden 450cc powered victory. With the focus of the '07 season having been the development of the new bike, to end the year with a win allowed the team show the bike's true potential. With team rider Joel Smets showing that the development program was delivering the right results by finishing both days of the final round of the WEC series, only bad luck stopped team rider Simo Kirssi claiming a podium finish at the final round of the GCC series. In Schefflenz the bike produced the goods with Simo winning ahead of Honda´s Bert Meyer and KTM's Jorg Haustein.

In Schefflenz the sun not only shone, but also shone on BMW. Kirssi made a great start running fourth as the opening lap neared its close, before the determined Finn started working his way passed the three riders ahead of him. Come lap four and the '07 Erzberg XIII Twin-cylinder class winner was leading and pulling away at the front of the field. Unchallenged and out front it was only when Simo made a mistake and fell as the race progressed that things got interesting as second placed Antoine Letellier caught him. But Simo had things under control and with Letellier forced to withdraw from the event soon after the BMW rider claimed a well-deserved victory.

Entering two riders into the event five-time World Motocross Champion Joel Smets competed in his first ever cross-country event having spent the majority of the '07 season helping the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team develop the new 450cc bike in the World Enduro Championship. Forced to start at the rear of the entry Joel spent the entire race working his way forward and shortly before the end of the race had worked himself up to third. Disappointingly Joel's bike stopped almost within sight of the finish. While the exact reason why the bike stopped has yet to be determined early investigations suggested that a damaged kill button was the likely reason.

Joel Smets: close to the podium
Simo Kirssi: runner-up position in Europe

Simo Kirssi:
"Everything worked perfectly during the race. I really enjoyed the race, the track was great, and the new Ohlins suspension I used worked perfectly too. I started the race well and pushed hard, as I always try and do, during the early stages of the race and was able to open up a bit of gap. I eased my pace a little after that and for a while I wasn't concentrating enough and fell. I didn't lose much time and was felt good during the closing stages of the race. It's great to win and prove the competitiveness of the new BMW."

Joel Smets:
"It's a pity that I didn't get the podium. The reason why my bike's engine stopped isn't clear but it was running perfect early in the race. I really enjoyed the race, it was my first cross-country event but it certainly won't be my last. It was a fantastic race, a fantastic atmosphere, a fantastic sport, and a fantastic result for Simo."

Wolfgang Fischer, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager:
"This has been the perfect end to a turbulent and exciting season. Everyone involved in the team has put in a huge amount of work so to finally win is thrilling. Everyone in the team knew that the bike was capable of winning but the hundreds of hours spent training and testing mean nothing really - it's all about how the bike performs in competition that really matters. To have finally won is great, we can really start working towards our goals during '08 now."

Berti Hauser, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director:
"I am so happy about this superb end to the '07 season - for Simo, the whole team and specifically for project leader Markus Theobald. We were finally able to demonstrate just how well the concept of this new bike really works, and importantly we showed that the 450 is able to win. That was always our target this season as we developed the new bike. It has been a season with many ups and downs and winning at the end of the season gives everyone a great boost."

Result - XCC Europe final Schefflenz

1. Simo Kirssi (FIN), BMW Motorrad Motorsport
2. Bert Meyer (GER), Honda
3. Jörg Haustein (GER), KTM
4. Jean-Francois Goblet (BEL), KTM
5. Jan Zulauf (GER), KTM
6. Stefan Geyer (GER), Suzuki
7. Antoine Letellier (FRA), Aprilia
8. Joel Smets (BEL), BMW Motorrad Motorsport
9. Arne Weidemann (GER), Husaberg
10. Alex Pacioretti (ITA), Honda

 

A Matter of Honor

XCC Schweinfurt

Although missing out on a top result due to a typical case of "that's racing", Simo Kirssi still managed to end his season on a high note.

It was a defining moment of the 2007 German Cross Country championship. And a milestone for BMW's much-talked-about 450 prototype. At the series' final round at Schweinfurt, factory rider Simo Kirssi had just made a pass stick on multi-time World champ Samuli Aro.

While the maneuver didn't really matter in terms of championship points or race outcome, it mattered a lot to BMW Motorrad's head of motorsport, Berti Hauser, who acknowledged the moment by throwing his fist in the air. Kirssi's move on fellow countryman Aro clearly showed how good the bike has become - and how much the whole concept was on the right path.

Frankly, there's not a lot to report about the first part of the race. Simo suffered from a terrible start and had to find his way through the field. After a couple of laps he was suddenly forced into the pits with a loose gas cap. Unfortunately, the leaking race gas had even found his way onto Simo's pants, forcing him to put on another pair before resuming.

Despite the race win now out of sight, there was no way Simo would give up. Saddle time is too precious when you are in the process of developing a new bike. Instead, he was now really turned on - and it showed in his riding. Simo clocked one fast lap after another and the numerous fans knew something was going to happen soon. Finally Simo reached race leader Samuli Aro, who was a couple of laps ahead. But for Simo it was a matter of honour to step it up and to show his own and his bike's full potential.

Eventually a fierce battle unfolded between the Finns, as they powered their four-strokes wheel to wheel around the demanding Schweinfurt course. And in the end it was the BMW coming out on top.

When the gruelling two-hour race was over, Simo didn't hesitate to express his satisfaction. "That was okay," he commented. Now for a Finn, that's a highly emotional statement.

Markus Theobald (Development):
"The incident with the gas cap is a bummer. We'll have to find out what happened there. But much more importantly, the bike was working well across the full race distance, just like the week before at the World Enduro round. So we've reached our technical goal."

Conclusion: The goals of this first development season under race conditions have been reached. And under sporting aspects, there's a lot of reason to look with optimism towards the 2008 season.

 

BMW brings first Enduro World Championship season to a close

WEC France Noirtable

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team rider Joel Smets successfully delivered BMW's pre-production 450cc sports enduro bike to the finish of both days of the eighth and final round of the '07 World Enduro Championship, the GP of France staged in Noirtable, bringing to an end what has been an exciting first season of WEC competition for both Joel and the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team. Entering a prototype version of the Enduro 2 class machine into the second round of the WEC series in Spain back in April before making further improvements and testing many new parts one month later in Italy, the machine used by Smets in Noirtable featured several parts that will likely be used in the production of the finished 450cc sports enduro bike. In finishing both days Joel showed that the bike performed faultlessly.

Despite the GP of France marking the end of the '07 WEC season the event was in many ways the toughest with all riders facing 200 kilometers of demanding rock and dust littered tracks on each day, as well as dealing with many challenging special tests. Far from properly prepared for the event, due largely to having been unable to ride the 450cc sports enduro bike since the WEC GP of Italy in late May due to the ongoing developments being made to the bike, Joel was forced to dig deep and finished 16th in the Enduro 2 class on day one before improving to 15th on day two. Despite 30 per cent of the E2 class entry failing to finish day one BMW's 450 sports enduro bike performed perfectly.

With the bike used by Joel in France no longer a prototype the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team now plans to enter a selected number of indoor enduro events to further continue its development as well as competing in the final round of the '07 US Grand national Cross Country Series in late October.

Joel Smets:
"The GP of France was a really, really tough race - a perfect place to test the latest version of the 450cc BMW in fact. Because the bike has been developed considerably since the last time we raced it at the WEC GP of Italy I haven't been able to ride it that much, which meant that my bike fitness wasn't what it needed to be. I was so tired on the transport stages that I wasn't able to attack the special tests like the top riders. But I'm not competing to try and win, like all the WEC races this season I was competing to continue the development of the bike. There have been many very positive improvements made to the bike and as tough as the race was, and as tired and unsympathetic as I was to the bike, it finished both days with flying colors.
200 kilometers a day on these rough tracks was extremely difficult. I honestly thought that I might not be able to finish after the first lap on day one. The team were extremely pleased with the way that the bike performed. The new parts worked well, some of which will become production parts, so all in all it has been a very positive weekend.

Markus Theobald:
"The goal at the world championship races in Spain and Italy was to test the concept of the bike as a prototype, to see which parts worked well and which areas we needed to improve. Here in France many of the parts fitted to Joel's bike were parts that could become production parts. So to see the bike finish both days was extremely encouraging, especially considering the punishment Joel has given it.
Mechanically the bike performed perfectly. We now have a bike that could go on and become a production bike. All season it has been our goal to enter a bike that could become a production bike, and to have it finish both days of a world championship race. We have done that now, which is great."

2007 World Enduro Championship France - Day 1 - E2

1. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha) 49:48.35
2. Fabien Planet (KTM) 50:06.50
3. Samuli Aro (KTM) 50:12.46
16. Joel Smets (BMW) 1.07:03.91

2007 World Enduro Championship France - Day 2 - E2

1. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha) 50:43.14
2. Mika Ahola (Honda) 51:03.15
3. Fabien Planet (KTM) 52:24.05
15. Joel Smets (BMW) 56:17.38

 

New definition of leeway

GCC Rnd 4, Mernes (D), July 1st 2007

Round four of the German Cross Country championship held at Mernes (near Frankfurt) provided fantastic off road racing and plenty of action on a tight, demanding and well prepped course.

Most eyes were on Simo Kirssi and his prototype BMW 450. Being only 12th on the grid (Le Mans style), the Flying Finn didn't have a brilliant start to the two-hour race. But Kirssi wasn't afraid of the work cut out before him. Setting a blistering pace from the word go, the 27-year-old came around in sixth place after just two laps, and kept charging forward as the race progressed. Kirssi had moved up to fourth when, around the 45-minute mark, he got tangled with a lapper. The incident resulted in a damaged footpeg, so the decision to enter the pits for repair and refuelling was made. Quickly back in the race, the Finn would show no signs of slowing down. With his fans leaning over the fences and all, Kirssi blitzed into third and set his sights on second-placed Antoine Letellier. But just as everyone expected an assault on the Frenchman, the BMW was suddenly missing from the field.

As explained later, a lapper had ridden over Kirssi´s front wheel and sent him to the ground, this time causing a broken chain guide. Simo had to put the chain back into place and re-start the engine which, despite desperate attempts, failed at first.

All hopes for a podium disappeared as his rivals grabbed the opportunity. Bert Meyer, Marcus Kehr, Jan Zulauf simply rode past the stranded Scandinavian. Altogether Kirssi lost more than a full lap in the incident. Instead of finishing runner-up, he took the checkered flag down in sixth. Although a closer inspection of lap times revealed how the Finn and his BMW were on par with race winner Samuli Aro, disappointment was major.

Simo Kirssi:
"A silly race indeed. Nothing to be satisfied with, either. The track was pretty narrow and overtaking a challenge. With three or four laps to go I was taken down by a lapper who rode over my front wheel. There was nothing I could do about it. But at least we managed to finish the race."

XCC Mernes 2007

1. Samuli Aro, KTM, 25 laps
2. Antoine Letellier, Aprilia, 25 laps
3. Bert Meyer, Honda, 24 laps
4. Markus Kehr, KTM, 24 laps
5. Jan Zulauf, KTM, 24 laps
6. Simo Kirssi, BMW Motorrad Motorsport, 24 laps

 

Experience on the rocky Erzberg

Erzberg Prolog / Hare Scramble

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team rider Simo Kirssi proved without question that he was the fastest rider up Erzberg's iron mountain this year when he recorded the fastest time in the Prologue having already topped the Twin-cylinder class race. Finishing ahead of '06 twin-cylinder class winner David Knight to win the 'Konigklasse' event for the first time, Simo then recorded a best time of eight minutes 44 seconds to top the results of the Prologue. In adding a winning performance in the Prologue to his Twin-cylinder class victory Simo made it a perfect two from two for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team and their HP2 motorcycles at the '07 Erzberg event.

With the 500 fastest riders in the Prologue qualifying to start the Hare Scramble Kirssi, although well aware that he would only be competing in the Hare Scramble for fun aboard his 1200cc HP2, set about bettering the time that earned him victory in the Twin-cylinder class. With each rider getting one timed run on each of two days Simo recorded the fastest time on day one, finishing two and a half seconds ahead of Austrian Werner Muller. On day two Simo managed to shave a staggering 17 seconds off his first run despite conditions being much rougher. Again finishing ahead of Muller and multiple Enduro World Champion Juha Salminen to claim the third fastest time with BMW's Micky Dymond claiming a solid fourth best time. Just three seconds behind Salminen, Dymond, on only his fourth ever run up the Erzberg mountain, placed ahead of experienced competitor Gio Sala, winner of the ´05 Twin-cylinder class. In eighth with a time of nine minutes and 19 seconds was Chris Pfeiffer while Gary Trachy placed 18th.

Having accomplished exactly what they set out to achieve in winning the Twin-cylinder class and then topping the results sheets in the Prologue the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team then entered Chris Pfeiffer and Andi Lettenbichler into the famous Hare Scramble aboard BMW's prototype 450cc sports enduro bikes. With Chris qualifying for the Hare Scramble with the 14th fastest time in the Prologue on his 450cc machine, Lettenbichler also ensured himself a front row starting position for the race having qualified in 19th. With both riders starting the event with the simple goal of trying to finish the race widely regarded as the hardest one-day off-road motorcycle event in the world was anything but kind to the two BMW riders as both failed to make it to the finish. For Pfeiffer the race came to an end when he put a hole in his bike's clutch cover after having snapped and then replaced his handle bars in a crash. Suffering with mechanical problems Andi Lettenbichler also failed to join the 19 riders that managed to finish the event which was won by Poland's Teddy Bzazusiak.

Simo Kirssi:
"On the first prologue it was very slippery, but I managed not to make any mistakes. It certainly wasn't a perfect run up the mountain but it was good enough. On the second run I started early in the day to make the most of the conditions, which worked really well. I got to the summit without any mistakes. In some turns I could have braked a little bit later but I was happy with the way I rode and to have got the fastest time is great."

Chris Pfeiffer:
"I had a really bad start to the Hare Scramble and was around 15th early on in the race. I was still in a pretty good position but then I crashed at checkpoint 11 and broke my handlebars. I flipped my bike and it came down right on the handlebars, which meant that I had to wait for 40 minutes while a new set arrived and were fitted. My plan then was just to try and finish. But I got a hole in the clutch cover in one of the rock sections, which meant that by the time I got the hole filled with liquid metal and filled the bike back up with oil I had lost even more time. Then the heavy rain started, which made the decision not to continue an easy one. It's disappointing but Erzberg is the kind of race where anything can happen."

Wolfgang Fischer - Team Manager:
"We have had three great days with the HP2, winning everything that was possible with the bike. We are extremely happy about that. It has taken us two years to finish on top in both the twin-cylinder class and during the prologue so the '07 Erzberg has been a great event for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team. This has been our first year with the single-cylinder bike and although we weren't able to finish the race we have learned more about the bike, in some of the absolute toughest conditions. Having the US riders here with us has been great, the whole team really enjoyed having them around and the riders learned a lot ahead of the Pike's Peak race. We're already looking forward to coming back next year, where we will have a more competitive 450 and be ready to defend our twin-cylinder victory."

 

GCC Hochstadt

On June 3 the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team entered their new prototype 450cc Sportenduro bike into the third round of the German Cross Country Series, held in Hochstadt, Bavaria, where BMW factory rider Simo Kirssi came close to claiming a runner-up finish. Having spent much of the race in the second place position and not far behind eventual race winner Samuli Aro aboard his factory KTM Kirssi was unluckily not to finish the race as a problem with his bike's rear hub during the closing stages of the event resulted in the bike failing to reach the finish.

Starting well Simo placed the 450cc BMW in fourth position off the start before signalling his intent to improve his position. With each of the top riders giving their all Simo needed just a few more laps to improve his position as he moved into the runner-up spot behind reigning Enduro 2 world champion Aro.

Despite his strong start Kirssi was unable to reach higher than the second place position due to Aro opening up a commanding early lead and because Simo, having spent several days in bed prior to the race suffering with flu, was feeling far from 100 per cent. Unsure whether he would be able to race due to his sickness, Simo was well aware that the two-hour race would be even tougher than normal after he decided to start the event.

Only one day before the race the BMW team and Simo tested new suspension settings for the 450 as they continued their search for the perfect set-up. Wanting to test the new settings in the race at Höchstädt Simo was extremely pleased with the way the bike performed, although obviously disappointed not to have finished the competition. In the middle of the race the Finn detected some noise from the rear wheel, which, one lap later, proved to be a problem with his rear hub and he was sidelined from the event soon after. Such things can happen when testing prototypes commented BMW Motorrad Sport Director Berti Hauser philosophically after the race.

Simo Kirssi:
"I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't get to the finish but the bike proved competitive, which I'm pleased with. My start was very good and I was soon in second behind Aro. Today I was not able to fight with Aro as I was ill and couldn't train like I wanted to the week before the race. To fight with one of the fastest enduro riders in the world you have to be 100 per cent fit and I wasn't. The new suspension we tried worked really well, possibly a little bit too hard for Höchstädt, but still very good. We will all continue to work hard on the bike to make it better and better."

Berti Hauser, BMW Sport Director:
"It was bad luck that put Simo out of the race, but we showed how fast our new 450 is, which is important. We have to analyze the reason the hub broke but it looks simply like a material fault. These things can happen when testing a prototype."

 

WEC Grand Prix of Italy

Competing aboard BMW's new 450cc sports enduro bike BMW Motorrad Motorsport development rider Joel Smets claimed a well deserved eighth place finish in the highly competitive Enduro 2 class at the fourth round of the '07 World Enduro Championship staged in Borno, Italy. With the two-day event proving to be the toughest race of the eight round championship held so far this year a demanding mountainous course, ever changing weather conditions and spectacular and challenging special stages ensured that all competitors, and their machines, were made to work extremely hard. Continuing the development of the 450cc sports enduro bike by returning to the competitive environment of the World Enduro Championship for the second time this year the team's second rider Sascha Eckert also scored world championship points by placing in 18th, despite suffering with the flu. Despite their encouraging results on day one both riders disappointingly failed to finish day two. Bad luck stuck Joel when his chain derailed shortly before the mid-way point of the day while Sascha was forced to withdraw due to a problem with his bike's fuel pump.

With the entire BMW Motorrad Motorsport team encouraged with the way the new 450cc sorts enduro bike performed during its first official outing at the second round of the World Enduro Championship series in Spain, in Italy the continued development of the bike was again the team's priority. With numerous developmental changes having been made to both Joel's and Sascha's bikes in the weeks leading up to the Italian race both riders were extremely pleased with the way their machines performed during the opening day.

With Joel not sure how he would perform on the rock littered enduro test and technically demanding extreme test the former five-time world champion quickly adapted to the challenges of only his second ever WEC event and settled into a top 10 position in the E2 class. Performing consistently throughout the day, and placing as high as fifth on one of the special tests, Joel performed better than even he imagined he would and thoroughly enjoyed himself, despite the tough conditions. Importantly he also helped the team gather further important data and information relevant to the bike's development. Frustratingly for Sascha Eckert suffering with the flu ensured that the event was always going to be difficult for him but despite feeling far from 100 per cent he still managed to finish in 18th position and score world championship points as he did in Spain.

Disappointingly for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team day two saw both riders fail to finish. Both looking forward to the challenge of competing following heavy overnight rain Sascha was the first of the two to withdraw following a problem with his bike's fuel pump. For Joel the second day came to a close four special tests into the event when his chain derailed, forcing him to retire.

Having now participated in both the Spanish and Italian rounds of the '07 World Enduro Championship the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team will make their third and final outing in the series at the eighth and last race of the year in France in mid September.

Wolfgang Fischer - BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager:
"Joel's result on Saturday was really impressive, it really showed that the potential of the new concept is very good. During the first day Joel put in some great special test times, despite worrying a little about how he would perform on the rocky enduro test. Although it was disappointing not to see both bikes finish day two I am extremely pleased with the way both riders dealt with the challenging conditions and how the team as a whole has performed. With each race we learn more and more and we're already looking forward to competing in Italy in September."

Joel Smets:
"Day one went really well, I honestly surprised myself by finishing eight because there were so many stones and rocks in the enduro test. When I walked the test I thought that I would have a hard time surviving let alone racing. But I adapted quickly to it and had so much fun all day. I know I'm not fighting with the top guys but I was pleased with my speed and, more importantly, the bike was working well and the changes that we implemented after Spain were also working well. I was really pleased with the bike, my riding and the day in general.
The second day was hard - I think all riders will agree with that. It's disappointing not to have finished the second day because of something as simple as a derailed chain but I enjoyed the event and the team learned a lot, which is important. What we have seen and learned in the two world championship races we've entered proves that competing in selected high level events to develop the bike is absolutely the right thing to do."

Sascha Eckert:
"I wasn't happy with my result on day one but I had been ill the week before the race and I didn't feel well all weekend. That made a difficult race even harder. But I tried to ride as hard as I could. I guess you could say I had a consistent day but I wasn't able to push anywhere near as hard as I wanted to. The second day started ok for me. The first test was incredibly slippery after the overnight rain but I made no mistakes. After that I had a problem with my bike. About five kilometers before the paddock the bike stopped and I couldn't start it. I tried to work out what the problem was but it was only when I had returned to the paddock that we found out that there was a problem with the fuel pump. By the time it was fixed I was more than 15 minutes late, which meant I couldn't continue."

2007 World Enduro Championship Rnd 4

Enduro 2 class
1. Mika Ahola (Honda) 51:52.73
2. Samuli Aro (KTM) 52:40.91
3. Johnny Aubert (Yamaha) 52:54.15
4. Fabien Planet (KTM) 52:55.31
5. Andrea Belotti (KTM) 53:55.31
6. Nicolas Deparrois (Husqvarna) 54:02.29
7. Jari Mattila (Beta) 54:24.74
8. Joel Smets (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 54:35.01
9. Xavier Galindo (KTM) 54:39.36
10. Fausto Scovolo (Gas Gas) 55:02.52
11. Rodrig Thain (Suzuki) 55:08.29
12. Patrick Caps (Gas Gas) 55:10.91
13. Nicolas Paganon (Aprilia) 55:43.74
14. Fabrizio Dini (Yamaha) 56:02.79
15. Giuliani Falgari (Kawasaki) 56:13.19
16. Carmelo Mazzoleni (Kawasaki) 58:33.59
17. Valtteri Salonen (Husaberg) 58:45.31
18. Sascha Eckert (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 59:36.43
19. Dimitris Tsakatsonic (KTM) 1.02:35.58
20. Stefan Merriman (Aprilia) 1.07:40.50

 

The first podium position for the 450 cc

ACC race 2, Reisersberg, May 19th 2007

The Austrian Cross Country Championship (ACC) race in Reisersberg was another testing ground for the 450 cc prototype. After its start one week previously in Walldorf/Thuringia, the aim was to test the improvements to the engine. The final conclusion was that things were progressing very well. Factory rider Simo Kirssi had the job to take the machine over the finishing line at a swift competitive speed. This worked perfectly - in fact a sensation almost occurred. The Flying Finn did not get away to an ideal start due his relatively high starting number and first had to fight his way through a pack of riders. Meanwhile the leader, ACC champion Rudi Pöschl, had built up a 30-second lead. Then the blue-red-and-whites started the chase for real. At around half time, Kirssi had got the Austrian in his sights and finally passed him - having put in the fastest lap of the race.

To avoid risking anything, a pit stop was planned. The technology was fine and there was green light for another chase - since Pöschl had just passed by once more. The same happened as in the first half of the race. Simo Kirssi caught up and passed Pöschl just before the finishing line. Unfortunately he came up against a group of lapped riders and Pöschl was lucky enough to find a gap to pass by them. So at the end of it all, the 450 cc "only" managed second place.

But there were plenty of satisfied faces nonetheless. Kirssi was by far the fastest rider in the field and the 450 cc the fastest machine - as demonstrated by the lap times.

Simo Kirssi
"Well, I can't say I'm dissatisfied. The win was really a done deal - but that's racing for you. There's always a bit of luck involved. But we've certainly proved that the bike has the potential to win."

ACC Reisersberg

1. Rudi Pöschl, 19 laps, 2:07:02.18
2. Simo Kirssi, 19 laps, 2:07:06.36
3. Daniel Stocker, 19 laps, 2:12:46.47
4. Thomas Günther, 18 laps, 2:08:49.59
5. Mattias Fält, 18 laps, 2:12:13.81

 

Proved its competitiveness

GCC Walldorf, Germany

The BMW Motorrad Motorsport team used the second round of the German Cross Country series, staged in Walldorf, to continue the development of their 450cc sports enduro bike on May 13th where development rider Sascha Eckert and team racer Simo Kirssi took to the start along with close to 40 other Pro class competitors. With the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team having officially unveiled their 450cc sports enduro bike at the second round of the '07 World Enduro Championship in Spain, where the bike got its first official taste of a competitive racing environment, the Walldorf competition allowed the team to take the next step in the bike's continued development. Competing on the 450cc sports enduro bike for the first time ever in the GCC having participated in the series aboard BMW's twin-cylinder HP2 motorcycle during both '06 and '05, Simo's hopes of a podium finish disappointingly ended as he neared the end of the second lap. Holding a strong runner-up place behind reigning Enduro 2 world champion Samuli Aro a mechanical engine problem put Simo out of the event.

Forced to work his way forwards during the early stages of the race after a mid-pack start Simo narrowly avoiding a second corner pile-up, which claimed French rider Antoine Letellier and German Thomas Gunther. Fifth as he entered the motocross section of the course Simo passed two riders before disappearing out of sight and into the wooded section of the track. Passing two more riders the Finn looked settled in the runner-up position just 23 seconds adrift of eventual race leader Samuli Aro and comfortably ahead of the third placed rider. With a clear track ahead of him and with no riders catching him Simo's race ended as he neared the end of lap two.

Competing alongside Simo was BMW Motorrad Motorsport test and development rider Sascha Eckert. Involved in several days of testing alongside five-time world motocross champion Joel Smets prior to the race Sascha used an experimental suspension set-up as well as some new parts in the event finishing in an eventual 14th position.

Simo Kirssi:
"It's really disappointing not to have finished but we knew that it could happen as we are still developing the bike and trying new parts. The start was actually pretty good for me. Things were a little crazy in the first couple of corners so I didn't want to make any unnecessary mistakes. There were a few riders crashing in front of me but I missed them. I passed a few riders on the motocross track soon after the start. The track was quite narrow and slippery, which meant that most riders were going to the outside of the turns. The BMW is really agile so I was able to turn tight and get ahead of some of the riders. Next I passed a couple of other riders ahead of me in the woods, which got me to second. I pushed pretty hard on the first lap and then relaxed a little after that. Samuli Aro already had a good lead so I'm sure he was settling into his rhythm ahead of me. Then as I entered the woods again my bike stopped, which was the end of my race."

Sascha Eckert:
"I was testing some new parts and settings on my bike. Some of which worked and some of which weren't so good. I wasn't pushing too hard at all during the race, I was just trying to learn how the changes we made were affecting the bike. The race was good though, the track got pretty rough, but it was a good work out for the bike."

 

BMW unveils and races new 450cc sports enduro bike at round two of '07 WEC

WEC Spain

BMW Motorrad Motorsport officially unveiled their new 450cc sports enduro bike at the second round of the '07 World Enduro Championship staged in Puerto Lumbreras, Spain, where the team continued the development of the new bike with official riders Sascha Eckert and former five-time world motocross champion Joel Smets competing in the event. With much anticipation surrounding BMW's first outing in the World Enduro Championship, and with a large number of off-road motorcycling press gathering to see the new bike, the event proved to be extremely successful as both team riders scored world championship points on day one. With the continued development of the bike key to the team's participation in the Puerto Lumbreras day two saw Sascha Eckert again score points in the Enduro 2 class. Disappointingly Joel Smets retired from the event on day two due to electrical problems.

With the bike having appeared on several occasions at enduro events within Germany prior to the second round of the WEC series, the 450 sports enduro bike was seen for the first time in Spain in its official team BMW Motorrad Motorsport colors. Using the competitive racing environment of the World Enduro Championship to give the bike the toughest possible test BMW's goal of developing the bike while taking part in high level competition saw the team's engineers gather a vast amount of information and data, all of which will be used to further develop the bike ahead of its next World Enduro Championship outing in Italy on May 26-27.

With Sascha returning to WEC competition for the first time in several years having stopped his participation in serious enduro competitions following his appointment as a member of the testing and development team responsible for the new 450cc project, and with Joel Smets competing in his very first WEC event, neither rider was 100 per cent sure of what to expect before the start of the second round of the WEC series. As it turned out both riders thoroughly enjoyed the event despite the tough conditions brought about largely because of an extreme downpour on Friday evening.

Day one proved to be an extremely challenging one for both Joel and Sascha as the slippery conditions required absolute focus. With both riders well aware of the fact that their participation would be a baptism of fire for the new bike, as well as for themselves, and that racing success was far from the minds of any the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team staff the two riders did exactly what they hoped to do and finished the day without problems. Having plunged themselves, metaphorically speaking, into the deep end of the competitive international enduro scene both Joel and Sascha were extremely pleased with the performance of their bikes and the fact that the first stage of the bike's international sporting development ended successfully.

With the opening day's competition having produced extremely pleasing results with Joel placing 13th and Sascha 15th in the competitive Enduro 2 class both riders started day two looking forward to clocking up yet more development hours. No longer faced with mud and slippery special test conditions, day two was to be extremely dry and dusty. Again focusing on simply learning as much as possible about the bike within a competitive environment Joel and Sascha completed the opening lap of the event without problems. Disappointingly, having reached the service point at the end of the first lap an electrical problem resulted in Joel taking no further part in the event. Meanwhile Sascha completed the second day in much the same way he did day one placing in 17th position in the Enduro 2 class.

Competing in the second round of the '07 World Enduro Championship in order to further develop the new 450cc sports enduro bike the entire BMW Motorrad Motorsport team were encouraged and pleased with the way the two bikes performed in Spain. The team will return to the World Enduro Championship at round four in Italy.

Sascha Eckert:
"I'm so happy with the way the weekend went. This is my first World Enduro Championship race in a long, long time, and of course BMW's first WEC event as well. To finish both days is great. I haven't raced full-time for well over a year due to being busy with the development of the new bike so I couldn't be happier. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport team came here to see how the bike would perform in high level competition and to continue the development of the bike. We have learned so much.
"I didn't have any problems with my bike, it ran perfectly all weekend. The track was difficult for me, especially on the second day. Four laps on both days was tough. I didn't crash on either day, which I'm pleased with. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend really."

Joel Smets:
"Obviously I am a little disappointed not to have finished the second day but racing in the WEC was always a continuation of the development program of the new bike, so I knew that we might run into some troubles. I really enjoyed the first day though. It was tough like I expected, but finishing in 13th and inside the points was great. Basically, the reason I stopped on day two was because of an electrical problem at the end of the first lap.
I found the start of day one really tough because of the water holes on the enduro test and the rocks in some of the transfer sections. Like I said I was expecting things to be tough for me and it was. The rocks were hard on the first lap because I was riding really tense, but after the first lap I relaxed and things were much better. I really started to enjoy myself after the first lap.
I never looked too closely at my times in the special tests during the first day because I wasn't here to try and win. I had to learn what the WEC is like as well as riding the new bike in competition for the first time, so I was never aiming to produce spectacular results. My job is to develop the bike and give the engineers detailed feedback. Everyone at BMW is really pleased with the way the weekend went, and having scored world championship points first time out made things even better.
Technical issues are all part of the development process. The most important thing for me is that we stepped forward into the enduro world with the new bike and on the whole things went really well. We will learn from this race and return in Italy, like we planned."

2007 WEC Rnd 2 Day 1 E1

1. Johnny Aubert
2. Mika Ahola
3. Stefan Merriman
4. Fabien Planet
5. Samuli Aro
13. Joel Smets (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
15. Sascha Eckert (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

2007 WEC Rnd 2 Day 2 E1

1. Johnny Aubert
2. Samuli Aro
3. Mika Ahola
4. Stefan Merriman
5. Fabien Planet
17. Sascha Eckert (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)