Final Round - FIM Superbike World Championship at Doha, Qatar.
By Will Guyan #56198
THE 2016 WSBK ROAD RACING SEA- son's final round was held on October 30, 2016 under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Spain’s Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) claimed the best results of the BMW riders, finish- ing the final two races in eighth and sixth. In the overall world championship stand- ings, Torres secured sixth place, ending the season behind five factory riders and as best rider on a priva- teer team. This is a very good result, and his top finish this sea- son was in fourth place. Althea’s Italian
rider Raffaele De Rosa was crowned champion in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup on his superstock S 1000 RR. The leaders this season all rode Kawasaki and Ducati and were factory sup- ported, meaning they were well-funded and had the best race components. Kudos to Althea for its great record this season. The other privateer BMW race team, Milwaukee BMW, saw riders Markus Reiterberger and Joshua Brookes end their season after a gallant, hard-fought campaign against much bet- ter-funded teams. Let’s face facts: In the USA it’s not easy to
Jordi Torres
to 2017 for the possibility that both BMW and Ducati may compete in WSBK on their carbon fiber-framed, limited edition super- bikes. This will only happen if the factories build enough machines for homologation, which is unlikely. Road racing is the most action-packed
watch these premier races without paying for special channels or subscribing to live online coverage. Most of the riders are unfamiliar to American road race fans. Our favorite race series remains MotoGP, the Formula One of motorcycling, where factory-backed riders vie for world supremacy on prototype machines that are
form of motor competition, with thrills and spills part and parcel of each round. In fact, many of the riders undergo surgery to repair their limbs from get-offs at ungodly speeds in the off season so they can heal in time for next spring’s renewed battles. Motorcycle road racing is certainly one of the most dangerous forms of racing, with speeds well over 200 mph seen at almost
nothing at all like the ones you see in deal- erships. BMW sponsors this series, but has no plans to compete in this most expensive series in motorcycling, as budgets of around $25 million plus create a very sub- stantial barrier to most teams. BMW could compete with its own prototype, but their focus remains first and foremost to turn a profit for their shareholders. We now look
every track. Riders perform on the edge of traction, with bike-to-bike contact a regu- lar, terrifying result. Back to superbikes and our own national
series, MotoAmerica, where well-funded factory teams are at the front in almost every race. The heady budgets these teams enjoy mean they’re able to attract the top riders to win these races, often over 20 laps and 45 minutes long. That’s a very strenu- ous and harsh envi- ronment in which to compete successfully. Just ten years ago, the top Bavarian bike was the HP2 Sport, but even this most sought-after boxer ever sold was unable to compete success- fully with the Japa- nese fours or the Ducati twins. The appearance of the S 1000 RR in 2009 changed that. Hats off to Cana-
dian Superbike Champion Jordan
Szoke, who won the 2016 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. He was awarded the winner’s trophy and 20,000 euros. In addition, his Mopar Express Lane BMW Superbike Team earned 7,500 euros for winning the title in the Canadian Superbike Champion- ship (CSBK), and Jordan received a further 2,500 euros as the rider’s championship bonus. In 2016, Jordan proved to be unbeatable
in the Canadian SBK championship, win- ning all seven races held this season and starting from pole position in every race with his RR. This was his second title win in a row and his 11th title in total. Kudos, Jordan!
February 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS 67
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