Cudlin & BMW to Suzuka
BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent head this weekend to Japan for the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours – round three of the 2012 Endurance World Championship – determined to close the gap to the top of the championship standings.
The team head to Japan off the back of a resounding win last time out in Qatar, which moved them up to fourth place in the championship standings, just 19 points behind the series leaders.
Sixty teams will contest the 35th edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours, which remains the most important motorcycle race on the Japanese sporting calendar. Victory at Suzuka is a priority for three of the four Japanese manufacturers, who will once again field full factory machines and a very strong international rider line-up.
Having finished an impressive fourth against similar competition at Suzuka just 12 months ago, BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent’s three riders – Sbastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin – are unfazed by the challenge ahead.
The BMW trio head to Japan with their sights set firmly on a top five finish aboard the #99 BMW S1000RR, with which they took the race win in Qatar. BMW Motorrad France Thevent are also aiming to finish in Japan as the highest placed permanent team, to close the gap on the current championship leaders further ahead of the final two rounds at Oschersleben and Le Mans.
Designed by Dutchman, John Hugenholtz, and built in 1962, Suzuka was the first circuit in Japan to exceed international standards and is one of the very few major racetracks to feature a figure of eight layout, with the back straight passing over the front of the track. The circuit has hosted both Formula 1 and MotoGP but is perhaps best known for the Suzuka 8 Hours, with this year being the 35th edition of this prestigious endurance race.
Sebastien Gimbert:
“The win in Qatar put our championship campaign back on track, but now we need to improve our position further with a strong showing at Suzuka. As always, it will be a hard race this weekend. Not only do we have to beat the permanent EWC teams, we’ve also got to take on the Japanese teams who contest only this one race each season, but with full factory support and very strong rider line-ups. We did well to finish fourth last year and I’d be happy to leave here with another top five finish. However, we’ll be on full attack again this weekend, because I really would like to stand on the podium just once at Suzuka.”
Damian Cudlin:
“Last year Suzuka was one of our best races, with fourth place against a host of factory supported Japanese teams promoting us to the top of the championship standings. This year we’re much better prepared, with a far more experienced team behind us and an even more competitive package in the 2012 BMW S1000RR. We need a good result at Suzuka to put us back in the hunt for the championship and I’m confident we can deliver this weekend.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“We head to Japan determined to improve our position in the championship standings, but we’re under no illusions as to how tough the competition will be this weekend. The three big Japanese manufacturers will field full factory teams at Suzuka, with impressive rider line-ups drawn from both World Superbikes and the leading national championships. I think we surprised everyone other than ourselves with our fourth place in this race last year, and I’m confident we can achieve another top five finish this time around. What is equally important is for us is to finish ahead of the other permanent teams, as we need to improve our position in the championship standings ahead of the final two rounds of the series.”
