By The full provisional entry list for the 2016 International Road Racing Championship, has been announced.
Stand out entrants for the IRRC superbike class include reigning champion Sebastian Le Grelle, set to compete on Herpigny Motors backed S1000RR BMW.
Photo by Robby Repsol
Four time IRRC champion Didier Grams, is determined to re establish himself as the one to beat in continental Europe’s premier pure road race series.
Piloting G&G Motorsport backed S1000RR BMW, Didier starts as one of the pre season favourites as does Johan Fredriks anticipated by many to lead the Kawasaki challenge.
2012 newcomers A Manx Grand Prix winner Kamil Holan enjoys BMW Motorrad Czech Republic backing, whilst Jochem Van Den Hoek set to make his TT debut this year, is one to watch on the Performance Team Achterhoek ZX10R Kawasaki.
Additional riders more than capable of springing a surprise or two in the six round championship include Ales Nechvatal, David Drieghe, Vincent Lonbois and Pavel Tomecek.
IRRC superbike class full entry list:
1 2 NED Fredriks Johan Tovami Kawsaki
2 7 GRE Takos Vassilios Ka Bo Racing Team Yamaha
3 12 CZE Nechvatal Ales DAFIT Moto Racing BMW
4 13 CZE Tomecek Pavel Relaxbau.eu Kawasaki
5 14 BEL Pulinx Thierry Ti Ti Racing Team BMW
6 15 CZE Biciste Petr Kimura Racing Team BMW
7 19 BEL Haek Kurt Racing Team “Skudden & Beven” Honda
8 26 DEU Grams Didier G&G Motorsport BMW
9 27 BEL Galens Steven RED FALCONS ROAD RACE TEAM BELGIUM Kawasaki
10 33 AUT Mitterbauer Markus BMW
11 45 BEL Le Grelle Sebastian Herpigny Motors BMW
12 46 NED Schalken Peter FH Racing Yamaha
13 55 DEU Datzer David Sportbike-Custom by Tuka Racing BMW
14 61 BEL Drieghe David Mototech / Mupo Racing Suspension Honda
15 70 NED van Eijs Rob Dutch Road Race Team Suzuki
16 71 AUT Berghammer Thomas Suzuki
17 74 CZE Holan Kamil BMW Motorrad Czech republic BMW
18 81 AUT Wiesinger Christian PSV-Wels BMW
19 88 NED Van den Hoek Jochem Performance Team Achterhoek Kawasaki
20 119 BEL Polet Jean Pierre JPM Team BMW
21 155 BEL Lonbois Vincent Herpigny Motors BMW
22 171 F RA Somson Herve DTC Road Race Kawasaki
23 192 DEU Elsner Marcel Sportbike-Custom by Tuka Racing Suzuki
24 326 F RA Trocherie Ryan Les Fous de la côte Yamaha
25 330 CH Pilloud John SP Road Race Team Kawasaki
26 369 GRE Psomadakis Foti Braunholz Metallbau Hannover&netMagazine Honda
27 401 FR A Jean Luc David Kawasaki
28 406 F RA Maniguet Eddy Team Yapad Frein Honda
29 999 DEU Brunner Wolfgang Woife 999 BMW
Looking towards the IRRC supersport class, reigning champion Marek Cerveny, starts as one of the warm favourites on the Intermoto backed ZX6R Kawasaki.
Marek is regarded by many as a rider more than capable of becoming an highly accomplished competitor, at the most famous road race in the world, the Isle of Man TT, he’s aiming in the future to compete at TT Races.
2012 and 2013 champion Laurent Hoffmann also ZX6R Kawasaki mounted, competes for the all new Red Falcons Road Race Team.
Laurent will be one of the main threats to Marek Cerveny’s title defence as will 2014 champion Joey Den Besten, whilst Keivim Racing Team’s Kevin De Frenne also has the potential to be a championship challenger.
Further riders to watch out for include Sammy De Caluwe, 13th place finisher in the 2015 lightweight TT Tuukka Korhonen, Anders Blaha, Stefan Wauter and Wolfgang Schuster.
IRRC supersport class full entry list:
2 4 AUT Hofer Stefan GESSLPOWER/REMUS Racing Team Triumph
4 5 DEU Voit Hendrik Road Racing Team Voit Suter Moto 2
8 7 DEU Gaube Max MG powered by Freudenberg Racing Yamaha
9 12 NED Voogt Casper Superteam El Pollo Loco Triumph
12 14 NL Caljouw Ilja Caljouw Racing Honda
13 18 AUT Hirsch Christian Team Newcon Kawasaki
18 19 F RA Bannwart Erwan SBRacing Team Honda
23 31 BEL De Frenne Kevin Keivim Racing Team Kawasaki
24 38 FIN Korhonen Tuukka Honda
1 41 BEL Jacops Yannik Texas SJL Racing Yamaha
3 44 DEU Frotscher Sebastian smf-racingteam.de.to Yamaha
5 45 CZE Cerveny Marek Intermoto Kawasaki
6 52 DEU Wauter Stefan Yamaha
7 53 DEU Schuster Wolfgang Schuster Road Racing Yamaha
10 56 BEL De Caluwe Sammy Moto Tech Wietje Racing Honda
11 65 NED den Besten Joey Performance Racingteam Achterhoek Yamaha
14 66 DEU Schmidt Daniel Black Racing Kawasaki
15 68 AUT Kalmar Andreas Race for Pleasure Triumph
16 69 BEL Ceuppens Mike Texas SJL Racing Yamaha
17 74 BEL Hoffmann Laurent Red Falcons Road Race Team Kawasaki
19 76 DEU Brandenburger Hanno MHB Racing Yamaha
20 77 DEU Walther Thomas smf-racingteam.de.to Yamaha
21 81 CZE Kostal Petr Relaxbau.eu Yamaha
22 85 DEN Blaha Anders Team Blaha MC Racing Kawasaki
25 86 AUT Schörgendorfer Stefan PSV-Wels Motorsport Yamaha
26 94 NL Hofmann Michael Dutch Road Racing Team Kawasaki
27 97 FIN Ahonen Sammy Shop97 Finland Yamaha
28 104 DEU Schmitz Christian Schmiddel Road Racing Team Yamaha
29 157 F RA Liegeois Boris JL Racing Team Kawasaki
30 216 DEU Zentner Kai Motorsport Weinhardt Yamaha
Wildcards
1 21 CH Seydoux Arnaud SP Road Race Team Honda
2 199 F RA Bian Pierre Yves Bian Racing Team Yamaha
The 2016 International Road Racing Championship begins at Hengelo in the Netherlands on the 30th of April.
It’s set to be another top class year of pure road racing competition, during the six round championship.
One of the main highlights will be the return of roads action to the iconic road race circuit of Imatra in Finland.
Plus we could well see again many a TT star in action at the popular Frohburg Road Races, which has in recent years seen Michael Dunlop and Lee Johnston seal feature race victories.
Words by Stevie Rial
