By 2023 IRRC Superbike Champion Lukas Maurer, new Never Be Clever Racing signing Amalric Blanc are the latest announced ESR (European Series Road Racing) entrants.
Swiss tour de force Maurer, sticks with Yamaha metal for Championship rounds at Hengelo (Varsselring), Horice, Imatranajo, Circuit De Chimay and the Briggs Equipment Northwest 200, where he hopes to have a more potent engine, given the high-speed rigours of the Triangle course.
The quickest solo Mountain Course newcomer of 2019, Maurer (fastest Swiss TT, NW200, Macau GP exponent, the second fastest Horice exponent in history, 2.11.780 last August, 2.11.688 set during qualifying, overall fourth in terms of all-time speediest Chimay Open Trophy riders – PB lap time 1.36.850 set in 2024), won’t be returning to the TT Races this year, due to suitable opportunities not been available.
As we previously informed last week on Road Racing News, fastest French TT solo pilot, national three-times hill-climb title crown winner of ´Championnat de France de la Montagne´, P4 in final 2021 IRRC Supersport Championship standings plus P12 in 2022 IRRC Superbike Championship, Amalric Blanc switches to Never Be Clever Racing.
R1 Yamaha mounted, Blanc is a definite dark horse for ESR front running challenges and will undoubtably benefit from his new suitors IRRC Superbike title winning pedigree (2025 Champions with Ballymoney’s Darryl Tweed).
If you are interested about tackling the inaugural ESR season, please contact the organisers, led by active ESR racers Laurent Hoffmann and Rob Van Eijs. The entry process is now officially open.
The legendary Varsselring (Hengelo), Northwest 200, Imatranajo, Circuit de Chimay and Horice x2 roads await. You should not miss this road racing show!
Illustrated below, ESR 2026 Superbike provisional start-list update, containing now fourteen riders of eleven nations astride five marques of motorcycles (BMW x5, Yamaha x5, Honda x2, Aprilia x1, Kawasaki x1).
(Nation, title sponsor, marque located near racer’s name)
Vassilios Takos (Greece) – Vassilios Takos Racing (Yamaha)
Pontus Rostlinger (Sweden) – Rostlinger Racing 8 (Honda)
Lukas Maurer (Switzerland) – Maurer-Racing (Yamaha)
Rene Mlkvy (Slovakia) – ZD Motorsport (Aprilia)
Amalric Blanc (France) – Never Be Clever Racing (Yamaha)
Jakub Sprojcar (Czech Republic) – TT Race-4 PRO (Yamaha)
Rob Van Eijs (Netherlands) – Van Eijs Technical Support (Honda)
David Brook (England) – DB Suspension Brooksuspension.com (BMW)
Stephane Bednarek (France) – F.R.T (Yamaha)
Emil Krchnavy (Slovakia) – KRS Racing (Kawasaki)
Christoph Kreller (Germany) – KRC Racing Crew (BMW)
Laurent Hoffmann (Belgium) – Team Hoffmann by MRP (BMW)
Fedrik Matthys (Belgium) – Team Hoffmann by MRP (BMW)
Florian Astner (Austria) – F.ASTner Racing Team (BMW)
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial, Jan Vavra
