By Circuit Paul Ricard (3.586 miles long track-layout from the past weekend) at Le Castellet in France hosted finale of EWC (Endurance World Championship) under the legendary brand of 24-hours motorcycle race of Bol d´Or (since 1922 on various French circuits).
Until 1953 this was only a one rider per motorcycle 24 hours event, this increased to two riders from 1954-1977 and since 1978 to present times went up to three riders in each team.
If we look at history of winners of this event we can found names like TT racers Paul Smart, Tom Dickie, Percy Tait, Ray Pickrell, Alex George (1979 Formula 1 TT winner).
The 1992 edition of this traditional 24 hours endurance meeting was won by roads scene icon Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop alongside Carl Fogarty MBE (the same year of their legendary Senior TT race) and five times Bol d´Or winner Terry Rymer astride the Team France Kawasaki (750cc).
Amongst the most winning Bol d `Or riders with six victories is 2018, 2019 IRRC Supersport Champion, TT Races newcomer in 2023, Matthieu Lagrive.
This year’s winners and EWC 2024 Champions are Team Yoshimura SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team) Motul (Suzuki) with Gregg Black, French rider Ettienne Masson and BSB race winner, former Macau Grand Prix exponent Dan Linfoot.
It was anticipated that this would be YART’s (Yamaha Austria Racing Team) Niccolo Canepa’s final career race, but he is now on WSB rider duty for Yamaha, substituting for six times World Champion Jonathan Rea for upcoming World Superbike action.
Racers participating with differing strands of pure road racing, skillsets experience were South Africa’s Sheridan Morais (Macau Grand Prix 2022 podium finisher, previous IRRC Supersport lap record holder at Frohburger Dreieck).
Czech road racing ace Karel Pesek (wild card IRRC Supersport and IRRC Superbike last month in Horice), Finnish racer Eemeli Lahti (two times P2 in last July’s Imatranajo IRRC Superbike races behind ´King of Imatra´ Erno Kostamo).
Fourth reserve rider for the Slovakian Maco Racing Team was Bram Lambrechts (experienced at Varsselring-Hengelo, second overall in 2024 BeNeLux Trophy Superbike standings just one point behind Champion Thijs Peeters).
After winter break the 46th season of the Endurance World Championship will be held in 2025.
Photo credit: Michael Wincott
Words by Jan Vavra
