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2018 Le Mans 24-Hour: SRC Kawasaki claim pole

Team SRC Kawasaki will start from pole position tomorrow (Saturday) at the 24 Heures Motos, ahead of YART Yamaha and BMW-mounted team NRT48 featuring Lucy Glockner. Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences holds on to the lead in the Superstock class, ahead of Team 33 Accessoires Louit Moto and Moto Ain.

Team SRC Kawasaki has picked up pole position at the 41st edition of the 24 Heures Motos, to be flagged off at 3pm tomorrow (Saturday) on the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans.  After topping qualifying yesterday, the factory-backed Kawasaki team further improved its performance at the second qualifying session.

Julien Da Costa and Freddy Foray were quicker than Randy de Puniet yesterday, but this morning de Puniet wrested back control, clocking the fastest overall qualifying lap (1’36.446). His teammates Mathieu Gines and Jérémy Guarnoni also improved on their best times, even though Guarnoni took two spills towards the tail end of the session.

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YART Yamaha picked up 2nd place on the grid. Following a lacklustre first qualifying, the Austrian factory team made a substantial improvement today. Broc Parkes and Marvin Fritz were the only two riders apart from Randy de Puniet to come in under the 1’37 mark. YART Yamaha’s young new Japanese rider Takuya Fujita also shaved nearly 1.5s off his best lap as compared to yesterday.

As a result, YART Yamaha beat factory BMW team NRT48 – which offers fresh proof of its potential each time its riders take to the track – to second spot on the grid. Kenny Foray, Peter Hickman and Lucy Glöckner were all within the same second on their lap. They are definitely serious contenders for the win – and if they did win it would go down in the annals of the championship, as a BMW has never won the 24 Heures Motos.

Other BMWs giving chase
Reigning world champion GMT94 Yamaha is 4th on the grid, just ahead of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and two CBR1000RR-mounted teams: F.C.C. TSR Honda France and Honda Endurance Racing. But another three BMWs are among the Top 10 on the grid and poised to give chase. Team Tecmas BMW placed ahead of Wepol Racing by Penz13 and Mercury Racing. All three squads are made up of fast, experienced riders who will be targeting the podium, like Wepol Racing by Penz13 at the Bol d’Or last September.

Superstock battle in the offing
Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences, the winner of last season’s Superstock World Cup, leads the category on the starting grid, ahead of Team 33 Accessoires Louit Moto and Moto Ain. The three teams confirmed their status as favourites but will nevertheless have to reckon with 3ART Moto Team 95, Tati Team Beaujolais Racing and Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki.

Tyres could determine the outcome
The tyre manufacturers too are locked in battle. The Top 3 on the grid features two Pirelli-shod teams (SRC Kawasaki and NRT48) and one using Bridgestone tyres (YART Yamaha), ahead of a Dunlop-shod group comprising GMT94 Yamaha, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Honda Endurance Racing. Once again, the tyres will be a significant factor in determining who gets the win.

The 60 teams competing in the 2nd round of the FIM EWC will be on the track at 10.25am tomorrow (Saturday) for the warm-up. The 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at 3pm.

2018 Le Mans 24-Hour overall qualifying

1 11 Team SRC Kawasaki GINES Mathieu DE PUNIET Randy * GUARNONI Jérémy Kawasaki EWC 1:37.231 1:36.446 1:37.163 1:36.946 -
2 7 YART - Yamaha PARKES Broc * FRITZ Marvin FUJITA Takuya Yamaha EWC 1:36.773 1:36.545 1:37.986 1:37.101 0.155
3 48 NRT48 FORAY Kenny * HICKMAN Peter GLÖCKNER Lucy BMW EWC 1:37.132 1:37.012 1:37.871 1:37.338 0.392
4 94 GMT94 Yamaha DI MEGLIO Mike CANEPA Niccolò CHECA David * Yamaha EWC 1:37.372 1:37.182 1:37.704 1:37.419 0.473
5 2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team PHILIPPE Vincent * MASSON Etienne BLACK Gregg Suzuki EWC 1:37.122 1:37.978 1:37.469 1:37.523 0.577
6 5 F.C.C. TSR Honda France HOOK Josh FORAY Freddy * TECHER Alan Honda EWC 1:38.095 1:37.137 1:37.500 1:37.577 0.631
7 111 Honda Endurance Racing LEBLANC Grégory * GIMBERT Sébastien NIGON Erwan Honda EWC 1:37.275 1:37.628 1:37.955 1:37.619 0.673
8 9 TECMAS - BMW DA COSTA Julien * HEDELIN Camille PERRET David BMW EWC 1:37.013 1:38.647 1:37.427 1:37.695 0.749
9 13 Wepol Racing by penz13.com LAVERTY Michael * IDDON Christian WEBB Daniel BMW EWC 1:36.999 1:38.438 1:37.683 1:37.706 0.760
10 21 Mercury Racing HANIKA Karel * SMRZ Jakub BARRIER Sylvain BMW EWC 1:37.969 1:38.642 1:38.201 1:38.270 1.324
11 333 Yamaha Viltaïs Experiences MAURIN Axel * ALT Florian LONBOIS Vincent Yamaha SST 1:38.237 1:37.711 1:39.059 1:38.335 1.389
12 33 Team 33 Accessoires - Louit Moto PEROLARI Corentin * MANFREDI Kevin LEESCH Chris Kawasaki SST 1:38.061 1:37.328 1:39.633 1:38.340 1.394
13 8 Bolliger Team Switzerland STAMM Roman * MULHAUSER Robin SUCHET Sébastien Kawasaki EWC 1:38.461 1:38.841 1:37.958 1:38.420 1.474
14 96 Moto Ain ROLFO Roberto * MASBOU Alexis BERGMAN Christoffer Yamaha SST DIT 1:37.737 1:38.790 1:39.228 1:38.585 1.639
15 50 Team April Moto Motors Events LAGRIVE Matthieu * GUITTET Baptiste FASTRÉ Grégory Suzuki EWC DIT 1:38.182 1:38.022 1:39.619 1:38.607 1.661
16 36 3ART- Moto Team 95 PLANCASSAGNE Alex * LUSSIANA Matthieu BIJSTERBOSCH Pepijn Yamaha SST 1:39.095 1:38.541 1:39.263 1:38.966 2.020
17 4 Tati Team Beaujolais Racing PILOT Julien * DENIS Kevin ENJOLRAS Julien Kawasaki SST DIT 1:38.783 1:39.184 1:39.298 1:39.088 2.142
18 87 Team R2CL LOISEAU Anthony * SELLER Clinton DUNLOP Michael Suzuki EWC DIT 1:39.110 1:38.752 1:39.466 1:39.109 2.163
19 72 Junior Team LMS Suzuki CLERE Hugo * SARRABAYROUSE Alex ROSSI Louis Suzuki SST 1:38.921 1:40.261 1:38.404 1:39.195 2.249
20 14 Maco Racing Team DOS SANTOS Anthony BULLE Louis Yamaha EWC - 1:39.470 1:39.143 1:39.306 2.360
21 66 Sarazin Motorsport by Hall Moto 02 AUGER Fabrice * GANFORNINA Adrien DIGUET Julien Yamaha SST DIT 1:39.921 1:38.731 1:39.281 1:39.311 2.365
22 56 Gert56 German Endurance Racing Team SAIGER Horst * PUFFE Julian LÖWE Rico BMW SST 1:39.037 1:37.511 1:41.536 1:39.361 2.415
23 55 National Motos JONCHIERE Emeric EGEA Stéphane * GOUGET Gaetan Honda EWC 1:39.162 1:39.227 1:40.731 1:39.706 2.760
24 65 Motobox Kremer Racing #65 DEHAYE Geoffroy * VIEHMANN Jan KEMMER Christopher Yamaha EWC 1:40.375 1:40.352 1:38.699 1:39.808 2.862
25 17 TTS Excent PONS Gabriel * DEPOORTER Olivier MACCIO Jimmy Kawasaki EXP 1:38.967 1:38.845 1:41.789 1:39.867 2.921
26 18 Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers BUISSON Dylan * ALARCOS Antonio FERRER Enrique Kawasaki SST DIT 1:39.889 1:40.074 1:39.668 1:39.877 2.931
27 68 Atomic 68 STOLL Clément * ANTIGA Guillaume RIEDMANN Kenny Suzuki SST 1:39.555 1:39.619 1:40.666 1:39.946 3.000
28 44 No Limits Motor Team SCASSA Luca GAMARINO Christian MAZZINA Michael * Suzuki SST 1:39.573 1:39.314 1:40.957 1:39.948 3.002
29 3 AM Moto Racing Competition MAITRE Romain * CHARPIN Mathieu FROSSARD Stéphane Kawasaki SST DIT 1:39.296 1:39.918 1:40.857 1:40.023 3.077
30 6 Aprilia Le Mans 2 Roues MAJOR Nelson PARISSE Emmanuel * COLLIAUX Benjamin Aprilia SST DIT 1:39.811 1:39.968 1:40.735 1:40.171 3.225
31 100 HRT 100 - Hertrampf Racing Endurance VINCON Dominik * SKACH Oliver GALOTTE Florian Ducati EWC 1:39.526 1:39.890 1:41.184 1:40.200 3.254
32 34 JMA Motos Action Bike BRIVET Cyril * AUBRY Jean Edouard ROUSSEAU Kevin Suzuki SST DIT 1:39.396 1:39.976 1:41.348 1:40.240 3.294
33 101 Aviobike NAPOLI Christian NAPOLI Federico BAGGI Giovanni * Yamaha SST 1:40.567 1:40.723 1:40.121 1:40.470 3.524
34 91 Energie Endurance 91 ROUSSANGE Noel * LAVAINNE Kevin THOUZET Antoine Kawasaki SST DIT 1:39.806 1:41.539 1:40.132 1:40.492 3.546
35 40 Motard Center Fast Team Racing BOUVIER David BOUE Marco * DAGAULT MANU Kawasaki SST DIT 1:39.244 1:40.084 1:42.299 1:40.542 3.596
36 119 Slider Endurance DILLER Charles * GEERS Charles HOUSSIN Vincent Yamaha SST DIT 1:39.503 1:41.362 1:40.827 1:40.564 3.618
37 41 Rac 41 AYNIE Axel * AYER Alexandre CORNUT Billy Honda SST 1:40.329 1:40.791 1:40.725 1:40.615 3.669
38 77 Wójcik Racing Team GÓRKA Pawel BUKOWSKI Daniel SZKOPEK Marek * Yamaha EWC DIT 1:41.608 1:41.426 1:39.483 1:40.839 3.893

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