Britain’s Gino Rea and the Polish Wójcik Racing Team bagged the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy and a podium finish the weekend’s Bol d’Or.

Wójcik managed to turn the rain-affected and eventful race to their advantage. They received the €7000 prize awarded to the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy winner, coming in ahead of Omega Maco Racing Team and Tati Team Beaujolais Racing.

Wójcik Racing Team started the FIM Endurance World Championship season by carrying off the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy, just as they did last year. But their 2019 victory – which netted them a €7,000 prize – was all the sweeter because of their brilliant second place-finish in the 24-hour race.

Rea, Christoffer Bergman and Axel Maurin, the Yamaha-mounted Polish team’s riders, dodged every possible pitfall on a wet then dry track to finish just one lap behind the Bol d’Or winner Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.

Omega Maco Racing Team finished at the foot of the 2019 Bol d’Or podium and took second place in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy. Pawel Szkopek, Bjorn Estment and Karel Hanika had started the race from beyond 20th position in the saddle of the Slovakian team’s Yamaha. Omega Maco Racing Team pocketed the €6,000 prize awarded to the runner-up.

Tati Team Beaujolais Racing also ran a superb race, finishing the Bol d’Or in 7th place. The French Kawasaki-mounted team, who won the 2017-2018 FIM Endurance World Cup, are making steady progress in the Formula EWC class with riders Alan Techer, Kevin Denis and Julien Enjolras. They won third place in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy and the accompanying €5,000 prize.

Twelve other privateer teams using Dunlop tyres were awarded prizes at the Bol d’Or. They received amounts ranging from €4,000 down to €600 for the 15th-ranked team in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy.

Renewed for the 5th successive season by FIM EWC Eurosport Events, the organizers of each of the championship’s races and tyre manufacturer Dunlop, the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy gives backing to privateer teams using Dunlop tyres who do not receive direct support from a constructor. The prize money for each of the two 24-hour races has been raised by €10,000 this season, taking the total prize money on offer to support Dunlop-shod teams to €140,000.