By: BMW Canada
December 10 2016
Richmond Hill, Ontario - Canadian Jordan Szoke is the winner of the 2016 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. The rider from the Mopar Express Lane BMW Superbike Team completed a perfect season in the Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK), defending his title in the series by winning all seven races and securing all pole positions. 2016 was the third season for this special customer racing program.
This year the number of registered participants in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy had increased to no less than 127 BMW racers from 25 different nations on six continents. They raced for 83 different teams in 27 individual championship classes.
One of the highlights of the evening was the tribute to the highest placed participants in the 2016 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. The top 15 were recognised with trophies and a total prize purse of 100,000 Euros. Winner Szoke received a winner’s cheque for 20,000 Euros. In his successful 2016 season, the 37-year old CSBK champion picked up a total of 450.00 Race Trophy points, including the bonus points all riders received for title wins, pole positions and so on.
“To be the winner of the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy really means a lot to me,” said Szoke. “Last year I stood here on the stage as runner-up, and it is just a fantastic feeling to now have secured the first place. It makes me very proud to successfully represent Canada in this unique worldwide competition. The Race Trophy helps to bring international awareness to our series and also shows how good the racing is in Canada. The Race Trophy is a great concept that unites us BMW racers all around the world. It is great to be a part of it. And the extra support through the prize money and the bonuses is an awesome help for us riders.”
Second place went to Vincent Lonbois (BE), the 2016 champion in the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC), with 447.36 points. Third was Michal Prášek (CZ), the 2016 champion in the Superstock class of the Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship (AARR STK), with 435.60 points (see full final standings below).
“We are delighted to see the huge worldwide BMW Motorrad Motorsport family getting together here in Munich. Congratulations to our successful BMW racers for the great results they have achieved this season. They proved that the BMW S 1000 RR once more was the bike to beat in many series,” said Heiner Faust, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing BMW Motorrad. “The members of the huge global BMW Motorrad Motorsport family represent our brand on the race-tracks all around the globe. We want to thank them for their commitment, their passion and their enthusiasm for BMW Motorrad.”
“As a manufacturer, the close and strong relationship with our privateers has the highest priority for us. It was our goal to create, worldwide, a unique and strong community of motorcycle racers,” Faust continued. “With our comprehensive customer sports programme – that includes the extensive support from our experts of BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – we achieved that goal. More and more racers on all continents count on the strengths of our BMW S1000RR and on our support. And also the Race Trophy keeps growing from year to year. In 2016. the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family can celebrate no less than nine championship titles. This includes the historic title win in the FIM Sidecar World Championship and the fourth title for the BMW S1000RR in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. In world championships and other international and national racing series our customer teams have claimed 89 wins and 263 podium finishes this season. We are very proud of this strong and successful racing family.”
To appreciate the achievements of the BMW privateers, a special bonus has been awarded within the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy to championship winning teams and riders. Every team that won the title in its individual racing series received prize money of 7,500 Euros, while the rider was rewarded with 2,500 Euros. Nine BMW teams and racers were handed this title bonus at the BMW Motorrad Motorsport Season Finale in Munich: Team Cherot Moto Sport and Benjamin Colliaux (FR / French European Bikes Championship), Rohac and Fejta motoracing team and Michal Prášek (CZ / Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship Superstock class), IVR BMW Motorrad CSEU and Lukáš Pešek (CZ / Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship Superbike class), Herpigny Motors BMW Motorrad Belux and Vincent Lonbois (BE / International Road Racing Championship), Tyco BMW Motorrad Racing and Ian Hutchinson (GB / BMW Combined Road Race Challenge), Mopar Express Lane BMW Superbike Team and Jordan Szoke (CA / Canadian Superbike Championship), Buildbase BMW Motorrad and Taylor Mackenzie (GB / British Superbike Championship Superstock class), Althea BMW Racing Team and Raffaele De Rosa (IT / FIM Superstock 1000 Cup) and 44-Racing with Pekka Päivärinta and Kirsi Kainulainen (FI / FIM Sidecar World Championship).
In addition, the new “Race Finisher Bonus” was introduced this season. A bonus of 500 Euros was given to all those Race Trophy participants who finished all rated races in their respective championship class better than in last position, scored more than 100 Race Trophy points and were not ranked within the Top 15 of the Race Trophy.
Canadians In BOLD