WEC Maxxis FIM World Enduro Championship ; Championship celebrations for Eero Remes & Mickael Persson

The 2015 Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship’s final day of competition in Requista, France saw Eero Remes (TM) and Mikael Persson (Yamaha) crowned as the Enduro 1 and Enduro Junior world champions.

For Remes the concluding day of the series brought with it celebrations following yet another faultless performance, securing the Finn the Enduro 1 World Championship. At the end of what has been an incredible season for the Finn, Eero once again go the better of Christophe Nambotin (KTM) to earn his first EWC title. But victory on day two of the GP of France was a close run thing in the E1 class, with just 12 seconds separating this year’s best performing duo. Third went to Sherco’s Anthony Boissiere, with Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) fourth. In placing fourth, and less than one second ahead of Danny McCanney (Husqvarna), Santolino earned himself third overall in the 2015 Enduro 1 World Championship behind Remes and Nambotin. But the day very much belonged to Remes. “It’s amazing to finally win a world title. I really enjoyed this last round of the series, and I think that showed in my riding. I didn't feel any pressure and rode well. I liked the conditions and won the championship with two day wins.”

 

Eero REMES signed the double this weekend and is crowned E1 World Champ

In the Enduro 2 class Alex Salvini (Honda) claimed what was a relatively straight forward victory. With newly crowned Enduro 2 World Champion Antoine Meo opting not to race, Salvini placed 47 seconds ahead of local star Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco). Making it three different manufacturers on the podium, third went to Spain’s Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna). Behind Meo in the Enduro 2 World Championship standings, Alex Salvini placed second, 2014 champion Pela Renet third with Jamue Betriu and Loic Larrieu rounding out the top five.

With the 2015 Enduro 3 World Championship title already his following a runner-up result on day one, Mathias Bellino ended his season just as he’d started it – winning. With day one winner Matt Phillips crashing on numerous occasions, it was Finn Matti Seistola (Sherco) who challenged the newly crowned E3 champion the hardest. At the end of the day just 10 second separated the two riders. Delivering his best performance of the championship Spain’s Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas)rounded out the podium. With Bellino winning the E3 title, second went to Matt Phillips – the 2014 champion – with Matti Seistola, Aigar Leok (TM) and Luis Correia (Beta) placing third through fifth respectively.

 

Mathias BELLINO has been the only French able to win this weekend

Steve Holcombe (Beta) was the rider to beat in the Enduro Junior class, keeping himself ahead of Italy’s Alessandro Battig (Honda) to claim a 15 second winning margin and bring his outstanding debut EWC season to a positive close. Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna), who wrapped up the Enduro Junior title on day one, was a spectator on day two due to a sinus infection. Giacomo Redondi (Beta) placed third. Jamie McCanney, Giacomo Redondi and Steve Holcombe were the top three finishers in the 2015 Enduro Junior World Championship.

Laia Sanz was another rider not competing on day two, travelling to Morocco to compete in a rally event with the 2015 Enduro Women’s title already secured. Taking full advantage of the situationJane Daniels (Husqvarna) moved to the top of the class. Jane placed 24 seconds ahead ofJessica Gardiner (Sherco) with Jemma Wilson (Yamaha) rounding out the top three. Winning each day of the Enduro Women’s championship she entered Laia Sanz ended her season ahead ofJane Daniels with Jessica Gardiner third.

The last title of the 2015 Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship to be decided was the Enduro Youth class. A straight up fight between Sweden’s Mikael Persson (Yamaha) and Spain’s Josep Garcia (Husqvarna), at the end of the day less than five seconds separated the two youngsters with Persson able to celebrate his first world title. “It feels so, so good to win. I made a big mistake on one of the special tests today and thought that was it. But I kept pushing and, well, it’s just amazing. The whole season has been incredible for me, to end it as a world champion is awesome.” After Persson, Josep Garcia and Jack Edmondson finished second and third in the final Enduro Youth championship standings.

 

The happiness of Mikael PERSSON and the whole Johansson MPE team

Vidéo : les meilleurs moments du Tour de Corse

Blancpain Sprint Series Misano ; Ferrari wins in Italy, title race goes down to the wire

 
Norbert Siedler and Marco Seefried and their #333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari had a perfect race weekend during the Misano round of the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series, taking pole position and the win in both the qualifying and main races. The green Ferrari crossed the line with seven seconds in hand over the #84 HTP Bentley of Maxi Buhk and Vincent Abril. In the driver standings the Bentley Boys have reduced the gap to leaders Vanthoor and Frijns to eight points. Third in Misano went to the #63 Grasser Lamborghini of Bortolotti and Kujala, in the drivers' first ever-race in the Blancpain Sprint Series. Pro-Am Cup was won by the GT Russian duo of Asmer-Vasilyev, while the Fjordbach twins in the #74 ISR Audi took honours in the Silver Cup. 

With two prestigious Italian car manufacturers on the front row, the start for the Blancpain Sprint Series Main Race in Misano was sure to get the Italian race fans excited. But when the lights went out, Atila Abreu in the #77 AH Competicoes Team Brazil BMW almost spoilt their party by squeezing his car in between the Ferrari of Marco Seefried and the Lamborghini of Patrick Kujala. However, coming out of the first corner it was the Finnish youngster who led the pack, recording the first lap in the lead of a sprint race for the Lamborghini Huracan.

His joy was not to last long, for a couple of laps later Seefried produced a magnificent overtaking manoeuvre, retaking the lead. The Ferrari driver quickly ran away from Kujala, who now was under pressure from Maxi Buhk in the #84 HTP Bentley. Buhk, who had started from seventh, was soon up to fourth and by passing the BMW of Abreu after only a couple of laps moved up to third. Just before the pitstop window opened, Buhk took second away from Kujala as well.

The driver change in the Lamborghini camp was not the best ever, dropping the #63 car one more place down the order. With new tyres, Mirko Bortolotti managed to climb back to third, but that is as high as he could get. In front, Norbert Siedler kept on pushing at the wheel of the #333 Ferrari, increasing his lead to over ten seconds at a point. In the end that was more than enough to hold the first position until the finish, ending the weekend with a perfect score.

By finishing second, Vincent Abril and Maxi Buhk reduced the gap to series leaders Laurens Vanthoor and Robin Frijns - non-starters after yesterday's crash - to eight points. Norbert Siedler is still in the running for the drivers title as well, 17 points behind the leaders. While Vanthoor is suffering from a sprained foot and will have some anxious days before he can make a decision on the subject of driving in Zandvoort, Siedler is already sure he will have to look for a new team-mate, with Marco Seefried unable to attend the season finale.

Behind the podium finishers Valdeno Brito in the #77 Team Brasil BMW and Craig Dolby in the #173 Always Evolving Nissan had a most entertaining scrap for fourth, with the Brazilian eventually holding on to his position. That was not enough to keep the Brazilian squad in the running for the teams' title in the Blancpain Sprint Series however, since Ortelli and Richelmi's seventh was enough for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT to secure the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series Teams’ title.

In Pro-Am Cup Alexey Karachev claimed the drivers' title, even though the Russian saw today's race win go to his GT Russian team-mates Asmer and Vasilyev. In the Silver Cup the #74 ISR Audi of the Fjordbach brothers was the only car to take the start of the race, with the #83 HTP Bentley of Szymkowiak-Van Splunteren too badly damaged after yesterday's qualifying race and the #19 Grasser Lamborghini of Mul-Di Folco unable to get onto the grid due to mechanical gremlins. Through these results the Fjordbach twins are now back in the running for the Silver Cup title, travelling to Zandvoort with a 16-point deficit on leader Jules Szymkowiak.

 

Marco Seefried (#333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari): "I have to admit I did not know that trying to overtake the Lamborghini would work out. He had a little slide coming out of turn 11 and I could catch up. He realised I was there and closed the inside, so there was only one way left around him. I knew I would not get so many chances to do a move, so I took the chance and it worked out."

Norbert Siedler (#333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari): "We are very happy with this win, the team did a perfect job and now we are still in the running for the title. Unfortunately Marco cannot make it to Zandvoort to fight with me for the title. We will try to find another driver to help me make the most of it, but it will not be easy for sure."

Maxi Buhk (#84 Bentley Team HTP Continental): "It was a pretty good start and a good first lap, followed by a good fight with the Lambo. I was waiting for a mistake, since I was not in a position to be too aggressive, because that could have cost us some points. I had to be patient. When we overtook him, I tried to pull clear before the pitstop, which I did. Unfortunately, we lost some time with the door of the car during the driver change, but the end result was really good."

Mirko Bortolotti (#63 Grasser Racing Lamborghini): "As soon as I was out on track after the pitstop, there was only one strategy: push like hell. When I had passed the BMW I tried to close the gap on the Bentley, but it was running at about the same pace as me. Maybe I was a little bit faster, but enough to make a move. I think this third place is the absolute maximum that we could get, so I am very happy with what we did this weekend."

Marko Asmer (#71 GT Russian Team): "First of all I would like to thank the team to get both cars ready for today, after a slight mistake caused damage to both of them in yesterday's qualifying race. They boys did not sleep all night, so thank you for that. The race itself was pretty fun, as it always is. I really enjoyed it. »

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Final Result list Main Race

10 INCREDIBLE CLIPS FROM THE DRIVER'S POINT OF VIEW

Photo by Peter Aylward The only thing better than an onboard camera is a camera placed at the driver's eye level; and now, thanks to the wonders of technology, we have a growing number of clips online that show just that. From James Hinchcliffe's recent return to an IndyCar to a rained-out Nürburgring 24 Hour race—and some sunny clips from Monterey thrown in for good measure—these films put you as close to the action as you'll be able to get…without, of course, actually sitting in a race car.

James Hinchcliffe @ Road America in a 2015 IndyCar

Leh Keen @ Nürburgring Nordschleife in a Porsche 911 GT3 R

Tommy Milner @ 24 Hours of Daytona in a Corvette C7.R

Patrick Long @ Monterey in a 1975 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera RSR

Alex Lynn @ Goodwood in a 1990 Williams FW13B

Simon Pagenaud @ Rallye National de la Vienne (France) in a Peugeot 207

Marino Franchitti @ Monterey in a 1975 Gulf Mirage GR8

Gunnar Jeanette @ Monterey in a 1971 Porsche 908/3

Randy Pobst @ Monterey in a 1980 IMSA GT BMW M1

Fredrik Sørlie @ the Nurburgring Nordschleife in a Toyota Cressida…drifting