The Suzuki N.12 from the SERT-Yoshimura team is still in the lead on Sunday in the Bol d’Or motorcycle race with three hours to go.
The Suzuki suffered an accident around 11:20 a.m., apparently caused by oil on the track and involving five other motorcycles.
The race was neutralized by the safety car for around fifteen minutes before being restarted. The Suzuki was able to return to the pits to repair the damage and still led with 7 laps ahead of the Honda N.333 of the Viltaïs Racing team.
3rd place was occupied by the BMW N.37 of BMW Motorrad ahead of the Yamaha N.7 of YART which had to make frequent pit stops to refill its faulty cooling system.
It is in a position to win the 2023 EWC endurance championship of which the Bol d’Or is the last round after the FCC TSR N.1 Honda retired in the middle of the night. This last bike occupied the lead in the championship before this 4th and final event but will see its advantage melt away after its retirement.
The fight raged in the Superstock category where four motorcycles were held in 4 laps between 6th and 9th place in the general classification.
Ranking of the 86th Bol d’Or contested on the Paul Ricard circuit (5.673 km) in Le Castellet (Var) after 21 hours of racing:
1. Yoshimura SERT Motul (Suzuki GSX-R/N.12) 631 tours en 20:59:16.041
2. Honda Viltaïs Racing (Honda CBR1000RR-R/N.333) at 7 laps
3. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (BMW M1000 RR/N.37) at 9 laps
4. YART Yamaha (Yamaha YZF-R1/N.7) à 12 tours
5. Kawasaki Webike Trickstar (Kawasaki ZX-10R/N.11) and 16 tours
6. National Motos (Honda CBR1000RR-R/N.55) at 18 laps (1st Superstock category)
7. Team 33 Louit Racing Moto, Kawasaki ZX10-R/N.33, Superstock) at 19 laps
8. RAC Chromeburner (Honda CBR1000RR-R/N.41, Superstock) 19 turns
9. Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers (Yamaha YZF-R1/N.18, Superstock) at 22 laps
10. Team LRP Poland (BMW S1000RR/N.90) at 22 laps
…
Main retirements: ERC Ducati N.6, Honda FCC TSR Honda France, N.1.
