The 43rd edition of the 24 Heures Motos has been launched. 57 teams are expected at Le Mans on 18 and 19 April 2020 for the 3rd round of the FIM Endurance World Championship. The race kicks off the second half of the season, and will prove decisive for the 2019-2020 world title.
There will be 57 teams at the start of the race, with 36 full-season outfits, 6 manufacturers offering official backing and 18 nationalities represented. The 43rd edition of the 24 Heures Motos marks the halfway point of the 2019-2020 FIM EWC season, following the Bol d’Or last September and the inaugural edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang in December. The race is wide open at this stage, and poised to be decisive.
ACO, the 24 Heures Motos organizer, and FIM EWC promoter Eurosport Events have unveiled the provisional entry list for the 2020 24 Heures Motos. 65 points are up for grabs for the fastest team in the race and qualifying on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans on 18 and 19 April. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, who currently lead the 2019-2020 FIM EWC provisional standings, have a small advantage over the competition.
With a mere 15 point-gap to the leader, all eyes are riveted on the new factory squad BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. After securing the 3rd step of the podium at the Bol d’Or and the 8 Hours of Sepang, the Belgian team are now targeting the win. It would be a first for BMW, which has never won the 24 Heures Motos.
The top two Yamaha teams, independent team Wojcik Racing Team and factory team YART Yamaha (the winner at Sepang), are a little more than 30 points behind in the standings and all set to join the fray in the lead.
Two very motivated world champions
Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar and F.C.C. TSR Honda France, the crown champions in the last two FIM EWC seasons, will also pull out all the stops. Both teams have had a rocky start to the season and are counting on the 24 Heures Motos to surge back into the 2019-2020 title chase.
The performance of Team ERC Endurance’s Ducati in the 24 Heures Motos will also make for gripping viewing. The factory-backed team are keen to make their mark in the 24-hour round – only their second race on a Ducati. Having officially entered the EWC, Ducati Corse is supporting and keeping a close eye on its new factory team, who wrapped up their maiden outing at the 8 Hours of Sepang with a 10th-place finish.
Superstock: Playing for decisive stakes
Moto Ain (Yamaha), the winner of last season’s FIM World Cup, dominated the early part of the season in the Superstock class and have already notched up a 35-point lead in the provisional standings. Their rivals intend to use the 24 Heures Motos, the second-last race in the Superstock class, to make up for lost time. French team BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers (Kawasaki) and German squad GERT56 by GS Yuasa (BMW) are best placed to catch up with the standings leader.
The teams will be on the Bugatti circuit for an initial two-day test for the 24 Heures Motos on 31 March and 1 April 2020.
The 43rd edition of the 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at 3pm on Saturday 18 April by French TV presenter and motorcycle enthusiast Alessandra Sublet.
