Long-time readers of Asphalt & Rubber will know my love of endurance racing motorcycles – there is something about these purpose-built race bikes that have to perform reliably hour-after hour that strikes my fancy.
So, upon hearing that the Suzuki Endurance Race Team (SERT) won the 24-Hours of Le Mans this weekend, it was all the excuse I needed to post up some photos of the Yoshimura-backed squad and their Suzuki GSX-R1000 race bike.
Competing with Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon, and Sylvain Guintoli at the helm, the Franco-Japanese team qualified 2nd for the iconic race, and took the checkered flag, eight laps ahead of the 2nd place SRC Kawasaki squad.
This results puts SERT at the top of the pack in the FIM Endurance World Championship, scoring 64 out of 65 of the possible points available to them, as they seek to defend their #1 plate from the previous season.
The winningest team in the FIM EWC, SERT is a hot favorite no matter what venue they go to, and for good reason. There are three more events on the 2021 calendar: 12hrs of Estoril, the Bol d’or, and the Suzuka 8-Hours.
The last world-level series with a proper tire war, it is of note that SERT is partnered with Bridgestone and able to win at Le Mans.
The Japanese tire brand is practically a must-have for teams at Suzuka, which bodes well for SERT against the other factory-backed teams.
Photos: Suzuki Racing
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