A wet track at the start of the second qualifying practice broadly preserved the status quo coming out of yesterday’s session on dry. Team SRC Kawasaki will start in pole position tomorrow in the 37th edition of the 24 Heures Moto at Le Mans, final of the 2014 FIM Endurance World Championship. In second place on the grid ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha YART, Honda Racing is looking like a serious contender for a win.
The French factory Kawasaki, winner of the last four editions of the 24 Heures Moto, will therefore be first on the grid followed by the British Honda, which got a taste for victory at the Oschersleben 8 Hours, and the Austrian Yamaha, determined to make its first podium of the season. These three teams are all bent on winning, but the SRC Kawasaki is looking very good with a perfectly matched crew and three riders under the 1’37.500 mark.
In fourth on the grid, a focused Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is sitting just ahead of the current top of the leader board, Yamaha Racing GMT 94 Michelin, that will have to defend its 21-point lead to add a second world crown to its first title won in 2004. The first private team, Honda National Motos, has the best Superstock crews right on its tail. First in this class, Qatar Endurance Racing Team (Kawasaki) will be starting in 7th ahead of Team Traqueur Louit Moto 33 (Kawasaki), Junior Team LMS Suzuki, current leader of the FIM Superstock World Cup, Tati Team Beaujolais Racing (Kawasaki) and AM Moto Racing Compétition (Suzuki).
As in EWC, here at Le Mans there is everything still to play for in the FIM Superstock World Cup. Junior Team LMS Suzuki has a slim 9-point lead over Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team (BMW), out of the limelight in the qualifying practice but still one to watch. During the practice, impressive performances by the BMW Penz13.com Racing Team #31, entered in Open with Sylvain Barrier, Jason Pridmore and Glenn Allerton, earned it 10th place on the starting grid.
In all classes, the race is therefore shaping up to be more undecided and suspenseful than ever. This 37th edition of the 24 Heures Moto will start tomorrow, Saturday, at 15 hours on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans.
CLASSIFICATION
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Photos Good-Shoot.com