YART Yamaha’s new rider trio have boosted the team’s status as the favourite for the Bol d’Or win. Broc Parkes, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa upped their performance during today’s second day of tests in the run-up to the Bol d’Or, posting a 1:55.037 lap. (After minor modifications this past winter, the circuit has a slightly shorter track length of 5,673m, compared to 5,791m last year).

Team SRC Kawasaki France’s Jeremy Guarnoni, David Checa and Randy de Puniet came closest to challenging a YART Yamaha in fine form. The trio are not just chasing the Bol d’Or win; the French factory team is also in the race for the world title.

The third-fastest of the two days of tests was ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance (formerly NRT48), the German brand’s new factory team and another serious contender for the win with riders Kenny Foray, Julien Da Costa and Mathieu Gines.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France, 2017-2018 Endurance world champion, set the fourth-fastest time.
They were quicker than both Kawasaki-mounted Bolliger Team Switzerland’s Roman Stamm, Sébastien Suchet and Jonathan Hugot and a new challenger in the Formula EWC class, Yamaha Viltaïs Pierret Experiences, which is powering its way into the premier category with riders Florian Alt, Axel Maurin, Alan Techer and Vincent Lonbois.

Whether or not Suzuki Endurance Racing Team’s performance places them in the Top 6 is an unknown, as the team chose not to run transponders during the tests.

Top 6 lap times of the two-day tests
YART Yamaha – 1:55.037
Team SRC Kawasaki France – 1:55.746
ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance – 1:56.217
F.C.C. TSR Honda France – 1:56.780
Bolliger Team Switzerland – 1:56.828
Yamaha Viltaïs Pierret Experiences – 1:56.975