June 8th, 2025.



Spa-Francorchamps delivered another dramatic race in the second round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season, with unpredictable weather and a fast-drying track turning the 8 Hours of Spa Motos into a tyre strategy-focused race.

With conditions changing from wet to dry in minutes, and contrasting grip levels across sectors as a result, Dunlop-equipped teams used the full versatility of the KR range to stay competitive throughout changing grip levels.

All teams in the Superstock Trophy and Production Trophy classes, where Dunlop is the exclusive tyre supplier, along with six Dunlop-equipped entries in the open-competition Formula EWC class, chose from the wide range of KR compounds, with teams selecting KR109 front and KR108 rear ranges in dry conditions, while KR191 fronts, alongside KR393 wet or KR398i intermediate rears, were available for wet weather. The tyres’ fast warm-up, wide operating window and reliable feedback proved essential on a damp track, allowing riders to push in constantly evolving conditions.

Superstock and Production Trophy success at Spa-Francorchamps
In the Superstock Trophy, pole position was claimed by the #9 Champion-MRP-Tecmas BMW on Friday. The French team was one of four Superstock teams breaking into the overall top ten in the opening minutes of the race, joining the #99 Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 Yamaha to bring the total of Dunlop-equipped teams in the top ten to five.

The standout performance came from the #777 Wojcik Racing Team Yamaha in the early part of the race, making its 2025 EWC debut by climbing to seventh place overall in the first hours. The team used the early laps to generate consistent pace at the front of the Superstock class, showcasing the confidence found in the KR range.

As the mixed conditions persisted, the #9 BMW remained in class contention. With Sector 1 soaked and Sector 2 nearly dry at one point, the #9 team of Leandro Denis Mercado, Hannes Soomer and Jan Bühn managed sector-by-sector grip changes with precision, relying on Dunlop’s consistency across damp and dry asphalt. They emerged victorious in the Superstock class, finishing eighth overall. #18 POMPIERS IGOL CMS MOTOSTORE Yamaha followed closely, securing second in class, and reigning Superstock champions #55 Honda National Motos completed the podium at Spa, finishing P11 overall.

In the Production Trophy class, the #42 Green Team Lycee Sainte Claire Kawasaki continued its perfect qualifying run this season to start from pole. Throughout the eight-hour race, positions shuffled frequently among the six competing teams. At the halfway point, the #199 ARTEC Kawasaki and #222 Team Supermoto Racing Yamaha were locked in a close battle for the lead. In the end, it was the #222 Team Supermoto Racing Yamaha that claimed their second Production Trophy win of the season at Spa-Francorchamps, followed by the #199 ARTEC team and the #42 Kawasaki.

ERC Endurance Team leads Dunlop charge in Formula EWC
In the Formula EWC category, the six Dunlop-equipped teams impressed with their performance and determination despite the ever-changing conditions.

The #6 BMW and the #99 Yamaha were the highest-starting Dunlop teams in their class, lining up seventh and eighth respectively. After securing a podium at the season-opening 24H Motos in Le Mans, the German ERC Endurance Team looked to continue their strong form at Spa. Although a technical issue caused them to lose ground at the start, the team responded quickly, climbing back to seventh by the end of the first hour. As pit stops started as early as 30 minutes into the race due to the quickly changing weather, ERC capitalised and briefly ran as high as second. They maintained consistent top-ten pace throughout, ultimately finishing sixth overall, demonstrating the performance and reliability of the KR range in both wet and dry conditions.

The #99 Yamaha also impressed early on, but dropped out of podium condition after running out of fuel around the two-hour mark. Despite this setback, they rebounded with strong pace and determination, alongside strong durability and pace provided by the Dunlop tires, climbing back to P12.

The #65 Motobox Kremer Racing Yamaha finished P15 after starting the race in P26, followed by the #53 Mana-au Competition Honda in P16, who managed to climb thirteen places after starting in P29. The #14 Maco Racing Team Yamaha crossed the finish line in P27, while #90 Team LRP Poland BMW secured P28.

David Auerbacher, International Motorcycle Race Event Leader, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, commented: “Congratulations to all the Dunlop-equipped teams for delivering exceptional performance in what is one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. The wet conditions, fast-drying track as well as sudden weather changes demanded complete confidence in tyre performance, so we’re proud that our Dunlop tyres once again delivered the performance and stability needed to compete at the front of all categories.”

The FIM Endurance World Championship continues with the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours on August 3rd, followed by the Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard on September 21st.

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