Source: Supplied.

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has successfully defended its FIM Endurance World Championship at the Oschersleben 8 Hours in Germany, the race won by GMT94 Yamaha.

Suspense ran high until the very last minute of the race, with the outcome of the duel between GMT94 Yamaha and Suzuki Endurance Racing Team uncertain to the end.

There was a mere 21-second gap between the two French teams at the finish. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team are rejoicing in their new status as world champions – the team’s 15th world title – at the end of a tough season with no wins.

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team squeezed past GMT94 Yamaha to top spot in the world standings, with only a one-point lead.

On the third step of the podium after finishing three laps behind the leader, Penz13.com BMW Motorrad is relishing its finest race.

Fourth past the finish line, five laps behind GMT94 Yamaha, Honda Endurance Racing ran a fine race, staying in the top five throughout – though a brake problem gave Julien da Costa, Sébastien Gimbert and Freddy Foray a scare.

Another contender often overshadowed by the factory-backed teams, Maco Racing Team, picked up fifth place at Oschersleben after a fantastic late-stage sprint by Greg Junod, Anthony dos Santos and Marko Jerman.

The top Superstock, Team 3Art Yam’Avenue, was right behind Maco Racing Team. Louis Bulle, Alex Plancassagne and Lukas Trautmann ran a perfect race, and walked off with both the Superstock win at Oschersleben and the 2016 Superstock World Cup.

Behind Lukoil BMW Motorrad CSEU, which placed seventh (the Czech team wrapped up its first FIM EWC season in Germany), a set of Superstocks finished in a tight group – Starteam PAM-Racing, AM Moto Racing Compétition and Tati Team Beaujolais Racing, in that order, also the top three of the Dunlop Independent Trophy at Oschersleben.

Team April Moto Motors Events finished 11th, having fallen back from the leading pack due to a crash and an overheating engine. Starting the race at the top of the provisional EWC standings, Alex Cudlin’s team ended up third in the final world standings.

The Oschersleben 8 Hours was forecast to be a suspenseful race and it didn’t disappoint. There was much drama and many upsets for practically the entire 8 hours.

The favourites to win the world title had a tough time of it from the start. Team SRC Kawasaki was the first to fall by the wayside, forced to withdraw with a broken engine after only five laps, though Gregory Leblanc had got off to a good start. Then it was F.C.C. TSR Honda’s turn to retire following a mechanical problem 72 laps into the race.

An hour and a half from the finish, one final spectacular upset totally shook up the pecking order. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team had been leading the race from the start with Broc Parkes and Marvin Fritz, but they fell victim to an overheated engine and had to throw in the towel after 192 laps in the lead.