Glenn Allerton Takes 2011 ASBK Championship

Procon Maxima BMW's Glenn Allerton, riding the BMW S 1000 RR, is the 2011 ASBK Champion.

After dominating the 2011 Championship from round 1, Allerton endured a tough weekend in Tasmania to come away with the Championship with one round remaining.

Glenn Allerton 2011 ASBK Champ

In Race 1 Glenn worked his way into the lead but was taken down at the hairpin and found himself sliding across the track into the air-fence. He quickly remounted to finish in 9th place. Glenn's body took a nasty knock and there was concern as a championship was on the line.

Glenn was sore and badly bruised but was determined to get the BMW S 1000 RR on to the starting grid. Riding through the pain Glen took a 5th place which was enough the secure the Championship.

"I kept pushing and pushing but in the end held onto 5th, at the end of the race I honestly thought I was a point off taking home the championship but my team let me know I'd done it which was a great feeling," said an exhausted Glenn after he returned triumphantly to his garage.

"So many people in the team have worked hard for this, I have to thank everyone at Procon Maxima BMW for their hard work week in, week out but also all of those people behind the scenes as well that have helped me make the most of this opportunity including BMW Motorrad who have been so supportive" said Glenn.

General Manager BMW Motorrad Australia and New Zealand, Tony Sesto, who was on hand to witness the historic moment, was excited and full of praise for Glenn and the Procon Maxima BMW team.

"It was fantastic to be here in Tasmania with Glenn and the team for this great Championship win. It is the first Aussie title for the BMW S 1000 RR and I congratulate Glenn, Procon Maxima BMW Team Principal Wayne Hepburn and all the team on a magnificent season" said Tony.

The final round of the ASBK at Phillip Island is next weekend (November 18-20) and Glenn is out to show what he can do at the iconic Victorian circuit.

"Next week there is no pressure and I will go out and have some fun and let the BMW S 1000 RR rip" said a tired, sore but contented Glenn Allerton, 2011 ASBK Champion.

Also all smiles after a successful weekend was Coastline BMW's S 1000 RR Prostock rider Linden Magee. With two 2nd places he secured the 2011 Australian Prostock Challenge title. "I am ecstatic," said Linden. "The BMW S 1000 RR is brilliant and thanks to Coastline BMW for the opportunity to ride such an awesome motorcycle"

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Glenn Allerton dominates Australian Superbike opener making history for BMW in Australia

Glenn Allerton - BMW

Procon Maxima BMW rider Glenn Allerton yesterday dominated a drama-charged day at Phillip Island, winning both races of the opening round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championships in spectacular style.

Allerton made BMW history in Australia as Sunday's race was the first time any BMW has won an Australian Superbike race.

Procon Maxima BMW team owner, Wayne Hepburn, was thrilled with Allerton's performance.

"From our first conversation with BMW it has felt right, the support and encouragement Hepburn Motorsport has received played a huge part in the teams' first round success.

"It's wrong that a standard road bike can compete at this level but that's how good the BMW S 1000 RR is.

"The BMW S 1000 RR combined with Allerton's skills was indeed a recipe for success."

The field was forced to gamble after the race 1 out lap, with a damp circuit sending some riders scrambling for spare bikes with wet tyres fitted.

The BMW S 1000 RR-mounted Allerton elected to remain on slicks, and despite being swamped in the opening laps, soon found pace as a dry line around the 4.45km circuit emerged.

The 30-year-old picked off place after place, and by the fifth lap found himself in the lead after blazing past polesitter Wayne Maxwell who was struggling on deteriorating wet rubber.

Allerton greeted the chequered flag with a lead of over 20 seconds, with second-place going to another European machine, the Aprilia RSV-4 ridden by Ben Attard.

Proving the victory was no fluke, the NSW-based rider backed up the performance by winning race 2 in dry conditions, again by a solid margin.

Two wins from two starts, on debut with a new team and race bike, has Allerton excited about his championship chances in 2011.

"This is the best start to a season I've ever had," said an ecstatic Allerton. "The weekend really could not have gone better for us given we are a new team and racing a new bike.

"We made a good choice this morning on the slicks but in the second race showed that the pace was genuine.

"Given the limited time we've had to work on the bike, the team at Hepburn Motorsport have done an awesome job and I cannot fault them at all. Thanks also has to go to all at BMW."

Allerton is looking forward to continuing the form at his favourite track on the calendar next weekend.

"I love Symmons Plains, it's my favourite track in Australia and I feel like we can be strong again there."

"It was evident from the outset that we would have success on Sunday. The team's commitment and professionalism towards preparing the bike, as well as Glenn's determination to win, was the proof," said Tony Sesto, National Manager for BMW Motorrad.

"Yesterday was an outstanding result for BMW considering the S 1000 RR is still a very new bike in the Superbike segment. All of us at BMW Australia are ecstatic," said Sesto.

Allerton leaves Phillip Island with a 13-point advantage over second-placed rider Troy Herfoss, who was impressive in his first ever Superbike outing with Team Suzuki.

Teams and riders will now set their sights on next week's second round to be held at Symmons Plains Raceway in Tasmania.

Superbike - Round and Championship points
1. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC), 50
2. Troy HERFOSS (VIC), 37
3. Ben ATTARD (QLD), 36
4. Craig COXHELL (VIC), 33
5. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 32
6. Beau BEATON (NSW), 29
7. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 28
8. Ben HENRY (QLD), 25
9. Cole ODENDAAL (NSW), 23
10. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC), 19

Leon Haslam will line up alongside Troy Corser for BMW Motorrad Motorsport in 2011.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport

Munich/Stephanskirchen, 28 September 2010. BMW Motorrad Motorsport's rider line-up for the 2011 season in the FIM Superbike World Championship is now complete. Riding the second BMW S 1000 RR for the Munich and Stephanskirchen-based team alongside double world champion Troy Corser (38) will be Briton Leon Haslam (27).

"We're extremely excited about working with Troy and Leon," says BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Berthold Hauser. "This rider pairing brings together a wealth of expertise and youthful fighting spirit. We're very pleased to have not only a double world champion in our team for next year, but also the runner-up in the 2010 World Championship. It's just the right combination for our recently formed team at this stage of the project." And Hauser adds: "We've been monitoring Leon for a long time now and have been more than impressed by his strengths as a rider. We're extremely happy to be able to welcome him into our team. We have a strong pair of riders in Troy and Leon and are in no doubt that we'll be able to achieve our ambitious aims with them on board. We would also like to thank Ruben Xaus, who over the last two years has helped to take the team to where it is today. We wish him all the best for the future."

Leon Haslam is looking forward to racing for BMW Motorrad. "I've watched the progress of the BMW S1000RR in the past two seasons and the almost constant improvement of the machine has been very impressive. I'm very much looking forward to riding the machine and experiencing for myself what I've been watching. The team has shown the potential to win and the team has the factory support required so I'm hopeful that I can add the extra little bit that is needed to win.I'm really grateful to BMW for showing such faith in me and patience during difficult times and we're looking forward together now for a successful 2011."

Leon Haslam profile:
Date of birth: 31st May 1983
Place of birth: Smalley/Derbyshire (GBR)
Residence: Smalley/Derbyshire (GBR)
Marital status: Engaged
Height: 1.73 m
Weight: 67 kg
Hobbies: Golf, wakeboarding, mountain-biking
Passion: My family, motor racing
Favourite circuits: Phillip Island, Assen, Silverstone
First bike: Honda QR 50
First race: 1987, Argentina, 50cc class
Career highlights: 2006/2008: 2nd in British Superbike Championship
2010: WSBK, Kyalami (RSA), Race 2
2010: Currently 2nd in the WSBK riders' standings
WSBK history: 82 races, 19 podiums, 3 wins, 9 second places and 7 third places, 1 pole position, 2 fastest race laps
Website: www.leonhaslam.com

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Interview With Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad

Interview With Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad

Berthold Hauser, BMW

Munich/Stephanskirchen, 12th May 2010. With BMW Motorrad
Motorsport fresh from recording its first podium finish in the FIM
Superbike World Championship, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
Berthold Hauser weighs up the performance of the team and riders
Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus.

Berthold Hauser, the race weekend at Monza was the most
successful in the still short history of BMW Motorrad Motorsport in
the Superbike World Championship. How would you sum up the team's
latest showing?

Berthold Hauser:"This very positive result is deserved reward
for all our hard work over the past few weeks. It's just a good
feeling to finally get our first podium. We've all greatly enjoyed
the moment. It's even surprised us slightly that we've managed to
get this far this quickly. However, we're also aware that we're not
one of the top teams yet. We still need to develop the necessary
consistency to finish on the podium on merit on a regular basis.
We're certainly not about to start taking it easy; instead, we'll
continue to work purposefully and rigorously to ensure we get back
onto the podium as soon as possible. We're racers and are only
satisfied when we're performing well enough to be consistently in
with a shout of victory."

What are the reasons for the team's upward trajectory?

Berthold Hauser:"We see the last year as a year of development.
We had to build up the team's structures, and processes and
workflows had to bed themselves in. We went into our first season
on the grid with no experience from the circuits and still without
a test crew.

The situation this year looks rather different. We've been able
to build on proven practices and data and have got into the groove
of working together; we've made our team structure and processes at
the circuits much more professional. Our technical department is
doing an outstanding job; the BMW S 1000 RR is a much better
machine than a year ago in terms of chassis, engine and
electronics. And the riders are really motivated in what they're
doing."

On the subject of the riders: Troy Corser has made a convincing
impression since the start of the season with a string of good
results. How would you rate his performances?

Berthold Hauser:"Troy has done a great job from day one this
season. He's impressing us every weekend at the moment with the way
he's riding, and he's very professional and single-minded in his
work. I'm happy with his fitness level - although of course there's
always potential for improvement with every rider."

Ruben Xaus has endured his fair share or criticism at times this
season. How do you see his performances up to now?

Berthold Hauser:"Ruben had a lot of bad luck at the start of the
season. We knew that it wouldn't make sense to start putting
pressure on him - Ruben is a consummate professional and has been
his own biggest critic. After the race at Phillip Island, Davide
Tardozzi, in particular, focused on building up Ruben's confidence
again. And the results have been impressive over the last two race
weekends. Ruben has shown that he's back on track, and posted his
best result so far for the team at Monza. I was personally very
disappointed that he was unable to finish the second race after
becoming the innocent victim of an accident at the start before the
first chicane."

How has Davide Tardozzi fitted into the team?

Berthold Hauser:"Davide looks after team management and
operational control for the team at the race tracks. He calls the
shots in the pits - in terms of how the team is working, but also
when it comes to tactical decisions with a direct influence on
performance. His many years of experience in motor sport make him
an invaluable asset for the team.

The structure of the team presented in January ensures that we
are set up well for the future. Team management and team
organisation are important roles within the team, and Davide is
doing an outstanding job in both these areas. At the same time,
this reshuffle has given Rainer Bäumel the chance to focus on
the core areas of Overall Project Management and
Engineering."

2010 Red Dot Awards: BMW Group wins six prizes.

The presentation of the red dot award 2010 once again provides impressive confirmation of the outstanding quality of BMW Group design. Six current models of the BMW Group will receive the internationally renowned award this year, with the new Rolls-Royce Ghost winning the special "red dot: best of the best" award for the very highest level of design quality in the category Automobiles, Transport and Caravans. Other BMW Group models to be awarded the red dot as a mark of outstanding design are the new BMW 5 Series Sedan, the BMW X1 and the motorcycle model BMW F 800 R. There were also honourable mentions from the international jury of experts for the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and the motorcycle model BMW S 1000 RR. The awards will be presented at the gala held at the Aalto Theatre in Essen on July 5th 2010.

BMW F 800 R

The red dot award is one of the most important awards in the world for product design. It was first awarded in 1955 and recognises outstanding design work in a wide range of categories including not only automobiles, architecture, household and home electronics but also fashion, life science and medicine. This year the jury, made up of international design experts, rated 4252 products from 57 nations. Their assessment is based on 17 criteria ranging from degree of innovation to functionality and ecological compatibility. In the category automobile, transport and caravan the jury issued 24 red dot awards this year - three of the award winners received the special "best of the best" rating.

This highest red dot seal of quality is given for recognition of unusually high-quality and groundbreaking design. The award-winning Rolls-Royce Ghost is an automobile whose unique character is expressed by an exclusive, unmistakable appearance. It is a symbol of clarity whose design reinterprets the classic values of the brand in a modern style for the 21st century. Its flowing lines reflect the dynamic performance of the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever built. Large spaces which cover the entire body and are structured by horizontal lines and highlight the solid, luxurious and supreme character of the vehicle.

An authentic visualisation of the vehicle's properties is also provided by the design of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan. Charismatic presence and stylish elegance in its shaping reflect the sedan's uncompromising premium quality and its high level of driving comfort. The car's sporty properties are reflected in dynamic lines and an athletic overall impression. What is more the high-quality aesthetic appeal of the BMW 5 Series Sedan, now also a 2010 red dot award winner, shows perfectly balanced proportions and precisely finished details.

The BMW X1 is distinct and yet characteristic of the brand. This applies both to its driving properties and its visual appearance, which has likewise been awarded a red dot award in 2010. The BMW X1 combines thrilling agility, versatile sporty flair and modern functionality: for the first time it is possible to savour the unique driving pleasure of a BMW X model in a vehicle of the premium compact segment. The BMW X1's highly distinct appearance is based on its elongated lines, giving it a look which conveys self-assured elegance. The characteristic design features of the BMW X1 include a powerfully shaped, long engine compartment lid, a striking upright BMW kidney grille, broadly flared wheel arches, short overhangs, a long wheelbase, an elaborately modulated rear and the flat standing rear window. The front, side and rear sections are seamlessly joined, with striking lines creating flowing connections between the body elements.

Striking design.
With the red dot award 2010 for the BMW F800R, BMW Motorrad likewise continues its successful series of entries in renowned design competitions. The medium-category naked bike launched in the spring of 2009 brings the design concept of the large 4-cylinder roadsters (K 1300 R) to a new segment. A sporty touch and high-quality details determine the character of this model. The outstanding quality of the design also extends to the optionally available accessory components such as a windshield, a pillion passenger seat cover, radiator trim panels and an engine spoiler.

The motorcycle model BMW S 1000 RR is characterised by impressive riding qualities and a striking design. The innovative supersports bike, which received an honourable mention at the red dot awards 2010, has a design which is typified by a short, low front section and a high, compact rear and which conveys a striking visual lightness. The asymmetrical headlamps and side trim elements as well as the visually separated front section - the so-called "split face" - are characteristic BMW Motorrad design elements which are reinterpreted here. The fact that the seating position is focused towards the front wheel indicates that the BMW S 1000 RR is entirely geared towards the rider and towards sporty use.

The second honourable mention at the 2010 red dot awards goes to the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. This completely new vehicle concept combines essential features of a prestigious sedan, a modern Sports Activity Vehicle and a classic Gran Turismo, impressively implemented by means of innovative design solutions. The diverse qualities of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo in the areas of dynamic performance, space comfort and versatility are reflected in the characteristic BMW proportions, the four doors with frameless windows, a coupé-like flowing roof line and the dual-section rear opening.

Unique visual appearance.
The unique quality of BMW Group design is based on a design philosophy which runs across all brands, enabling the character of each brand and each model to be accurately gauged so that the individual qualities of each vehicle are precisely reflected in its design. In this way, vehicles are created which individually interpret characteristic brand design features and effectively express their model-specific qualities through their visual appearance. The resulting design quality gives rise to unique, unmistakable and fascinating products across all vehicle segments.

It is for this reason that a remarkably high number of new products of the BMW Group brands have been listed as red dot award winners for many years now. Last year they included the new BMW 7 Series, the new BMW Z4 and the motorcycle models BMWK1300S and BMWK1300R, while in the previous year the BMW 3 Series Convertible and the BMW G450X won the special award "red dot: best of the best". In addition, the BMW X5, the BMW 1 Series Coupé, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé and the BMW HP2Sport won the red dot award for outstanding design quality in 2008.