National Motos have taken their first EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy win. The French Honda-mounted team earned the €4,000 prize for the Dunlop Trophy winner at the first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang in Malaysia. National Motos finished ahead of RAC 41 and Tati Team Beaujolais Racing. A total €20,000 of prize money was split among the top 10 EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy teams at Sepang.

The first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang proved to be a tough and testing race due to bad weather in Malaysia. In the saddle of the Honda National Motos bike, Frenchman Valentin Debise and his Japanese teammate Hikari Okubo avoided the pitfalls of riding in wet track conditions in the early stages of the race and took their very first EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy victory. One of endurance racing’s historic teams and the 2006 Bol d’Or winner, National Motos have now returned as a full-season FIM EWC entry. They claimed the €4,000 prize awarded to the winner at Sepang, ahead of another Honda-mounted team, Superstock contender RAC 41 with riders Guillaume Antiga, Wayne Tessels and Maxime Bonnot. RAC 41 received €3,000 in EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy prize money.

A crash delayed Tati Team Beaujolais Racing (Kawasaki) close to the finish of the race. Riders Alan Techer, Kevin Denis and Julien Enjolras won 3rd place in the Dunlop Trophy. Having also earned the 3rd-place finisher’s prize at the Bol d’Or, Tati Team Beaujolais Racing received €2,700 at the 8 Hours of Sepang.

Seven other independent teams using Dunlop tyres were awarded prizes at the first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang. They received amounts ranging from €2,300 down to €500 for the team ranked 10th in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy.

Renewed for the 5th successive season by FIM EWC Eurosport Events, the organizers of each of the championship’s races and tyre manufacturer Dunlop, the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy gives backing to privateer teams using Dunlop tyres who do not receive direct support from a constructor. A total amount of €20,000 is awarded in prize money at each of the three 8-hour races. The prize money for each of the two 24-hour races has been raised by €10,000 this season, taking the total prize money on offer to support Dunlop-shod teams to €140,000.

Next race: the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on 18 and 19 April.

2019 8 Hours of Sepang – EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy rankings

Original Source [ FIM EWC ]