Jason Pridmore, the winner of the 2003 FIM Endurance World Championship, came out of retirement to bid farewell to racing once and for all during the 8 Hours of Spa Motos last June – and EWC stalwart team Maco Racing helped him every step of the way.
American hero Pridmore, 54, joined Michael Gilbert and Andrew Lee on a Maco-run Yamaha to finish the 8 Hours of Spa Motos in 23rd overall and 12th out of the Dunlop-equipped Superstock squads.
Pridmore said: “I always wanted to see Spa and when I was doing the championship all those years ago I never got to race at Spa. It’s an incredible place but my last endurance race was 10 years ago, I’m 54 years old and I never thought I would be here but it just worked out I could do it so it’s great to check this off.
“I rode for this team for five years and they came instant family to me and I couldn’t leave. It’s probably been five years since I really got to speak to Denisa [Grešková from Maco Racing] but in February, out of the blue, I got a call and I am thrilled to be here. I had a tremendous last stint and I pushed all the way. That was important for me and I had a blast.”
Martin Kuzma, the owner of Maco Racing, said: “I was happy to cooperate with the American racers, this team was managed by Denisa Grešková, and Adam Stepien was in charge of the technical part. All three competitors were in Spa for the first time. This track is difficult mainly because of its length. Therefore, in training and qualifying, the riders primarily learned the track and started the race from 33rd place. In their case, too, a strategy of long stints was determined. But the losses began with the 12th place in the class at the finish of the race, with the potential around seventh place.
“I admire the performance of Jason who at 54 qualified, scored points and although he hasn’t raced for a while, you can see what a great professional he is. The fact that he set his fastest lap of the weekend in his last stint is testament to that. Thank you once again to the whole team, Denise Grešková, who has lived in this role for 22 years, and to all our partners and fans for their support.”
Maco Racing’s Formula EWC squad was also in action in the 8 Hours of Spa Motos with Christoffer Bergman from Sweden, Bulgaria’s Martin Choy and Takeshi Ishizuka from Japan combining to finish 15th overall and ninth in Formula EWC.
Original Source [ FIM EWC ]