OBI - BIKE PROMOTION RACING TEAM

Already the 24 hour race in Oschersleben has become a chapter in history.

After the spectacular success of the OBI - BIKE PROMOTION Racing Team at the 24h of Oschersleben in 2004 the team made another bid at this unique event with the the MZ 1000 S in 2005. This time we brought out the heavy guns. Two bikes, numbers 111 and 112, started under the Obi - Bike Promotion flag. On bike number 111 were the proven riders Rene Knöfler (Chemnitz), Rico Penzkofer (Böhlen) and Rigo Richter (Zschopau); on bike 112 were the likewise experienced riders Rico Löwe (Zinnwald), Udo Reichmann (Dresden) and Thomas Hoemke (Taucha) as well as replacement rider Stephan Herbst. Herewith the package was completely Saxon: both motorcycles and riders came from the state of Sachsen (Saxony) in Germany.

In the run up to the event Udo Reichmann's team of mechanics managed to make lots of improvements. The motorcycles were a good 20 kg lighter than the previous year, and next to other technical refinements also had different forks. The most visible modification were the bigger fuel tanks. However, there was still a lot of work to be done during training. The crews checked the bikes, set them up for the riders, and built solutions for the specific problems encountered in an endurance race.
Already during training the team showed itself to be in best form. The qualifying times from the previous year 1.37:02 was beaten by all the riders in the first qualification session! At the end of qualifying the fastest time was bike 111 with Rico Penzkofer with 1.34:7!! Rico Löwe rode the fastest time on bike 112 with 1.36:3. Herewith grid positions 23 for 111 and 33 for 112 were secured (last year grid position 36)! All the other MZ motorcycles (total 5) qualified as well.
After a pretty poor start Rico Penzkofer rode as second last from the lineup. A good omen, we had previously been blessed with good luck in a race after a poor start. In the following hours, 111 fought its way through the field and reached the top 10 during the night. There were small technical problems, that could be righted with short pit stops and only slightly put the team back. The riding of the 3 pilots is fantastic, they aren't just rolling along but mixing up the field. Right after the several top World Championship teams from Superproduction and Superbike, the MZ is the first bike in the national standings!		Bike 112 had more luck and a good start. 112 bravely gained position upon position in the mid-field. Then the terrible news: Rico Löwe crashed. Probably there was a part lying on the track, but this cannot be said for certain anymore. Luckily the motorcycle could still be pushed into the pits. After a good hour of repairs the MZ1000S should be ready again. However the damage was more severe and the bike had to return to the pits. What a drama! Finally it went back out, but it unfortunately cost several positions, leaving 112 in position 40. But the riders didn't let it get them down, the race was not yet half over and a lot can happen still...
A hard battle ensured over this position. The boys from MSF Sauerland take no prisoners and make our life hard, until they are thrown back by a defect. For a short time bike 111 was in 6th place overall, a sensation! World Championship teams push themselves in between, fall away again, back and forth. But bike 111, thanks to the riders, the pit crew and the luck that they didn't crash, in the top 10.		The boys on 112 have taken it on to gain back the time lost and battle over every position. They fight their way bit by bit back to the front, then the next disaster. The gear shifter is broken and one can no longer change gears. Back in the box it goes. After about 20 min the defect is fixed and Thomas Hoemke rejoined the race. Too bad about the lost positions that they had just previously gained!
The end phase was very dramatic. A fault in the brake system that was noticed in the last second during a pit stop, almost meant "the end". It cost 30 minutes and a valuable lead on the competition, ABBCO Racing and Engel Racing. Both teams had caught up to within a few rounds of 111 as the race entered the last hours. Then the moment of decision: during a pit stop it was determined that the exhaust canister clamp was defective. What should we do? Exchange it and lose valuable time, or leave it and risk that it breaks completely? The team boss decided to exchange it . Perhaps a mistake, since now both competitor teams are ahead. Rico Penzkofer's crazy ride could not longer return the position. As well, the other rider's knew that this was the moment of truth a rode like the devil himself. At the end, a 3rd place finish in a World Championship endurance race, a spectacular result for a MZ 1000 S!!! But next year it will be better still, the riders and mechanics swear!		112 is plagued by bad luck. Though the riders gave it their last, and fought their way back up to position 23 after the broken shifter, the crew continued to be followed by a cloud of doom. A further crash with severe damage occurred around lunchtime. But, it wouldn't be a 24h team if they just gave up and packed it in. The motorcycle was patched back together and after a short hour is back on the track. However, in such a position and in the rain, one cannot assume to gain any positions anymore. It is a matter of honour to finish. And one has to admit, the bike has suffered quite a bit... Rico Löwe became the finishing rider for the team and brought the MZ 1000 S home in 29th place at 15:00 o'clock. The boys could be proud, they made it through the torture of a 24h race, and finished as well. The trophy that they earned for this was more than earned!!!

At the end we would like to thank all our assistants and sponsors, the fans who crossed their fingers for us, and MZ, for their support. Especially the "silent helpers" who took care of catering and the riders, should be mentioned here. And the pit crews for both motorcycles showed first class effort. Thank you!