International Dealer News IDN 142 April/May 2018 | Page 16

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KTM/Husqvarna to race World
Enduro Super Series (WESS)
For 2018, Red Bull KTM Factory
Racing and Rock Star Energy
Husqvarna Factory Racing have
announced that they will
officially compete in the newly
established World Enduro Super
Series (WESS), starting with
Portugal's Extreme XL Lagares
on May 11-13.
Giving the series its full
attention, KTM will have five
riders competing in the entire
eight-round championship with
Taddy Blazusiak, Josep Garcia,
Jonny Walker, Cody Webb and
Nathan Watson; Husqvarna will
field four riders - Graham Jarvis,
Colton Haaker, Alfredo Gomez
and Billy Bolt.
Effectively a new multi-
discipline series, WESS will
address the increasing
diversification of enduro sport
by bringing together selected
Hard Enduro, Classic Enduro,
Cross-Country and Beach Race
style events into one
championship.
KTM says that of particular
interest to both brands “is the
fact that amateur riders will
compete alongside professionals
in all events. Collectively, the
series will bring together many
thousands of competitors and
spectators, ensuring high levels
of engagement with fans at
each stop of the series.
“Through extensive TV, print and
new media coverage the
championship and its eight
unique and diverse races will
enjoy extensive specialist and
mainstream exposure.
“Requiring a wide range of skills
and techniques, the WESS will
challenge riders in ways no
other series has in recent years.
All competitors will need to
adapt and rise to new
challenges in order to be
crowned the Ultimate Enduro
Champion.”
After the Extreme XL Lagares in
Portugal, the 2018 WESS will
take in the Erzberg Rodeo Red
Bull Hare Scramble (Austria), Le
Trefle Lozerien AMV (France),
Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania),
Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland),
Gotland Grand National
(Sweden) and the Red Bull
Knock Out in the Netherlands.
One additional round is still to
be confirmed.
Markus Schramm is new
director at BMW Motorrad
Dr. Markus Schramm will take over as
director of BMW Motorrad. He will
succeed Stephan Schaller, who left the
BMW Group at the end of February
2018 to head up the management
team at Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA, in
Heidenheim, Germany.
In the interim, BMW Motorrad was
under the provisional management of
Hubert Kühner, Head of Finance, who
is due to retire in April 2018. Dr.
Markus Schramm has been with the
BMW Group since 1991 and is
currently responsible for corporate and
product strategy planning.
He has previously held several
management roles in Sales, Aftersales,
Strategy, Planning and Controlling and
has been with the company since
1991. Schramm is a passionate
motorcyclist and marathon runner.
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BMW says that it delivered 164,153
motorcycles to customers worldwide
last year - a seventh sales record in
succession, currently selling through
over 1,200 dealers and importers in 90
countries.
www.bmw-motorrad.com
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - APRIL/MAY 2018