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YART Takes Victory Ahead of Maco Moto Racing and Yamaha Folch Endurance
Issued 8th November 2008
 Yamaha Austria Racing Team took the victory at the 8 Hours of Doha. Igor Jerman, Steve Plater and Steve Martin gave to YART their first victory in the Endurance World Championship (besides a first place in the Superbike class at the 2006 Suzuka 8 Hours).
YART strengthened their second place in the championship, behind the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, who were crowned 2008 Endurance World Champion at the Bol d'Or.
Despite a rear wheel problem which made them loosing some ground, Yamaha Folch Endurance took the second place, three laps behind YART.
After several local endurance titles in Spain, Folch Endurance did a fantastic first world season and took the third place at the 2008 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship.
This is a very well-deserved achievement, regarding the quality of the riders, Dani Ribalta and Pedro Vallcaneras, and their technical team.
Maco Moto Racing joined this unusual - and yet 100 % Yamaha – podium at Doha. On the Slovakian R1, Jason Pridmore and Thomas Hinterreiter got the support of World Superbike rider Jakub Smrz.
At some stage, Maco Moto Racing could even aim for a second place but they had some problems with their lights and then their brakes.
 Bolliger Team Switzerland ended up next to the podium.
In the leading group during the first hour, the Swiss Kawasaki lost some ground with a puncture.
Later on, David Morillon crashed because of a brake problem. With Arie Vos, Karl Vehniainen and Matti Seidel, the German Honda RMT 21 completes the top 5.
The Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers did a fantastic race with Stéphane Molinier, Michael Savary and Qatari rider Abdulrahman Al Malki. They ended up in a seventh place, just ahead of RT Racing Team Moto Virus.
It was some serious drama at the beginning of the race.
The Suzuki SERT was leading but a radiator problem made them to retire after one hour, some overheating led to an engine breakdown.
 Phase One Endurance, another great contender, had a crash with Glen Richards and lost 25 laps before coming back to the track.
The British Yamaha managed to finish in an overall sixteenth position, and ninth in the Formula EWC class, but lost two places in the world championship.
In the Superstock class, the already FIM Superstock World Cup winner Qatar Endurance Racing Team IJT did the perfect race and took another victory on his home track.
Mashel Al Naimi, Rashid Al Mannai and Anthony Delhalle finished in sixth place, four laps ahead of Yamaha LTG 57, second in the Superstock class as second in the championship.
The Superstock hierarchy didn't move at Doha. Endurance Moto 45, third in the specific Superstock World Cup, took third place at the race.
Under the Qatari sun, the last round of the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship was hectic for many teams.
 Many of them had to retire.
At mid-race, five teams were already out.
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team after an engine breakdown, following a radiator problem from the beginning of the race.
Diablo 666 Bolliger after an engine problem, while they were in fourth place at the beginning of the race.
Endurance Moto 38 and Endurance Moto 74 after crashes.
Team Runner Bike after a crash and then an engine breakdown and Raffin Motos who broke another engine one hour from the end of the race.
For information visit www.fimendurance.com
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