2024 Race Week:
PENZ13 BMW TEAM RETURNS TO THE 2019 FONACAB INTERNATIONAL NORTH WEST 200 IN ASSOCIATION WITH NICHOLL OILS
PENZ13 BMW TEAM RETURNS TO THE 2019 FONACAB INTERNATIONAL NORTH WEST 200 IN ASSOCIATION WITH NICHOLL OILS WITH DAVEY TOOD, DALEY MATHISON AND NEWCOMER, ERNO KOSTAMO.
The Penz13 BMW Motorrad squad will return to the 2019 fonaCAB International North West 200 in association with Nicholl Oils after a three year absence.
The German team will field three riders, led by last year’s fastest NW200 newcomer, Davey Todd. Joining Todd on May 12-18 will be fellow Englishman, Daley Mathison and Finnish newcomer, Erno Kostamo. All three will ride S1000RR BMWs in the Superstock and Superbike races.
The trio competed with the Penz team, which is managed by former North West 200 competitor Rico Penzkofer, at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix. Danny Webb, the other Penz regular who has previously raced at the North West for the German squad will unfortunately miss this year’s races due to a clash with the Endurance World Championship round at the Slovakia Ring.
‘I am very excited to return to the North West after being the fastest newcomer last year.’ Todd said.
‘I aim to continue closing the gap to the regular front-runners.’
Todd claimed a brace of 12th and 13th place finishes in the Superstock and Superbike races at last year’s North West. He went on to claim fastest newcomer laps at the TT and Southern 100 during the season. The services of road racing’s hottest prospect were sought by all of the top teams for 2019. But the 23 year old opted to join Penskofer’s BMW powered outfit after bagging a top ten finish in the team’s colours at Macau.
Todd hopes his switch from the Suzuki power of the Cookstown Burrows Engineering team he rode for last season to the new S10000RR BMW will give him an extra boost on the 8.9 mile Triangle circuit.
‘The BMW power might provide the little edge required on those long straights.’ he explained.
‘I cannot wait to get back out there.’
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON
Daley Mathison is also looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with the NW200 circuit.
‘After missing the 2018 event, I am excited to get back to the North West.’ Mathison said.
‘I hope having track time on the fast and narrow Hengelo circuit in the days before coming to Portrush will help me to target some decent top ten results.’
Competing in the 90th anniversary North West 200 will provide an opportunity for Finish newcomer, Erno Kostamo, to add to his international road racing experience.
Track time around the Triangle circuit is crucial for a newcomer.’ Kostamo said.
PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON
‘I usually like the very fast and open tracks and the North West seems very similar to my home track in Imatra. It is an event I have always wanted to race in and I am delighted that the Penz13 team have given me this opportunity.”
It will be a hectic start to the international road racing season for the German team as they will be competing in the International Road Racing Championship round at Hengelo in the Netherlands on the weekend prior to the North West.
”We have pulled together a strong line-up with Erno, Daley and Davey.’ team principal, Rico Penzkofer, said.
‘It will be a very challenging task with half of the team at Hengelo and the other half in Slovakia just two days before the first North West practice session. But it’s great to be back at the North West 200 for the 90th anniversary as it was my first international road race when we founded the team back in 2008.”
NW200 Event Director Mervyn Whyte will be delighted to welcome the German squad back to the North coast.
‘Rico and his team have proven they can run with and beat the best in international road racing and world endurance competition.’ Whyte said.
‘It is great to have Davey Todd, our fastest newcomer of 2018, back on the North West grid this year.’
