VOL. 53 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 P27
SERT TAKES BOL D'OR 24 HOUR
B
arely two weeks after the final of the 2016
Endurance World Championship season,
the 2016/2017 season kicked off at the Bol d'Or
24 Hour at Paul Ricard in the south of France,
September 17-18. This new season is part of an
attempt to revamp the championship, culminating
in a final at the Suzuka 8 Hours in July.
The 2016 Bol' was claimed by World Champi-
ons SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team) with
riders Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and
Etienne Masson, the French trio finishing 10 laps
clear of SRC Kawasaki riders Randy de Puniet,
Gregory Leblanc and Fabien Foret and the Eva
Trick Star Racing Kawasaki outfit of Osamu Degu-
chi, Erwan Nigon and Hitoyasu Izutsu.
Current MotoAmerica number two Josh Hayes
took his place in the Yamaha Austria Racing Team
alongside Broc Parks and Sheridan Morias but
retired after 442 laps.
Melissa Paris also fronted the start with the Girls
Racing Team and finished 10th in Superstock and
22nd overall. The Superstock category was taken
out by Alexis Masbou, Johann Nigon and Hugo
Clere on the Yamaha Moto Ain machine.
Round two of the Endurance World Champi-
onship is not until March 18, 2017 in Portimao,
Portugal. CN
AIMEXPO TO RELOCATE IN 2017
T
he American International Mo-
torcycle Expo (AIMExpo) has
revealed its plan to move North
America's premier powersports
trade show to a new host city in
2017, with Columbus, Ohio, set
to welcome the industry next fall.
The Greater Columbus Conven-
tion Center (GCCC) will open
its doors to hundreds of ex-
hibitors and thousands of dealer
and consumer attendees next
September 21-24, 2017 for the
landmark fifth year of the event.
"The key questions are 'Why
Move,' and 'Why Columbus',"
said Larry Little, Vice President
and General Manager, AIMExpo.
"When we debuted AIMExpo as
a new platform for the powers-
ports industry, Orlando proved
an outstanding launch location,
but the vision was always to visit
other geographical centers.
Carefully listening to the exhibi-
tor and greater industry com-
munity it was clear that our next
step would be to a location more
immediately accessible to the
retailer population."
"Why Columbus?" Mike
Webster, Senior Vice President,
MIC Events added, "Ideally situ-
ated among one of the highest
concentration of dealers any-
where in America, the Greater
Columbus Convention Center
is the perfect size for AIMExpo
to take over the whole conven-
tion center and to own the town.
The city center location and
adjoining hotels will deliver the
tight-knit industry experience
attendees have also requested.
Columbus is a model of urban
revitalization and the 'after-show'
atmosphere with hundreds of
restaurants, bars and markets,
all within just a few blocks must
be seen and experienced to be
appreciated." CN
