Challenger Days
The first rays of sunlight hit the asphalt – the harbingers of a hot day in Southern Spain. Today, at a racetrack in Andalusia, everything is all about sport and performance: Superbikes meet Naked Bikes. The preparations in the pit lane are underway at full throttle. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, WorldSBK Champion 2021 & 2024 and his team-mate Michael van der Mark greet the former Road Race Champion Nate Kern and Sepp Mächler, Product Manager for Superbikes at BMW Motorrad. In the adjacent car park, Chris Northover and Ewa Stunts make preparations with their Naked Bikes. Today is all about improving your skills and learning from the best. It’s about lap times and good times. From the perfect line, to the optimal braking points, right up to the perfect drift. We call these the Challenger Days. The new sport models for 2025 are in attendance, too: the M 1000 RR, S 1000 RR, M 1000 R and S 1000 R.
Toprak and Michael on the racetrack – going head-to-head with well over 400 hp. Their riding style, their ambition, but also their mutual respect are what characterises their experiences on the Superbikes. They chase each other down across the track and show us a breathtaking head-to-head race. In focus: Top speeds, the perfect line, hard braking, the maximum lean angle, and precision acceleration out of the bend.
As night falls, the spectacle is moved from the racetrack to the neighbouring car park, the “playground” for the Naked Bikes – with Chris on the M R and Ewa on the S 1000 R. Burnouts, precision drifting, wheelies: The engines roar, smoke fills the air. A measure of strength and the perfect opportunity to show off. The riders hype each other up. Even if it may look almost effortless, this demands absolute concentration and precision.
It’s not just the action-packed racing and impressive command of the bikes that make this day so unforgettable – it is the team spirit. A joyful atmosphere prevails between races. Toprak performs in his own unique style. Many are laughing and joking. Every participant is sharing their skills as the feeling of community grows.
Interview with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Michael van der Mark
To conclude the event, Toprak and Michael discuss their own personal impressions and highlights of the day, as well as what they think of the new 2025 models.
They also provide insights into the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and what it’s like to consistently improve their skills. You can read both of the interviews here:
Interview WITH Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
”You are one of the best in the industry - what is your secret and how do you ensure that you can maintain this level?
“I try to give more than 100 percent at every race. Also, I think it helps that I am mentally strong and good on slow corner tracks. But the most important part is: Every time I’m on a bike, I really enjoy it.”
What can you tell us about your collaboration with BMW Motorrad?
“After I signed with BMW, a lot of people had doubts about my choice. But I worked harder than ever to show them that BMW and I can be successful together. Both, BMW and I made a big step forward together and I think that we are a perfect match.”
Motorsport means constantly pushing your own limits. What helps you do this?
“This is something incredible about working with BMW. When we reach our limit on race weekends and it’s clear that I need new parts for the bike to push the limit further, BMW immediately reacts and arranges everything for the next race. I never experienced something like this before: we are raising the bar every single time. This is factory racing at its best. BMW is working very hard and seeing that really pushes me to work even harder. This is real teamwork.”
At the Challenger Days you coached the other riders. How did that go?
“It was a lot of fun to share what I learned over the years. To watch, analyze and give advice. And it is very satisfying to see the other riders’ improvements on the track. When I watched them or rode with them it was easy for me to explain how they can improve. The focus was on lines, breaking points and acceleration – that’s what you need to be good at for a good lap time.”
What did you enjoy most at the Challenger Days?
“I really enjoyed getting to know the track in Almeria and I had a great time testing the updated models with my friend and team-mate Michael. The engine braking and traction control of the standard bikes are very close to the Superbikes. Of course I did not ride it like a race bike, as the seat position and the handlebar are different. But they offer great potential for a normal rider, because they support them in everything, and you have many options in regards of traction and electronics.”
And you did some stunt riding…
“Yes! It was the first time I did a stunt with a 1000 cc bike and the burnouts were so much fun. After the first one, the tires were gone (laughs). The stoppies and wheelies were easy, it was great!”
Interview WITH Michael van der Mark
”As part of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team you are having a great season. Tell us a bit about the team spirit.
“Due to my injuries, we had a tough couple of years and this year we had a fresh start. In addition, Toprak joined the team – in my opinion the best rider in the WSBK. I know Toprak from the past, we have always worked together very well and we like each other. I think the entire team got a boost when he joined, and it’s fantastic to be a part of it. And it’s even better to see how much things have changed in this team with everyone working together.”
As we can all imagine, your goal is to become the best. That also means challenging the current best, Toprak. How do you do that?
“Since Toprak joined the team, I never thought about beating him. Instead, I try to learn as much as possible from him. And I think this is the reason why my results got better this year. For me, it is all about being open, learning as much as possible from him and adding it to my style.”
What does it take to constantly improve?
“To understand how I can ride the bike in the best possible way and to be open for constant adjustments. We know the bike now, as we tried all the set-ups, and I adjusted my riding style. Now we compare data from all the drivers riders and learn.”
What helps you to come closer to that goal?
“BMW really pushed themselves by improving technology – it was good to have the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team. This brought a huge improvement, and we have a solid base now thanks to all the hard work that BMW has done.”
The Challenger Days are moving from early race track action into fun challenges at night. Both phases are about precision, bike handling and pushing yourself to be the best. How did you experience the two different phases?
“Yeah, it was really nice! Sure, when you are on the race track, you want to pass everyone. But for me it doesn’t matter where I am, I want to play around, try to learn from others and sometimes it’s not only about going fast, it’s about having fun. Riding a bike is always fun and during the Challenger Days it was great to try different bikes. Because, let’s be honest, playing with bikes is the best thing you can do.”
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