Superbike – Preview Portimao – Makoto Tamada with BMW Reitwagen

Japanese rider Makoto Tamada will be Andrew Pitt's teammate in the second round of the Superbike World Championship in Portimao on March 28, replacing Roland Resch who was declared unfit.
The young Austrian rider Roland Resch seriously crashed in the second qualifying session of the first SBK round at Phillip Island. Thrown from his BMW S1000RR Superbike, he suffered a double fracture of his right collarbone in the fall. He underwent surgery in Vienna three days after the accident where a titanium plate with eight screws was inserted. He is currently working on rehabilitation for a full recovery at the Dungl Medical-Vital Resort in Gars am Kamp, near Vienna. The doctors confirmed that it would not be possible for Roland to race in the Portimao race and so Makoto Tamada will compete with the second BMW S1000RR of the Reitwagen team.

Team BMW Reitwagen and Makoto Tamada of Team Pro Ride SBK have signed a one-race deal, giving the Japanese the opportunity to race the S1000RR Superbike of the Austrian BMW satellite team. Makoto will race in the Portimao race of the Superbike World Championship, will participate in the private test in Jerez (22 and 23 March) and another day of testing in Portimao (29 March), after the SBK race. The contract will end on March 29th.

Makoto Tamada: “I am grateful to Team BMW Reitwagen for giving me this opportunity to race with them in Portimao. Even though this will be my first time with a racing BMW, I have seen what it can do and I am confident that I can drive it to its maximum potential."

Andreas Werth (Motorsport Director): “We are happy to welcome Makoto to our team, even if only for one race. Makoto is a fast rider and he has shown it often, winning in both Superbike and MotoGP. Makoto knows Portimao and Jerez very well, he is familiar with Pirelli tires and with the Superbike World Championship. We are continuing our technical development and he will be able to help us."

Press Office Superbike