In 2021, Luca Gottardi signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (SYNTAINICS by Penz13, managed by Rico Penzkofer) for the 2022 season and beyond. The deal included the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, Macau GP, and Imatra on the BMW S 1000 RR (#38), supplemented by IRRC support. Penz13 selected the 25-year-old Gottardi for his IRRC experience, complementing lineups with riders such as Erno Kostamo and David Datzer. The contract marked Gottardi's entry into the road racing elite.
In 2020, Erno Kostamo signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (SYNTAINICS by Penz13, managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in road racing and IRRC.
David Datzer signed a contract with the German BMW team MTP-Racing by SYNTAINICS Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer) for 2022, specializing in road racing and IRRC, which continued into 2023. The deal included the full IRRC season, the Isle of Man TT, the North West 200, and the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix on the BMW S 1000 RR (#55).
In 2019, Michael Laverty signed a one-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (WEPOL Racing by Penz13), specializing in EWC and road racing. The deal included the full FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season on the BMW S 1000 RR (#7), supplemented by IRRC support...
- Marek Červený signed for the Wepol Racing by Penz13 team in 2018 to compete in the IRRC Supersport and Superbike classes. The team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, fielded BMW S1000RR motorcycles in the Superbike class and Kawasaki ZX-6R in the Supersport class. During his time with Penz13, Červený achieved the following results:
Todd signed for the German Penz13 team in 2018 to compete in the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) and road races such as the Isle of Man TT. The team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, fielded BMW S1000RR motorcycles. During his time with Penz13, Davey Todd achieved the following results:
In 2018, Matthieu Lagrive signed a multi-year contract with the German team WEPOL Racing by Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), which had a close cooperation with BMW Motorrad France. The deal included the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) Supersport class on the Yamaha YZF-R6 (#7)...
Team Penz13 is always thinking of Daley Mathison; his team spirit and joy will always be remembered. In 2019, we lost a family member...
In January 2018, Jamie signed a one-year contract with the German team Penz13 BMW Motorrad (Wepol Racing by Penz13), known for its powerful BMW S1000RRs. He stepped in after the death of Dan Kneen and shared the team with Peter Hickman and Danny Webb. The deal primarily covered the Isle of Man TT in the 1000cc classes (Superbike, Superstock, Senior), with a focus on factory engineering and support.
In 2018, Christian Iddon signed a one-year contract with the German BMW team Wepol Racing by Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in EWC and road racing. The deal covered the 2017/18 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season on the BMW S 1000 RR (#13), with a focus on the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 2018, Horst Saiger had a project-based collaboration with the BMW team GERT56 by Penz13.com (a Penz13.com partner team, managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in EWC Superstock. The "contract" was not an exclusive full-time deal, but rather an integration into the EWC program for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the BMW S 1000 RR (#56).
Derek Sheils signed for the German Penz13 team in 2017, initially as a stand-in for the ill Dan Kneen at the Joey Dunlop Open in Frohburg, and became a full-time rider in 2018. The team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, fielded BMW S1000RR motorcycles in the Superbike and Superstock classes. During his time with Penz13, Sheils achieved the following results:
Martin Jessopp signed for the German Penz13 team in 2017 to compete in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and road races such as the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200. The team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, fielded BMW S1000RR motorcycles. During his time with Penz13, Jessopp achieved the following results:
In 2017, Alessandro Polita signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (WEPOL Racing by Penz13), which specializes in EWC and road racing. The deal included the 2017 Isle of Man TT and the full 2017/2018 FIM EWC season on the BMW S 1000 RR (#53)...
In January 2017, Dan Kneen signed a contract with the German Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Racing Team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, a former TT rider. This commitment came after a difficult period in which Kneen was without a team following the withdrawal of Mar-Train Racing. In March 2017, he also signed a contract with Danny Tomlinson Racing for BMW Superstock and Kawasaki Supertwin machines, but primarily focused on his role with Penz13.
Daniel Webb signed for the Wepol Racing by Penz13 team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, in 2016 and rode BMW S1000RR motorcycles in the IRRC, EWC, and road races such as the Isle of Man TT and the Macau Grand Prix. His time with Penz13 was marked by significant successes:
In 2016, enny Foray signed a one-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (WEPOL Racing by Penz13), specializing in EWC and road racing. The deal...
In 2016, Mathieu Gines signed a one-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (WEPOL Racing by Penz13), known for its EWC and Superbike racing. The deal covered the full FIM EWC season on the BMW S 1000 RR (#41), with a focus on consistency and podium finishes.
In 2015, Sheridan Morais signed a one-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (Team Green), specializing in EWC and road racing. The deal covered the FIM EWC season on the BMW S 1000 RR (#32), with a focus on the Suzuka 8 Hours as his debut. ...
Time with Penz13 (2015–2017)
Michael Rutter signed for the German Penz13 team in 2015 to compete in the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and road races such as the Isle of Man TT and the Macau Grand Prix. The team, managed by Rico Penzkofer, fielded BMW S1000RR motorcycles. During his time with Penz13, Rutter achieved the following results:
Gareth Jones signed a single-season contract with BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com for the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) in 2015...
In 2015, Tommy Bridewell signed a one-off contract with the French-German BMW team Penz13.com (BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13) for the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), specifically the Suzuka 8 Hours...
In 2014, Sylvain Barrier participated in the 24 Heures Motos with the Penz13 team, competing in the Open category on a BMW S1000RR. The team won the category, and Barrier achieved the fastest lap, a remarkable achievement.
Michael Dunlop had two project-based contracts with the German BMW/Honda team Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), which specializes in road racing. The first, in 2014, included the IRRC finale in Frohburg on the BMW S 1000 RR (#6); the second, in 2022, the Imatra event on the Honda CBR1000RR-R (#6).
In 2014, Dan Kruger signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), which ran until 2019 and focused on road racing (TT, NW200, IRRC, Macau GP).
Glenn Allerton, born on January 29, 1981 in Wilton, New South Wales (Australia), is an experienced Australian motorcycle racer with an impressive career in the Superbike and Endurance scenes. Known by the nickname "GA" and with the number 14, he made his debut in the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) in 2005. Allerton is considered one of the most successful Australian Superbike riders...
In 2014, Mark Miller signed a project-based contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in road racing. The deal included the 2014 Isle of Man TT on the BMW S 1000 RR (#43), as a wildcard in Superstock.
In 2013, Gary Johnson signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer) from 2013 to 2016, focusing on road racing, including the IRRC and TT. The deal included the 2013 IRRC season (championship title) and the 2016 TT season on the BMW S 1000 RR (#24).
- Winning the 2013 EWC Superstock classification at the German Speedweek in Oschersleb, where Mercer played a key role.
- Further successes in races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014, where he was part of the team that achieved sixth place in the Superstock classification.
- His experience and consistent performances, such as 1:40 laps at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, underline his importance to the team.
In 2013, James Rispoli signed a project-based contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing (managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in EWC Superstock. The deal included the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a reserve rider on the BMW S 1000 RR (#13), with a focus on defending his FIM World Endurance Superstock Cup title.
In 2013, Yoshinari Matsushita signed a contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in road racing and EWC. The deal included the 2013 Isle of Man TT in the Superstock, Superbike, and Senior TT classes on a BMW S1000RR...
With the schedule interrupted due to rain, the 46th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix took place on Sunday after the end of the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix.
As the strong field of over 20 drivers roared off the start, Rutter was unbeatable, delivering a masterful display of perfect racing. With his trademark fast start, he was never truly challenged until Jessopp recovered from his poor start and fought his way back from fourth to second in just one lap.
However, Rutter was already too far ahead to catch, and Jessopp once again had to settle for second place. Simon Andrews, on an Ice Valley BMW, secured a strong third place after some very fast laps early in the first lap – his best result in Macau so far.
Rutter's victory and McGuinness' seventh place earned their SMT Racing team the inaugural Macau Motor Cycle Grand Prix Team Award.
This was Rico Penzkofer 's farewell race from active racing, with a 17th-place finish. Since then, he has been busy as the principal of his racing team, Penz13.
João Fernandes 's connection to the Penz13 team is documented only for 2012, when he participated in the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix. Penz13, a German racing team managed by Rico Penzkofer, fielded the new BMW HP4 that year, which made its racing debut. Fernandes was one of the team's riders, alongside Rico Penzkofer and Simon Andrews. Unfortunately, he did not finish the race on November 18, 2012 (DNF), possibly due to a crash or a technical issue. There is no evidence of further outings with Penz13, suggesting that his association with the team was limited to that one event. Penz13 achieved one podium finish that year through Simon Andrews (3rd place), while Rico Penzkofer achieved 17th place (Motorcycle USA). The limited documentation of Fernandes' time with Penz13 makes a detailed assessment of his role within the team difficult.
(C)2012 Toni Börner (gaskrank.tv) Rico Penzkofer (Penz13.com)
The Penz13.com BMW Racing Team is ready for the debut of the brand-new BMW HP4. This S 1000 RR superbike modification won't be available at branches and dealers in Germany until December, but Rico Penzkofer will be using the machine next weekend at the 46th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix in Macau SAR.
With rain disrupting the program of the City of Dreams Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 45th edition – riders were relieved when the qualifying round could begin on Saturday afternoon.
Michael Rutter was chasing his seventh Macau title on the RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati 1200 and wanted to finally improve the existing record he had shared with Ron Haslam since 2005.
Rutter proved himself a master in qualifying, securing pole position with a lap just eight hundredths of last year's breathtaking qualifying time and more than three seconds faster than his nearest rival, John McGuinness on the Roadhouse SMT Honda 1000.
Ian Hutchinson, returning to competitive racing after recovering from serious injuries sustained in a racing accident in Great Britain, delivered an outstanding performance, posting the third-fastest time on his Swan Yamaha 1000. Rutter's teammate Martin Jessopp was fourth fastest in the 45-minute session.
At Sunday's Grand Prix, the drivers lined up on the starting grid in front of 24,000 spectators, all eager to see if Rutter would write his name in Macau's history books.
Although Rutter had the advantage of pole position, it was Hutchinson who took the lead from the start. McGuinness also managed to overtake the veteran on the way to Lisbon, with Jessopp following him.
While Hutchinson attempted to build a gap on his rivals, Jessopp, McGuinness, and Rutter engaged in a three-way battle, with McGuinness falling back to fourth. Rutter, in top form, fought his way into second place and quickly caught Hutchinson.
Rutter quickly caught up and took the lead from Hutchinson on the fourth lap, while his teammate Jessopp moved up to second place.
To thunderous applause from the crowd, Rutter proved he is the most successful driver of all time at the Guia Circuit, taking his seventh win by 4.772 seconds ahead of Jessopp, Hutchinson and American driver Jeremy Toye.
In 2011, Grégory Fastré signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Van Zon Boenig Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), which ran until 2013 and focused on the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) Superstock class. The deal included races such as the 8 Hours of Doha (2011) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2013) on the BMW S 1000 RR (#13). Penz13, supported by BMW Motorrad HP RaceSupport, chose Fastré for his Belgian precision and endurance.
In 2011, Michal Filla signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Van Zon Boenig Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer) that ran until 2013 and focused on the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) Superstock class. The deal included races such as the 8 Hours of Doha (2011), the Bol d'Or (2012), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2013) on the BMW S 1000 RR (#13).
In 2011, Hervé Gantner signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer) that ran until 2013 and focused on road racing and the European Touring Championship. The deal included the Isle of Man TT, North West 200, Macau GP, and Suzuka 8 Hours on the BMW HP4/S 1000 RR (#48).
In 2011, Michal Dokoupil signed a project-based contract with the German BMW team Boenig Penz13.com (managed by Rico Penzkofer), specializing in EWC Superstock. The deal included the Bol d'Or at Magny Cours on the BMW S 1000 RR (#31), marking his entry into the endurance discipline...
Brandon Cretu was a member of the Penz13.com BMW Racing Team , a German racing team that competed in various international racing series, particularly the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and road races such as the Isle of Man TT. The exact dates of his affiliation are unclear, but his active time with Penz13 dates back to the early 2010s.
At the 44th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, six-time winner Michael Rutter came to Macau seeking his record-breaking seventh victory, while two-time champion Stuart Easton was in pursuit of his third Macau title.
Rutter secured a dramatic pole position ahead of Easton on the very last lap of the final qualifying session. Another British rider, John McGuinness, was third fastest on his IGT/sorrymate.com Honda.
Although Rutter started from pole position, Easton won the 44th edition of one of the world's most demanding motorcycle road races. However, he had to fight off Rutter in the first part of the race until the race was red-flagged after six laps. At the restart, Easton again attempted to pull away from Rutter, but his rival closed in again, threatening to catch and overtake the Scotsman.
Easton responded by increasing his pace and setting a new lap record on the seventh lap, breaking Rutter's spirit. Toye secured a dramatic third place just before the finish line after Briton Simon Andrews suffered technical problems on the final lap.
In 2010, Jure Stibilj signed a multi-year contract with the German BMW team Penz13.com (founded by Rico Penzkofer in 2009), which ran until 2018. The deal included IRRC Superbike, Isle of Man TT, North West 200 and Macau GP on the BMW S 1000 RR (#7).
At the end of 2009 , Steve Mizera signed with Penz13, a German racing team managed by Rico Penzkofer, for the 2010 Endurance World Championship (EWC). The combination of the German team and the new BMW S1000RR was a "dream combination" for him. Initial tests took place in January 2010, followed by a team rollout in March in Spain. Mizera competed for Penz13's second team in the 2010 24 Heures Moto at Le Mans, alongside Yoshinari Matsushita and Christian Bächler. The team finished 44th on the grid (average time: 1:43.432 minutes) and secured qualification, despite initially tight times. The race served as a test of the reliability of the machine and the team. Mizera contributed his experience and stability, which strengthened Penz13 in its early years. After 2011, it is not clearly documented whether he continued to be active for Penz13, as he increasingly focused on other projects such as the IDM and Racepool99.
At the 43rd Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, 26-year-old Scottish racer Stuart Easton took pole position after qualifying fastest in the two qualifying sessions, with none of his rivals matching his best lap.
Easton was over four-fifths of a second faster than Conor Cummins (PBM Kawasaki WSBK Team), the 23-year-old racer from the Isle of Man.
Michael Rutter, the 36-year-old Leicestershire rider seeking a record-breaking seventh victory in Macau, was the third fastest rider on his Paris-AXA Racing Kawasaki 1000, but his machine eventually broke down on his final lap of qualifying after suffering from misfiring for most of the session.
Another British rider, 30-year-old Ian Hutchinson (PBM Kawasaki WSBK Team) from Yorkshire, was fourth fastest and completed the front row for the 15-lap race.
The Supersport 600 class was very close: The three fastest riders were all separated by less than a quarter of a second. Frenchman Amaury Baratin (Team of Paris-AXA Racing Triumph 675) was fastest, but only four-hundredths of a second behind Joao Fernandes (Yamaha) from Macau. Cheung Wai On, the 28-year-old racer from Hong Kong, was third fastest on his new Kawasaki, just a fifth of a second slower.
After a thrilling race on Saturday, pole-sitter Easton won the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix for the second consecutive year, breaking the lap record in the process. However, his victory remained uncertain until the final meters when problems arose with his rear tire.
Easton led the field from the start and had built a lead of over six seconds before his rear tire began showing signs of excessive wear on lap six. His main rival, Conor Cummins, quickly closed the gap. Cummins took the lead on the penultimate lap of the 15-lap race, but Easton didn't give up without a fight.
At the Lisboa corner, Easton retook the lead and then extended his advantage over Cummins with the help of the stragglers, crossing the finish line almost two-fifths of a second ahead of his rival.
Easton set a new motorcycle lap record for the Guia Circuit with a time of 2:25.170.
Ian Hutchinson finished third, his best result in the race so far, after catching and overtaking 29-year-old Gary Johnson from Lincolnshire in the closing stages to cross the finish line over five seconds ahead.
German Rico Penzkofer (BMW Macau Racing Team) finished fifth, nine seconds behind Johnson, while six-time race winner Michael Rutter finished a disappointing sixth.
Frenchman Amaury Baratin won the Supersport 600 class, beating Cheung Wai On by just over three seconds, while local rider Joao Fernandes finished third.
Victory for Rico Penzkofer in the first Supersport race. Perfect conditions prevailed at the Eurospeedway Lausitz for the organizing ADAC – Berlin/Brandenburg and for the activities for Round 1 of the International German Championship. Already on Saturday, a happy Rico Penzkofer (MSC Frohburg) was seen winning the first Supersport 600 race with a four-second lead over Frenchman Diss on his Kawasaki and Reichenbacher Hommel on his Honda. Georg Fröhlich (Wechselburg) showed with his Honda that he's coping quite well with the transition to this class with a tenth-place finish.
Principal Rico Penzkofer (simply "Penz") entered the world of road racingwith Team Penz13 .
Penz13 was founded in 2009 with the goal of bringing BMW motorcycles into international racing. The team first competed at the 2009 Macau Grand Prix, where Rico Penzkofer finished fifth. Since then, Penz13 has competed in the EWC and road races such as the Isle of Man TT, North West 200, and other events such as Frohburg and Imatranajo. Notable achievements include the EWC Stocksport title in 2012 and fourth place overall in the Superbike class in 2015 and 2017.
At the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, Scottish racer Stuart Easton took his first victory, six-time winner Rutter took second place and John McGuinness completed the podium.
Rutter's victory seemed assured when two of the frontrunners were forced to retire due to technical problems. Although he dramatically took the lead from Rutter on the first lap, Cameron Donald was forced to stop on the fifth lap due to a technical problem. Easton took the lead by almost three seconds over Rutter and pulled away.
On lap eight, pole-sitter Conor Cummins suffered a mechanical failure just as he could have threatened Rutter and Easton ahead of him. As Cummins crashed out, Rutter realized he was closing in on the 25-year-old Scot and was determined to catch him and force a mistake. The gap narrowed to a fifth of a second, but a determined Easton didn't relinquish his debut victory, storming across the finish line with a 2.7-second lead. McGuinness was nearly 30 seconds behind Rutter in third.
In the 600cc Supersport category, another Scot, Keith Amor, emerged victorious, two places ahead of Frenchman Gerald Muteau. Joao Fernandes, with third place in the 600cc class, became the first local rider to reach the podium in this race.
Rico Penzkofer won 22nd place
At the 41st Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, Steve Plater took his second consecutive victory.
But the 34-year-old British racing driver had a stroke of luck on the 15th and final lap of the race when he and his rival John McGuinness on the Stobart Vent Axia Honda encountered two lapped riders in the Melco Hairpin.
McGuinness, the winner of the race in 2001, took comfort in setting a new lap record for the event with a time of 2:26.096 seconds (150.80 km/h).
Plater was able to overtake them and pull away to win by over four seconds on the AIM Racing Yamaha 1000, while McGuinness, slowed by the two riders fighting their own private battle, could only watch as Plater pulled away.
Michael Rutter (AVIVA Kawasaki 1000), aiming for his seventh victory, couldn't even console himself with a podium finish. With three laps to go, he was forced to approach the 90-degree Lisboa corner when his Austrian rival Thomas Hinterreiter (Austria Racing Team Yamaha 1000) cornered alongside him.
American Jeremy Toye (Lee's Cycles Racing Suzuki 1000) achieved his best result to date in Macau, finishing fourth, but well over 30 seconds behind the top three. Conor Cummins of the Isle of Man, the youngest rider in the race at 21, finished fifth.
33-year-old Steve Allan from Perth, Scotland, won the 600cc class for the third time in a row on his AIM Racing Yamaha 600. He beat German rider Rico Penzkofer (Austria Racing Team Yamaha 600) by over 12 seconds. Scotsman Callum Ramsay (Solent Scientific Honda 600) finished third.