EWC TAKE FIVE WITH RANDY KRUMMENACHER
With an FIM Supersport World Championship title under his belt, Randy Krummenacher has achieved plenty of success in his career. But with only two starts in the FIM Endurance World Championship to his name, the Tati Team Beringer Racing rider’s EWC tenure is very much in its infancy, while Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, venue of round two of the 2024 season from 6-8 June, represents unchartered territory for the 34-year-old from Switzerland.
The new EWC season started with a new bike following Tati Team Beringer Racing’s switch to Honda power for 2024. How was the 24 Heures Motos for you?
“Le Mans was on one side a difficult race, but we knew it was going to be difficult because it was the first race with the new bike. You can test a lot, you can test everything you want but the race, at the end, is the only way to really learn what we need to do with the bike. We had to learn, we had some problems but that’s all part of the game. The Honda has a big potential but to use that potential we need more testing and races. The team is working hard and the experience I have from all the years of racing means we can do a good step at Spa.”
You faced some extremely cold weather at Le Mans. Just how difficult was that, especially during the night?
“I knew it was going to be cold but I never expected that my hands, after five laps, would be so cold when I had to do another 30 laps. I had two stints in the night in which I really suffered so much, especially the second stint. I came into the box and I started to cry. Those who know me a bit better know I hardly cry but I couldn’t resist. The concentration was huge because I had to completely ignore that I don’t feel my hands. I just tried to push but still braking hard, so it was difficult, but big thanks to my wife for all her help. She supported me for the whole 24 hours, taking care of everything so that I just focused on riding. I’m going to try to get some winter gloves for the next time to be better prepared.”
The 8 Hours of Spa Motos is next and hopefully there won’t be such extreme temperature variations. But have you raced at Spa before?
“No, I never raced at Spa before but I was there when I was a kid, around four years old, with my parents. I remember this but since then I never came back. Very fast tracks always suit me so I expect I can be fast there. Of course not knowing the track will make the first day hard but I like new challenges. We are already naturally very fast with the Honda on fast corners so I expect it to be a little bit easier. But I have my process for learning new tracks. For many years I watch the onboard videos, I walk the track and really memorise every single corner so I already go on track knowing quite a few things.”
Having run as a 24-hour race for the last two seasons, Spa becomes an eight-hour race for 2024. What do you think this will be like?
“It will be my first eight-hour race. I thought about it many times already, how it would be, and of course it will be an extremely fast race because we will push even more. It’s possible we will do two stints in a row, depending on the strategic way of the team at a certain point in the race. But it will be a completely new experience for me.”
In terms of a result, what’s the target?
“That’s really difficult to say. A few teams crashed at Le Mans. The result was good for us and if everyone finishes the race and if we can again be in fifth place in Formula EWC then I think we did a big step from Le Mans and that should be the goal.”
The 8 Hours of Spa Motos takes place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from 6-8 June. Click HERE for more event information including details of how to buy tickets.