"Tunisia Three" selected at BMW Performance Center

From 96 initial applications that became a shortlist of 20 riders, before being reduced to a final six hopefuls, three BMW riders have now been selected to represent the United States in the inaugural BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy after a gruelling day of "Survivor-style" competition.

The Spartanburg Six in Spartanburg, South Carolina

The three successful finalists were selected, based on technical, leadership and teamwork skills at BMW's Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on 28 August. Brad Hendry, of Thornton, Colorado; Jim Stoddard, of Middlegrove, New York; and Jason Adams, of Rosendale, New York - the `Tunisia Three' - will participate in BMW Motorrad's first International GS Trophy motorcycle competition that will be held in Tunisia, from 15-24 October. The remaining three of the `Spartanburg Six' - Kevan Harder, of Paso Robles, California; Bill Dragoo, of Norman, Oklahoma; and Brienne Thompson, of San Diego, California - will serve as substitutes.

In Spartanburg, no less than seven judges (including guest judges Jim Hyde from Raw Hyde Adventures and Peter Fischer, one of the lead instructors from the BMW Enduro Park at Hechingen) evaluated the riding, leadership and teamwork skills of the six riders in a series of gruelling challenges, including an offset slalom course, circle drill, controlled ascents and descents, uphill slalom, sand recovery, sand relay, team trail challenge, barrel race and high-speed manoeuvring. Competition was tough and intense but, as BMW Motorrad USA's Laurence Kuykendall explains, the chosen three are relishing the opportunity of travelling to Africa to compete next month.

"We've had such a high calibre of riders enter that it was always going to be difficult to have to pick just three, especially since riding skill is only one of the things we are looking for," he said. "The interest in the International GS Trophy is high in the States especially with the new F 800 GS arriving at dealers over here. Now these riders have a chance to try one for themselves and where better than Tunisia? We know that all the contestants are rooting for Team USA and that Brad, Jim and Jason will do us proud."

With BMW Motorrad USA, Germany, Japan and Spain having already chosen the riders for their respective GS Trophy teams, all that now remains is for the Italian team to be selected. Italy's national `GS' challenge will take place on 20-21 September at the BMW Motorrad Italia GS Academy in Tuscany. A shortlist of 80 riders will be invited to the national elimination trials, from which just three riders will go to Tunisia to represent their country in the main event.

Accompanying all the chosen riders from the five countries will be a selection of journalists from each of the national markets, who will also be competing in the International GS Trophy and reporting on this exciting event, which will be featured in magazines worldwide, on television and on the internet.

The International GS Trophy is a skills-based contest with GS riders coming from all over the world for a final meeting to pick the best of the best in Tunisia, North Africa, from 15-24 October. The competition is not a race, but a lengthy and challenging ride, both on and off-road, through the rugged countryside of Tunisia on new F800GS bikes. The event will include numerous tests in individual riding skills and group teamwork to overcome natural and manmade obstacles in the course of the ride. For more information, please visit www.bmw-motorrad.com

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models, X5 Sports Activity vehicles and X6 Sport Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 82 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorcycles.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address:
www.press.bmwgroup.com.
Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

This feature originally appeared in September 2008 - Updated: 09/10/08

Updated on: 09/10/08 at 21:58 CDT