FIM EWC · SUPERSTOCK · BMW M1000RR
About
The story and philosophy of Team Étoile, the class we race in and our machine.
Identity
- Team Étoile is a Japanese racing team competing in the Superstock (SST) class of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC).
- Based in both France (Le Mans) and Japan (Tokyo), fusing Europe’s racing culture with Japanese organisational strength.
- We run a motorsport team with the mindset of an IT start-up.
※ SST / Super Stock
About the Team Principal
Team principal Takashi Ichikawa applies the structuring, systematisation and rapid-improvement philosophy honed through his career as an IT entrepreneur to the running of the team.
How we operate
Data-driven decisions
Rather than gut feel or habit, we build strategy by quantitatively analysing running data, fuel consumption, pit times and tyre management.
A fast improvement cycle
We immediately test what we learn on the ground, try small, and correct fast — adapting as an organisation even mid-race-weekend.
A systematised team
Instead of depending on individual experience or intuition, we build repeatable processes and compete through organisational strength.
Our resolve in year three
A “first challenge on the world stage” in 2024; a “first win and a new wall” in 2025. Now, in 2026, Team Étoile enters its third year in the FIM EWC SST class.
Endurance racing — running at the limit through 24 hours, day and night — cannot be won on outright machine speed alone. Not breaking, repeatability, and the whole team functioning are the essential conditions.
Refining the many lessons drawn from two gruelling years, we give everything in 2026 to turn that accumulated experience into concrete results.
Team Purpose: Create the chance, take it on together, seize the win.
We keep challenging the world across three axes: people, community and competition.
①
Create the chance to compete
Create real competitive opportunities for Japanese talent on the world stage.
- Provide a stage where talent proven at home can take on world-class standards.
- Broaden career possibilities beyond sprint racing.
②
Fight together
Make endurance racing something you don’t just watch — you fight through it with us.
- Share the behind-the-scenes and decision-making to turn spectating into a co-created experience.
- Deepen empathy and build lasting relationships.
③
Win
Build repeatable strength in the Endurance World Championship.
- Keep winning in the SST class and establish lasting strength.
- Turn learning and improvement into results on a world-class stage.
Team Culture: four attitudes for competing on the world stage
Transparency (Transparency)
- Share context and intent; value transparency.
- Communicate not only results but process and learning.
- Protect what must be protected; open what should be open.
Ownership (Ownership)
- Whatever the role, everyone is a challenger.
- Growth isn’t handed to us — we seize the results ourselves.
Evolution (Evolution)
- Never settle for conventional wisdom; question from first principles.
- When results differ from expectations, verify, correct and carry it forward.
- Strength is built by accumulation, not a single success.
Passion (Passion)
- Genuinely enjoy the extreme stage that is endurance racing.
- Because we love it, we keep challenging — and value is born beyond that.
FIM EWC · SUPERSTOCK · BMW M1000RR
What is the EWC?
The pinnacle endurance series of motorcycle road racing, organised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
The severity of endurance
Several riders share a single machine, swapping at pit stops to run from 8 up to 24 hours, day and night — one of the most demanding motorsports in the world.
The series
The title is fought over four rounds a year: two 24-hour races and one 8-hour race in Europe, plus the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan — one of the rare chances for Japanese fans to feel the thrill of a world round first-hand.
The four FIM EWC classes
| Class | Top speed | Modifications / character | Tyres |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWC | 350 km/h | Few restrictions, bespoke parts allowed; factory-led | Free |
| SUPERSTOCK (SST) | 340 km/h | Close to stock (strict modification limits). Price cap €36,300 | DUNLOP spec tyre |
| PRODUCTION | 320 km/h | Strict production basis (stock 16L tank). Price cap €25,000 | DUNLOP spec tyre |
| EXPERIMENTAL | 350 km/h | Engine, main frame or suspension entirely different from the base model | Free |
Why we race in SST
A purer competitive environment
A spec tyre and tightly limited modifications keep performance gaps small, so rider skill and overall team strength decide the result. SST is where the essence of competition is tested.
A choice to win through people and process
Rather than racing on parts superiority as in the EWC class, we focus on maximising the strength of our people and organisation. SST embodies that philosophy most purely.
Resonance with fans at home
SST machines are built on production bikes — racing the world with market parts, not factory-only development. Because it sits on the continuum of the bike you ride, it inspires strong empathy and immersion.
Our machine: BMW M1000 RR
Title-capable performance, run rationally
The BMW M1000 RR is a highly competitive SST machine, pairing high top speed with stable cornering — usability and fighting strength in one. Drawn out correctly, it is a package capable of fighting for victory.
At the same time, we are not a team that pours resources into a parts-development race. By sourcing a complete endurance-spec package from BMW’s official German partner “alpha Racing”, we focus not on development but on our people and organisation.