Bunke Racing Collects Awards, Plans For 2012 Fargo, N.D. (May 12, 2011) – The 2010-2011 race season ushered in a new era for the Bunke Racing team. The team expanded, bringing in new blood with Bobby Menne IV joining the team, and played host to a bunch of new sponsors to go along with its already large list of supporters. The team did those sponsors and its fans proud in 2011, taking 11 podiums on the USCC cross-country circuit including five wins. Add to that a 4th and 5th place showing at the prestigious Soo I-500, two 2nds, a 6th and a 7th place in USCC points and the USCC Sportsmanship Award and you have the recipe for a successful racing season. “We want to thank all of our sponsors for supporting us this season,” said Team Owner Gabe Bunke. “Racing is a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work and we couldn’t do any of it without the companies and fans that have chosen to support us and we appreciate each and every one of them.” Gabe Bunke had an impressive run at the prestigious Soo I-500 enduro, leading nearly half the 500-lap race before co-rider Aaron Christensen ran into problems and the team had to make an unscheduled pit stop. The Bunke Racing 2 effort headed by Jeff Klein qualified near the back of the pack, but came on strong as the race wore on and worked all the way up to 5th place. “That was a great weekend for us,” said Bunke, a two-time Soo winner. “I really thought we were going to get the win, but that’s how that race goes. Anything can happen and it usually does.” Bobby Menne IV won five Semi-Pro races on the USCC circuit and took second place in both Semi-Pro points championships. He also made his Pro debut at the final event of the season and finished 6th – not bad considering the pace and level of talent at USCC events. “When we made the decision for me to jump up to the Pro class at the last event I didn’t know what to expect,” said Menne. “I just rode my race and it worked out great. I was really happy to get 6th and I’m looking forward to racing as a Pro next season.” Bunke racing is also planning to expand for the 2012 season and is set to bring on a new rider and new sponsors. “Owning a race team is something I’ve been working toward for a long time,” said Bunke. “With all our great sponsors and the way cross-country continues to grow it seems like now is the time to make that move. We’re looking to bring on a new rider and
we have a few guys we’re going to approach. I enjoy working with the younger guys like Bobby and I’m looking forward to bringing on someone new.” The team knows that as it expands more support will be needed, so it is gearing up to search for new sponsors. “One of our goals for 2012 is bringing new sponsors on board,” said Team Coordinator Bob Menne. “We already have a lot of great sponsors, but as the team expands it will need more support. This will allow us to be more competitive and ultimately give all of our sponsors more bang for their buck.” Fans can follow Bunke Racing by visiting the team’s Web page, www.bunkeracing.com and by becoming a fan of Bunke Racing on the team’s Facebook fan page.