Marc Buchner is the Man in Black—often underestimated, but always there. In his third year in Supersport 600, the Yamaha rider from Königswinter aims to turn things around with his own racing team and set his sights on the title. The 27-year-old, who finished fourth in last year’s IDM, is showing an upward trend in form after the first two races.
The results from the IDM season opener in Oschersleben: two races, two second-place finishes, 40 championship points, and second place in the overall standings. Buchner trails leader Kevin Wahr by just a single point. “A win wasn’t in the cards this time in Oschersleben,” says Buchner, who won there a year ago under changing weather conditions on a track with both wet and dry sections. “In the first race, I was locked in a duel with Kevin Wahr right up to the end, which allowed Max Enderlein to pull away at the front. In the second race, it wasn’t clear who would finish first until the final lap.”
Will Buchner always finish second? “No, I’m riding much faster than last year, and I also did better than usual in qualifying.” In fact, Buchner has made a brilliant start to the new season. There’s still plenty of time until the next race in Zolder on July 8, 2018. Buchner will use that time to ride motocross and stay in “drift mode.” And on May 31, he’ll take advantage of the opportunity to test and train in advance on the Belgian track. At the end of the month, it will be open for one day to IDM riders who have turned 16. For 299 euros, you get five 20-minute sessions.