A sigh of relief from the Suzuki Mayer team in Passau. A brief test ahead of the IDM round during German Speedweek in Oschersleben had yielded positive results. “Above all, the rear-wheel suspension setup was our main sticking point at the season opener,” explains newcomer Toni Finsterbusch, who moved to the Bavarian team from the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. The test took place in sweltering 32-degree heat—good preparation for the IDM weekend. “The IDM teams had to work in the tent because the Endurance World Championship had taken up all the pit boxes,” the Saxon describes the battle against the heat. He had deliberately opted out of competing in the Endurance World Championship: “I wanted to focus on the IDM Superbike 1000 ; otherwise, I’d be happy to do it anytime.”
After the two qualifying sessions in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, Finsterbusch shone on the GSX-R 1000, finishing fifth as the top Suzuki rider. Things went even better in the race. After five laps, he was in fourth place and controlled the race until the finish. In the second race, it looked as though a podium finish might be in the cards until the sixth lap. The Leipzig native drew on all his experience from the World and European Championships and shot up to second place at the start, right behind IDM leader and pole-sitter Ilya Mikhalchik. But then, in the Hasseröder curve, it happened: a crash. “When he opened the throttle, the gear popped out,” said team boss Thomas Mayer. “The weight shift was simply too great, so his front wheel buckled.” But Mayer firmly believes:
“Our time will come.”