The Days of Thunder are fast approaching. From August 24–26, 2018 , the International German Motorcycle Championship will be held at the Lausitzring. Fans can look forward to a top-notch racing spectacle featuring stars and rising stars from all over Europe. As the promoter, Motor Presse Stuttgart has put together a non-stop program—all at family-friendly prices. Single-day tickets start at 19.00 euros. A weekend pass costs 35.00 euros. These prices apply to spectators 18 years of age and older; admission is free for those under 18.
The IDM kicks off the second half of the season at the Lausitzring, and there are still surprises in store. During the short summer break, the driver lineup has undergone some changes. In the IDM Superbike 1000—Germany’s top motorcycle racing class, featuring high-performance bikes from BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha with over 200 PS—there are entirely new lineups.
Danny de Boer, who was courted by many teams leading up to the season and then signed with Yamaha—only to leave after just one race—is returning to the IDM on a Kawasaki. The “Greens” have parted ways with French Endurance World Champion Mathieu Gines by mutual agreement. Following the final race at the Schleizer Dreieck, Honda and Jan Halbich are also going their separate ways. The Czech rider will replace the injured Lucy Glöckner on the Kawasaki Schnock Team Motorex. She is recovering from a fractured lumbar vertebra. Honda, meanwhile, has signed Italian rising star Alessandro Polita. And for Suzuki Alber-Bischoff, British rider Jordan Weaving will take the place of rookie Janusch Prokop, who is facing financial difficulties. Yamaha, on the other hand, has once again secured the services of Italian rider Lorenzo Lanzi, who immediately made it onto the podium in his first race at Oschersleben.
At the top of the BMW standings, however, it’s business as usual. Ilia Mikhalchik of the alpha racing-Van Zon-BMW team has further extended his lead in the overall standings and is locked in a tight race with Bastien Mackels of Wilbers-BMW. There is a 17-point gap between the Ukrainian and the Belgian. Just one small mistake—and the tide could turn again in an instant. There’s no doubt that the title will be decided among the BMW riders. Julian Puffe from Schleiz, also a BMW rider and Mikhalchik’s teammate, could now tip the scales in determining who ends up at the top. Since the last event, he believes he can now keep up with the leading duo. Puffe is currently third overall. In fourth place is Stefan Kerschbaumer (MPB-Racing), the first Yamaha rider. Fifth is Dominic Schmitter on the HPC-Power Suzuki. The Swiss rider has World Championship experience. Aside from Kawasaki, every brand has managed to secure a podium finish so far. Will Danny de Boer change that now?
Things are really heating up in the IDM Superbike 1000 and the other premier classes— Supersport 600, Supersport 300, and Sidecar.
The supporting program also features the Twin Cup as well as the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Cup two races each. Spectators can look forward to a nonstop program both on and off the track. At the public press conferences, fans will learn exactly what happened between the competitors during the race. And during the pit walk with autograph session, they’ll get a chance to get up close to their idols like nowhere else.