The thrilling final stretch is about to begin: At the TT Circuit Assen , Motor Presse Stuttgart, as the promoter , is kicking off the penultimate round of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). From September 7 to 9, 2018 , the action will be in full swing at the racetrack in the Netherlands, which also hosts an annual round of the Motorcycle World Championship.
This is the IDM’s second international outing, and it’s full of surprises. That’s because a number of local guest riders have signed up for the races on this winding 17-turn track. What impact will this have? Fans are in for a real thrill. Four IDM classes will be lining up at the start.
The IDM Superbike 1000 is the premier class. Its hallmarks: high-performance motorcycles from BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha with over 200 horsepower. The title is going to a BMW driver—that much is certain. The big question is just who. Ilya Mikhalchik (alpha Racing-Van Zon-BMW) leads the overall standings. The Ukrainian holds a 13-point lead over his closest rival Bastien Mackels (Wilbers-BMW). The Belgian is followed by Mikhalchik's teammate Julian Puffe. The German from the racing town of Schleiz is still 61 points behind, but the final tally is what counts. Even with only four races remaining, the tide could still turn completely. Not least because the driver lineup has shifted since the summer break. One thing that has remained constant, however, is Stefan Kerschbaumer from Austria as the top Yamaha rider and fourth overall. He is followed by Dominic Schmitter the fastest Suzuki rider from Switzerland. Sixth is Jan Halbich from the Czech Republic, who switched from Honda to Kawasaki. Honda has signed the Italian Alessandro Polita This marks the second time a newcomer to the IDM has lined up at Assen. The field is top-notch and international, and right in the thick of it is the Dutch local hero Pepijn Bijsterbosch. The BMW driver from Heerde is currently eighth in the standings, and the competition is incredibly tight in the top ten of the championship. Just 13 more points and Bijsterbosch would be fifth. Also in the top ten is Bobby Bos establish himself at Yamaha. The 19-year-old Dutchman recently returned from the Lausitzring without scoring any points for the first time, but he’s looking to make a splash at Assen. It will be exciting to see how the IDM returnee Danny de Boer at home. “We can finish in the top five by the end of the season,” the Kawasaki rookie believes after his first race with the Green team.
In the IDM Supersport 600 Everything points to the Saxons winning the title Max Enderlein on the Freudenberg-Yamaha. Theoretically, he could even afford to drop out without losing the IDM lead. His teammates Marc Buchner, Daniel Rubin, and Kevin Wahr, who races for the Dutch mvr-Racing team, are still able to turn the tide in their favor. In the IDM Supersport 600 class, competitors race on motorcycles with around 135 hp and a top speed of 270 km/h. Among the guest riders for the IDM round in Assen are the Supersport 300 World Championship rider Scott Deroue and Rob Hartog registered. There’s plenty of action, thanks in part to the Superstock 600 riders. They race in the same field, are not allowed to make many modifications to their stock motorcycles, and are classified separately.
Nerve-wracking battles are taking place in the IDM Supersport 300 class. This is where the young guns compete. According to FIM regulations, the minimum age for entry is 15. In 2018, the smallest IDM class also saw KTM as a partner represented. Weight and RPM limits for each motorcycle in the class ensure a level playing field for all participants. Victor Steeman The Dutch team has only a four-point lead over its German rival Toni Erhard, who won his first IDM race in Lausitz. What will happen between the KTM riders in Assen? Or will local hero Dion Otten In between? The third-place finisher in the championship is the only Honda driver in a field teeming with Dutch drivers.
In the IDM Sidecar is Bennie Streuer The star driver from the Netherlands, but the defending IDM champion will be missing from his home race this weekend of all times. Although the new title is within reach, his sponsors have committed him to the World Championship round in Rijeka. Streuer and his co-driver Gerard Daalhuizen have a 30-point lead over the second-place team Josef Sattler and Uwe Neubert, but that lead is now set to shrink dangerously. A victory for the third-place team André Kretzer and Björn Bosch in Assen would make things tighter.
As part of the IDM support program, the Twin Cup 700 and the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Cup will each hold two races. BMW is giving customers and affluent prospective buyers the chance to experience the HP4 on the track. Spectators can look forward to a non-stop program both on and off the track. At the public press conferences, fans will get all the details firsthand. The pit walk with autograph session offers a level of proximity to the idols unlike anywhere else. Tickets for the high-octane spectacle start at 19.00 euros. Admission for the entire weekend costs 35.00 euros. Prices apply to spectators aged 18 and older; admission is free for those under 18.