One point at the Lausitzring, one at Assen, and one more at the season finale in Hockenheim: that’s the tally for Sarah Heide in der IDM Superbike 1000 during the 2018 season. Following Lucy Glöckner’s (Kawasaki) injury at the Schleizer Dreieck, the 29-year-old from the Team Suzuki Laux ADAC Saxony From now on, she’ll be the only woman among the men until the end of the season. What’s in store for next year?
Things aren't looking too promising. Due to rising costs and the fact that some sponsors have pulled out or cut back on their support, we've already had to make some tough cuts this year. Sarah Heide's athletic future is up in the air. "That's a shame, because Sarah is really starting to find her stride," says team manager Stefan Laux, adding hopefully, "maybe we'll still manage to scrape together a few euros."
In 2011, Sarah Heide became the first woman to win a race in the IDM Supersport 600 class. Her transition to the 1000cc class was rocky, especially since she suffered serious injuries in a bicycle accident in the paddock at Assen in 2017. She was still struggling with her knee in 2018. At the last three events, she was finally able to score points. In the second race at the Hockenheim finale, she had a chance to score three points and thus achieve a personal highlight. On the final lap, two riders in front of her clashed and drifted far to the outside. Heide took advantage of the gap that opened up and slipped in between them. As she fought her way back to the racing line, another rider got in her way. The Suzuki GSX-R 1000 R rider ended up in the gravel. “The finish was disappointing, of course, but when you see a gap, you have to take it! Unfortunately, it backfired,” the Zwickau native lamented.” The team was nevertheless satisfied, as she had closed the gap to the front-runners to just under two seconds during the race. “If her move on the final lap had worked, she would have been the star. As it is, she’s the loser,” says Laux, who is pulling out all the stops with Heide to ensure they can continue.”
