It comes as no surprise, since there was already talk of this at the 2018 IDM finale in Hockenheim, but now the deal is official. Ukrainian rider Ilya Mikhalchik and Julian Puffe from Schleiz, Thuringia, have signed on for another IDM Superbike 1000 season with the alpha Racing-Van Zon-BMW team. Team boss Werner Daemen will thus retain both the reigning champion and the 2018 third-place finisher for 2019 and will tackle the project on the brand-new BMW S 1000 RR with these two riders. The team has a significant challenge ahead of it.
IDM champion Ilya Mikhalchik won nine of 14 races in his rookie IDM season and secured pole position at six of seven events. His mission is to defend his title. “The team was my first choice,” says the 22-year-old from Kiev. “I think that with the new S 1000 RR, we’ll have a competitive bike right away. Winning the title is our goal again in 2019. The IDM is a highly competitive series. I expect another tough battle for the championship.”
Julian Puffe claimed the first pole position of his career at the 2018 Schleizer Dreieck. However, the Thuringian, who will celebrate his 23rd birthday on December 1, has yet to claim a victory. He says: “I’m overjoyed to be racing for Werner Daemen’s team again next year. Above all, I’m excited to see how the new motorcycle handles. I want to turn the trust placed in me into the best possible results, and it helps that my current crew is staying on.”