If a black Golf IV rounds a corner in Schwarzenberg, it might be Toni Erhard . The 2018 IDM Supersport 300 champion, who hails from the county seat in Saxony’s Erzgebirge district, has now turned 18, passed his driver’s test, and is officially allowed to drive.
Deciding what to do next in racing wasn't easy for last year's three-time race winner. He had two offers on the table KTM-pilots. Continue with Kiefer Racing or into the Freudenberg Team Switch teams? Both teams are Germany’s leading examples when it comes to developing young talent. In the end, Erhard chose the Freudenberg team. “The opportunities for athletic advancement were even more diverse.” Defending the title is on the agenda for 2019.
The high school graduate thoroughly enjoyed his time at Kiefer Racing. He was particularly surprised when team boss Jochen Kiefer suddenly appeared in front of him after the final lap at Hockenheim. The energetic World Championship team manager hadn’t wanted to miss the chance to watch his IDM protégé, Toni Erhard, clinch the title live.
During the season, Dutch riders Victor Steeman and Dion were his biggest rivals. When the races didn’t overlap with the Supersport 300 World Championship, Jan-Ole Jähnig and Max Kappler also lined up at the start. The two Germans have already made the leap from the IDM to the World Championship with the Freudenberg team. Newcomer Jähnig even briefly led a World Championship race. Erhard says: “It was very exciting to battle with them for the top spots in the IDM. Things were really heating up. The championship standings weren’t quite as exciting, though, because the two of them didn’t play a role there due to their frequent absences.”
Toni Erhard is set to defend his IDM title in the 300cc class in 2019. Where will he go from there? The Supersport World Championship or Moto3? “Actually, I can handle any kind of motorcycle,” the new Freudenberg team rider says without hesitation. “A Moto3 bike might be a little more fun, but the KTM Supersport is the closest to it. I’ll leave that open for now.”