Here we go again. The battle for titles and prestige kicks off from May 17 to 19, 2019, at the Lausitzring, when the International German Motorcycle Championship gets underway. It’s impossible to predict who will win or lose. One thing is certain, however: right from the start of the series, one highlight will follow another.
The days are numbered. Starting Friday, the asphalt in Lausitz will be shaking. With the Superbike 1000 class, the IDM presents the top German category in motorcycle road racing. The prestige of the participating brands is at stake here. BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha are battling for the championship title. The high-performance motorcycles have well over 200 horsepower and easily reach speeds of 300 km/h. Last year, the manufacturers’ championship went decisively to BMW, with the title going to Ukrainian rider Ilya Mikhalchik. The 22-year-old aims to repeat that triumph. The background: With a similar track record, former champion Markus Reiterberger made the leap from the IDM to the Superbike World Championship. Mikhalchik races in the IDM for Reiterberger’s former team. However, the Ukrainian’s biggest rival in defending his title is, of all people, his own teammate. During tests on the brand-new BMW S 1000 RR, 23-year-old Julian Puffe from Schleiz was already riding in his slipstream.
The IDM Superbike 1000 offers top-class racing and features an outstanding field of competitors. Just as the championship’s name suggests, the action on the track is truly international. Alongside Ukrainian defending champion Ilya Mikhalchik, Erwan Nigon (Kawasaki) from France, Alessandro Polita (Honda) from Italy, Stefan Kerschbaumer (Yamaha) from Austria, Bobby Bos (Suzuki) from the Netherlands, and many of their compatriots will take on the competition from Germany.
The IDM Supersport features the tried-and-true middleweight class. With around 135 horsepower at the rear wheel and speeds of 270 km/h, this is where riders show whether they have what it takes to make the next step up. The field is packed. The field in the IDM Supersport has also grown. The battle among the young guns—ages 15 and up, including four women—is played out mainly on KTMs, Kawasakis, and Yamahas. As part of the Superbike World Championship, this junior class already competes with World Championship status.
A superstar has signed up for the IDM Sidecar class: seven-time world champion Tim Reeves. Several other world championship riders are also competing in the IDM. The field includes 600cc sidecars—as required by the world championship—as well as 1000cc motorcycles—as permitted in the IDM—with separate class standings.
Things are really heating up in Lausitz, as there are even more classes. Whether it’s the ADAC Junior Cup, the BMW BoxerCup, the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Cup, or the Twin Cup—the IDM has plenty in store for fans. Free practice sessions will take place on Friday. Qualifying and the first races are scheduled for Saturday. There will be nine races on Sunday.
On Saturday, admission is €19.00; on Sunday, it is €25.00. A weekend ticket costs €35.00. All tickets include access to the paddock. Admission is free for children and teenagers up to and including age 17.