Rick Dunnik is the rider of the moment in the IDM-Supersport 300. The leader in the IDM junior series is brimming with confidence after securing the maximum number of points at the season opener in Oschersleben. Even though Germany’s northernmost racetrack isn’t one of his favorites, he didn’t put a foot wrong during qualifying for the two championship races as part of German Speedweek. “I’m going for pole position,” announced the 15-year-old Yamaha rider ahead of the decisive battle for the best starting spots.
In the first qualifying session, the fast young rider from Staphorst was still 0.12 seconds off the time set by Colin Velthuizen, who had been the fastest in practice. Afterward, the team worked on the suspension settings for Dunnik’s YZF-3. “Also, my engine is a bit more powerful now than it was at Lausitz,” he reported. But Dunnik had some bad luck in the second qualifying session. Although he led the standings, he was slower than the previous day. Then the session was cut short four and a half minutes before the end due to gravel on the track and was not restarted.
As a result, he has to cede the pole position for both races to Colin Velthuizen, who set the fastest time in the first qualifying session. The 17-year-old rider from the NUTEC-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki team is Dunnik’s closest rival in the overall standings. With the new Ninja 400, Velthuizen is now the favorite for both races. “The rain overnight has changed the track conditions, and the wind is also blowing harder than yesterday,” Velthuizen reported. His strategy is clear: “I have to apply pressure right from the start and try to pull away from the pack in the early stages.”
“Colin is definitely my toughest competitor in the IDM,” Dunnik says, “and you also have to watch out for Ruben Bijman and Toni Erhard.” With this statement, the Dutch rider underscores just how close the battle for the title in the IDM junior class has become. Defending champion Erhard (KTM) confirms: “The competition in our class is tougher than last year. That makes it exciting.” Furthermore, the battle for the overall title is now spread across three brands: Yamaha, Kawasaki, and KTM.
In Oschersleben, Belgian rider Angelo Licciardi is another Kawasaki rider in top form. The 22-year-old from Genk posted lap times that kept him in the lead group and will start from the second row alongside Velthuizen’s teammate Micky Winkler from Schleiz and defending champion Erhard. Behind them, Troy Beinlich moved up to seventh place after having to skip the first qualifying session due to a final exam at school. As a result, all three riders from NUTEC-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki placed among the top seven in the IDM junior class during qualifying.