Former world champion Tim Reeves (GB) remains the standard-bearer in the IDM Sidecars. Together with his “Turner” Mark Wilkes (GB), the 46-year-old rider from the village of High Haiden in Kent also won the second race at the 85th Schleizer Dreieck race. Riding the Adolf RS1 Yamaha sidecar, the British duo relegated the team of Mike Roscher and Anna Burkard to second place in the overall standings. The rider from Grossalmerode and his Swiss passenger thus celebrated victory in the class for sidecars up to 1000 cc. Roscher/Burkard also celebrated a one-two finish on the natural race track in eastern Thuringia.
Roscher is a veteran of Schleiz: “This is my 42nd time here,” he said. “My first race was in 1992 or 1993 as a passenger.” This year, he started from fifth place in his LCR-BMW. He even lost a position on the opening lap. Then Roscher and Burkard began a comeback. On the seventh lap, they overtook the Swiss team of Nussbaum and Hirschi (LCR-Suzuki) and took the lead in the class. “Our team was simply perfect this weekend; that’s what made the difference,” said Roscher.
Three laps later, they overtook Bennie Streuer and Kevin Rousseau (NL/F) on the LCR-Kawasaki and held on to that position until the finish. Streuer struggled with the sole of his boot getting too hot. But he still managed to finish second in the 600cc class, ahead of the Swiss riders Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries (LCR-Yamaha).
Roscher/Burkard not only won their class but also capped off their comeback with the race’s fastest lap time of 1:33.064 minutes. At the finish line, they had a lead of over ten seconds over Nussbaum/Hirschi, who secured second place. After the two races in Schleiz, however, their lead in the IDM standings is now down to just six points. But the biggest cheers at the podium ceremony went to the third-place finishers in the 1000cc class, Peter Schröder and Denise Kartheininger (LCR-Suzuki). For the Swiss veteran, it was his first-ever podium finish in the IDM. “It was our goal to eventually secure a podium finish,” said the 68-year-old with a broad, deeply satisfied grin on his face.