The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) kicked off the second half of the season at the Schleizer Dreieck. 29,000 spectators cheered on their heroes under bright sunshine. Germany’s oldest natural race track hosted top-class racing in four premier classes and three cups. Organized and promoted by Motor Presse Stuttgart, the IDM remains a series with a down-to-earth feel. The fans love it.
“They were cheering and clapping, and I’m not even the local hero,” said an enthusiastic Ilya Mikhalchik (alpha Racing-Van Zon BMW). The defending IDM Superbike champion is, of all people, the rider who wants to snatch the current IDM lead in the premier class from local hero Julian Puffe. On the unique racetrack in his hometown of Schleiz, Puffe lost a ten-point lead over his closest rival—who also happens to be his teammate. Now, only nine points separate the two.
Mikhalchik won both races that were held, finishing ahead of Puffe each time, and once again performed his Ukrainian national dance, the Hopak, for the audience.
Jan Bühn (EGS Moto Racing) and Pepijn Bijsterbosch (Dutch Comfort Houses) tied for third place. This resulted in an all-BMW podium in both cases. However, the BMW dominance that had been anticipated at the start of the season did not materialize. Five brands are represented in the IDM Superbike 1000: BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. With the exception of Honda, every manufacturer has had at least one rider on the podium so far, and Kawasaki has even taken the top spot.
At Honda, however, the consistency of Italian rider Alessandro Polita (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) on the CBR 1000 RR is paying off. He is fifth in the overall standings.
In the IDM Supersport class, Max Enderlein from Hohenstein-Ernstthal continues to dominate on his Yamaha. He already holds a 49-point lead over his Yamaha teammate Tom Toparis from Australia. The first race in Schleiz was won by Luca Grünwald, a Kawasaki rider. The Bavarian has returned to the top of an IDM class after a long injury layoff. However, due to the large points deficit he incurred as a result of his injury, he is no longer in contention for the title.
In the IDM Supersport junior class, Angelo Licciardi on a Kawasaki initially extended his lead in the championship with his third win of the season. However, the 21-year-old Belgian benefited from the misfortune of World Championship riders Jan-Ole Jähnig (Nobitz) and Victor Steeman (NL) on KTMs, who both crashed during his victory in the first race. Pole-sitter Jähnig lost control of his rear wheel coming out of the chicane, and Steeman was unable to avoid the crash. Licciardi won ahead of David Kuban (CZE) on a KTM and IDM runner-up Rick Dunnik (NL) on a Yamaha.
The second race of the IDM Supersport was even more dramatic. The lead changed hands several times. Licciardi and Jähnig held their own as part of the leading trio right up to the final lap, but were unable to pull away from the field. In the final lap, the battle among the group of six intensified. In a dramatic finish at the last chicane before the start-and-finish line, David Kuban secured the race win ahead of guest rider Jeffrey Buis (NL) on a Yamaha and the unlucky Jan-Ole Jähnig. With his first IDM victory, Kuban moved up to third place in the championship standings.
With 20 points for second place among the IDM regular drivers, Colin Velthuizen (NL) of NUTEC-RT-Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki moved into second place in the IDM standings. He is now just six points behind Angelo Licciardi, who dropped to 16th place in the second race due to a time penalty and was able to score only three points. As a result, two Kawasaki riders now lead the IDM junior class.
In the IDM Sidecars, seven-time world champion Tim Reeves (GB) won both races in Schleiz on his Adolf RS-Yamaha. With this one-two finish, Reeves and his passenger Mark Wilkes further extended their lead in the championship for the 600cc sidecars. In the 1000cc sidecar class, Mike Roscher (Großalmerode) and his passenger Anna Burkard (CH) pulled off a surprise. In both races at the Schleizer Dreieck, they finished second overall on their LCR-BMW and won their separately classified 1000cc class ahead of championship leaders Andres Nussbaum and Manuel Hirschi (CH/CH) on an LCR-Suzuki. Roscher narrowed the gap in the IDM championship to six points.
In the IDM paddock, KTM, Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki showcased their latest production models. The manufacturers also offered visitors a varied program with test rides off the racetrack. The IDM’s supporting program also includes autograph sessions with IDM riders, which are popular for bringing fans closer to the action. In the evening, high above the packed campground on the so-called Buchhübel, a big party was held to introduce the riders.
Markus Reiterberger, a two-time winner of the IDM Superbike 1000 who now competes in the Superbike World Championship, made sure to make the trip to Schleiz, as did Supersport Thomas Gradinger and Christian Stange. The IDM at the Schleizer Dreieck once again proved to be a highlight on the calendar of Germany’s top road racing series. 