Just out of the running a moment ago, and now back in again: Julian Puffe signed a contract today with team boss Jens Holzhauer for the 2020 season in the IDM Superbike 1000. The 2019 runner-up will ride the brand-new Honda CBR 1000 RR-R for Team Holzhauer Racing Promotion and is excited about his future. For Puffe, it already feels like Christmas.
Just six days ago, last year’s most successful German Superbike rider found himself facing a shambles. Despite securing the runner-up title on a BMW, there was no longer a place for the 24-year-old from Schleiz on the alpha Racing-Van Zon-BMW team. A lot had happened after Puffe lost his early lead in the IDM overall standings to his teammate Ilya Mikhalchik. His former team boss, Werner Daemen, no longer considered Puffe to be in top form, which was also reflected in his results.
Riding the Honda, Puffe is determined to prove the competition wrong and is ready to attack with every fiber of his being. The new motorcycle is already drawing praise and is said to be a real powerhouse. The specs speak for themselves: 217 PS and plenty of MotoGP technology under the hood. The bikes will be delivered to Holzhauer’s headquarters in Wittenberge during the first week of January. Testing will take place in February and March.
The mood is fantastic at Puffe, within the HRP team, and at Honda Germany as well. Puffe’s signing has been very well received. And what does Alex Polita, who finished fifth in the IDM and is a regular rider for Holzhauer, have to say about it? “Absolutely cool! I think it’s great to have this fast young guy on the team.”