He’ll be doing the same thing, and yet everything is different. Toni Erhard will once again be competing in the IDM Supersport 300 in 2020, but after a year with the Freudenberg WorldSSP Academy, he’s returning to the Kiefer Racing Team. With the crew from Bad Kreuznach, the 19-year-old clinched the title in the junior class in 2018 with a 17-point lead. The following year, he made his World Championship debut with the Freudenberg Team. But the entire season was very mixed. Despite a win, a second-place finish, and a third-place finish, Erhard ultimately finished seventh overall in 2019. The IDM Supersport 300 has blossomed into a thrilling junior series. It’s not uncommon for races to be decided in the very last corner.
With the Kiefer Racing Team, the Saxon hopes to build on his 2018 success and is feeling optimistic: “I’m aiming for a second title. My machine for this mission will be a very special KTM RC 390 R. It’s exactly the bike I used to win the title two years ago.” In addition to the IDM races, Erhard also hopes to compete in a few World Championship races. “We’ll put a good package together for him,” assures team boss Jochen Kiefer. “During the IDM races, Toni’s team operates independently, but I’m there in the background to offer advice.”
The renowned Kiefer Racing Team is known for its successful development of young talent. Since 2003, the long-established company has also been active in the Motorcycle World Championship, securing Germany’s most recent major successes. In 2011, the team won the Moto2 World Championship with Stefan Bradl, and in 2015, the Moto3 class with Danny Kent. Nevertheless, Grand Prix promoter Dorna announced the team’s withdrawal from the World Championship in 2019. There was no longer any room for the private team. The dream of moving to the Supersport World Championship also came to an end. Now, in the Moto2 European Championship, Kiefer is preparing for Lukas Tulovic’s return to the Moto2 World Championship. And with Toni Erhard, they have another young talent up their sleeve who needs to be brought to the forefront.