Will he pull off the hat trick in 2020? Max Enderlein has won the IDM Supersport 600 title twice in a row. Will a third follow? The “1” starting number, which he is entitled to as the reigning champion, will not appear on his fairing this year.”
Why not? “Because I want to establish the number 32 as my personal trademark,” explains the 23-year-old Yamaha rider from Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony. “If you have the number 1, you’re automatically the defending champion, but that’s not always the case. That’s why I chose 32. Other than that, there’s no deep meaning behind the number.”
Yesterday, Enderlein took what will be his last exam for the time being on his path to a master's degree in business administration. The topic: “Advanced Logistics Management and Reverse Logistics.” Among other things, this involves determining whether certain used materials can be recycled or not.
Now, the Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy’s sole IDM Supersport 600 rider has his mind clear again for racing. “Because of my ongoing exams, I was hardly able to test at all—just once in Oschersleben. Due to time and cost constraints, that was all I could manage. I’m really looking forward to Assen.” The IDM season opener will take place this coming weekend, August 14–16, 2020, at the TT Circuit in the Netherlands.
Enderlein hasn’t raced since the 2019 season finale. “As far as my current condition goes, I’m not at 100 percent. But my motivation will fuel me with positive energy,” he firmly believes. Last year, Enderlein was also barely able to train leading up to the race.
The TT Circuit in Assen isn’t one of the Saxon’s favorite tracks. He’s always had bad luck there in the past—a broken collarbone in 2018, a crash in 2019—but he’s also secured a podium finish. In the end, those setbacks didn’t prevent him from winning the overall championship.
But this time, the season is limited to four events. And Enderlein, like the rest of the field, is eager to race. He wants to make it to the podium. The competition is well-known: “Sander Kroeze is really strong at Assen and definitely the favorite. And Karel Hanika is back. He’s a real force to be reckoned with.”