With a strong team performance, Luca de Vleeschauwer (18, B), Marvin Siebdrath (16, Wildenfels), and Colin Velthuizen (16, NL, all RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) dominated the first qualifying session at the IDM event at the Sachsenring. This means that Rob Vennegoor and Frank Krekeler’s team has provisionally secured the front row of the grid for the races in the IDM junior class.
Championship leader Melvin van der Voort (15, Team SWPN, Yamaha) trails behind the Kawasaki trio. After his crash, he must now pin his hopes on the second qualifying session to break through the RT Motorsports Kawasaki pack. Lennox Lehmann (14, Dresden, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy) is looking strong at his home race. In his first full IDM season, he posted his best result yet in Supersport 300 with a fifth-place finish in the first qualifying session. At his home race, he stands out as the fastest KTM rider.
Just before the finish, Ruben Bijman (NL, 16, Pearle Gebben Racing) managed to move up to sixth place on his Yamaha. The fifth-place rider in the championship pushed Petr Svoboda (TCH, 17, WRP Wepal Racing), also on a Yamaha, back from the provisional second row to seventh place, ahead of Thom Molenaar (NL, 19, Molenaar Racing) and former champion Toni Erhard (Schwarzenberg-Pöhlau, 19, Kiefer Racing), both on KTMs.
Last year’s runner-up, Rick Dunnik (NL, 18, Zuwi-HDRacing) on a Yamaha, has had a disappointing start so far. Currently second in the championship standings, he is in 17th place, about 1.845 seconds off de Vleeschauwer’s fastest time. Harry Khouri (AUS, 16, Benjan Racing Team) on a Kawasaki has fared even worse: the speedy Aussie crashed during free practice. Although he wasn’t injured, he will have to sit out at least the first qualifying session.
Things aren't going as planned for Moto3 Junior World Championship rider Dirk Geiger (18, Mannheim, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy) on his KTM either. In the highly competitive IDM talent pool, the newcomer has to settle for 19th place for now. On the track near his regular team, PrüstelGP, he’ll have to hope for an improvement in the second qualifying session.
The second qualifying session will take place tomorrow (September 8) starting at 9:15 a.m.
IDM Supersport 300 Sachsenring, Qualifying 1
Results
- Luca de Vleeschauwer (NL, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), Kawasaki, 1:32.376 min.
- Marvin Siebdrath (Wildenfels, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), Kawasaki, +0.115 sec.
- Colin Velthuizen (Netherlands, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), Kawasaki, +0.549 sec.