Race days are special occasions, even when they fall on a Monday and a Tuesday. In the International German Championship (IDM), there was plenty to celebrate even on this unusual date, September 7–8, 2020. Former MotoGP rider Jonas Folger and local hero Max Enderlein provided a thrilling spectacle at the second IDM round of the year at the Sachsenring.
Jonas Folger gave Yamaha yet another reason to celebrate. He won the first race in the IDM Superbike 1000 from pole position with a commanding lead of 15.4 seconds over Florian Alt (BMW) and Switzerland’s Dominic Schmitter (Yamaha). In the second race as well, the Bonovo Action by MGM Racing rider pulled away from the field. He got off to a blistering start. “That saved me a lot of work that I would have had to put into overtaking maneuvers.”
Folger won the IDM premier class ahead of defending champion Ilya Mikhalchik and Vladimir Leonov (BMW). Mikhalchik, Folger’s closest rival in the points standings, was thus able to limit the damage somewhat after finishing ninth in the first race on a track that was previously unfamiliar to him. “The Sachsenring suits me, and I knew we’d be strong here right from the start,” Folger said after his victory. Three years ago, he celebrated the greatest triumph of his career here, finishing second in the MotoGP race behind multiple world champion Marc Márquez.
In addition to the two Superbike races, the championship deciders in the IDM Supersport/Superstock 600 and the junior class Supersport 300 at the Sachsenring served as excellent promotion for motorcycle racing. In the Supersport class, Yamaha rider Max Enderlein celebrated a one-two finish on his home track. In the second race in particular, the two-time champion and defending titleholder had to fight hard for the lead against Croatian rider Martin Vugrinec over the entire distance. The 23-year-old from Hohenstein-Ernstthal secured his victory by a margin of 0.024 seconds as he crossed the finish line. “Scoring the maximum points here—it doesn’t get any better than this,” exclaimed Enderlein, who has now taken the lead in the championship. Luca Grünwald on a Kawasaki finished third in both races.
In the IDM Superstock 600 class, where fewer modifications are allowed to the motorcycles than in the Superport class, newcomer Jan-Ole Jähnig (Yamaha), Paul Fröde (Honda), and Moritz Jenkner (Yamaha) split the podium spots among themselves.
In the IDM Supersport 300, Harry Khouri used the races at the Sachsenring to take the lead in the overall standings. The Australian won the second race against Luca de Vleeschauwer, who had posted the fastest time in practice. In the first race, the 16-year-old Australian finished second behind Marvin Siebdrath. Siebdrath, however, had bad luck in the second race. While battling for position in the chasing pack, he was caught up in a collision and ultimately finished only 14th.
There were also home victories in the new Northern Talent Cup (NTC). In the debut race of this junior series, Freddie Heinrich won ahead of Romania’s Jacopo Hosciuc and Belgium’s Luciano Lorenz. The 15-year-old Heinrich races for PrüstelGP. The World Championship team is based at the Sachsenring. In the thrilling second race, which had to be stopped five laps before the finish due to a rider’s crash, Hungary’s Soma Gorbe prevailed over the Czech rider Stephan Zuda. Opening-round winner Freddie Heinrich finished third. In the Twin Cup, Nicolai Kraft (Suzuki) and Justin Hänse (Yamaha) split the victories.
The races at the IDM’s first return to the Sachsenring in seven years were the best possible advertisement for motorcycle racing. “I’m very happy with how the weekend went,” said IDM Series Manager Normann Broy. “We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to ADAC Sachsen, AMC Sachsenring, and the track operator, who made this unforgettable event possible.”
Due to measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, no spectators were allowed at the Sachsenring either. Fans were able to watch the races via the free IDM livestream. IDM fans can also watch the races from the next two IDM events at the Lausitzring and the Hockenheimring via livestream.
Next IDM event: September 11–13, 2020, at the Lausitzring