Four races in six days: The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) is currently tackling a massive schedule. From September 11 to 13, 2020, Germany’s premier road racing series will be making a stop at the Lausitzring. An excellent field of riders will lay the groundwork for the championship finale in Hockenheim this coming weekend. Due to COVID-19 safety and hygiene regulations, spectators are not permitted at the Lausitzring. However, all races will be streamed live at idm.de/live.
Things are moving at a rapid pace in the IDM. Just last Monday and Tuesday at the Sachsenring, and now they’re already at the starting line in Lausitz. Under the leadership of Motor Presse Stuttgart, the IDM has developed into a top European series. Despite the current restrictions, the organizers have managed to put together a season that’s well worth watching. Although short with just four events, it’s the flagship series in Europe and packed with entries ranging from local heroes to world-class riders.
Jonas Folger is the star of the IDM Superbike 1000. The former MotoGP rider has won the first four races in the top class. The 27-year-old Bavarian, riding under number 94, hopes that his Yamaha with the Bonovo Action team powered by MGM Racing will serve as a springboard for his entry into the Superbike World Championship. Just one week after the races at the Lausitzring, he will make his World Championship debut in Barcelona with a wildcard. In the IDM, Folger is the one to beat. His only challenger so far is Ilya Mikhalchik, the defending champion from Team EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW. At the Sachsenring, however, he was unable to keep up with the German leader, as he was unfamiliar with the difficult track, while Folger felt right at home. Three years ago, he celebrated his greatest triumph at the Sachsenring: second place in the MotoGP class behind multiple world champion Marc Márquez.
The cards are now being reshuffled at the Lausitzring. Mikhalchik won the season opener here over a year ago. Folger, on the other hand, is unfamiliar with the track. “But I’m actually able to adapt quickly to a new track,” says the IDM leader confidently. The Bavarian hopes that Mikhalchik might prove to be a worthy opponent. The field behind the exceptional German rider is packed with familiar names from ten nations: Vladimir Leonov (RUS), Erwan Nigon (F), Alessandro Polita (I), Julian Puffe, Daniel Kartheininger, Dominic Schmitter (CH), Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NL), and the German Superbike aces Florian Alt, Julian Puffe, and Daniel Kartheininger. The motorcycle brands BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha are battling for the championship title in the IDM Superbike 1000. The races are contested on production 1000cc motorcycles that have been highly tuned and modified for racing. They produce over 210 hp and reach speeds exceeding 300 km/h on the fast tracks.
Enderlein arrives at the Lausitzring as the leader in the IDM Supersport 600 class. With two wins on his home track, he has displaced Dutch rider Sander Kroeze from the top spot. In the IDM Superstock 600 class, Tom Kohnen from Belgium leads the standings. Both classes race in the same field but are scored separately. Visually, they are easy to tell apart. The Supersport riders have blue start numbers on a white background. The Superstock class, in which fewer modifications are allowed to the motorcycles, has white numbers on a blue background.
If you want to experience close-quarters battles, don’t miss the IDM Supersport 300 rookie class. Currently, Australian Harry Khouri is leading the standings and flying the Kawasaki flag high. The top German rider is Marvin Siebdrath from Wildenfels near Zwickau, who is in fifth place.
Sidecar fans can look forward to seeing the world’s top riders in action at the Lausitzring, from eight-time world champion Tim Reeves of Great Britain to Markus Schlosser of Switzerland and Josef Sattler of Germany.
At the Lausitzring, the 2020 IDM is already heading into the home stretch, with only the finale at Hockenheim remaining. The main races on the 4.53-kilometer circuit will be accompanied by the Northern Talent Cup (NTC), the Pro Superstock Cup, and the Twin Cup.