Rick Dunnik (18, NL, Zuwi HD-Racing) on a Yamaha is the big winner of the Lausitzring weekend. With his commanding victory in the second race, the 18-year-old Dutchman takes the lead in the junior class. The runner-up from last year heads to the season finale at Hockenheim with a 15-point lead. “I got off to a very good start, but I briefly lost the lead on the first lap,” said Dunnik, who had set the fastest time in practice, describing the opening stages.
On the sixth lap, Dunnik was able to break away from the tight group of pursuers, which initially consisted of nine riders. The Yamaha rider continues to extend his lead. During his breakaway, he also benefits from another crash by Australian Harry Khouri (16, AUS, Benjan Racing Team) on a Kawasaki. Khouri, who was in second place, slid into the gravel while chasing the leader and was forced to retire.
Although the rider from last year’s championship-winning team has won two IDM races this season, he has also had to deal with three retirements due to crashes. In the standings, he has slipped from first to sixth place this weekend. In his home country, he has won all three Supersport 300 races of the season. But in the IDM, Khouri just can’t seem to catch a break.
Behind Dunnik, the fifth winner of the IDM junior class this season, a thrilling duel is developing in the final stages between Junior World Championship rider Dirk Geiger (18, Mannheim), Lennox Lehmann (14, Dresden), guest rider Chris Stange (22, Heidenau, all from the Freudenberg WorldSSP Academy), and Colin Velthuizen (16, NL, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki). In a slipstream duel, Geiger prevails over Velthuizen by a margin of just 0.115 seconds. “I took my chance in the slipstream on the way to the finish line,” the Dutchman describes the final meters.
Behind him, Lennox Lehmann capped off a strong weekend with a fourth-place finish. Last year’s ADAC Junior Cup winner has now worked his way up to fifth place in the IDM Supersport 300 and is thus the top-scoring rookie. The 14-year-old from Saxony holds the edge in a photo finish against his teammate Chris Stange, who is actually competing in the Supersport 300 World Championship with the Freudenberg team.
In the final stages, Sachsenring winner Marvin Siebdrath (16, Wildenfels, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) managed to push Petr Svoboda (17, TCH, WRP Wepol Racing) on a Yamaha back to seventh place. Behind them, Melvin van der Voort (15, NL, Team SWPN) on a Yamaha crosses the finish line in third place ahead of Luca de Vleeschauwer (18, B, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki). For the Belgian, the Lausitzring brought both highs and lows in quick succession. Just one day after his first IDM victory and taking the championship lead, de Vleeschauwer lost valuable points on the track in Lower Lusatia due to a crash.
IDM Supersport 300 Sachsenring, Race 2
Results
Distance: 11 laps (4.225 kilometers) = 46.48 km
1. Rick Dunnik (NL, Zuwi HD-Racing), Yamaha, in 20:53.276 min (133.255 km/h)
2. Dirk Geiger (Mannheim, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy) + 4.246 sec.
3. Colin Velthuizen (NL, RT-Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), Kawasaki, + 4.361 sec.
4. Lennox Lehmann (Dresden, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy), KTM, +4.400 sec.
5. Chris Stange (Heidenau, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy), KTM, +4.410 sec.
6. Marvin Siebdrath (Wildenfels, RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), Kawasaki, + 6.359 sec.
Fastest lap: Dunnik in 1:52.866 (134.762 km/h)