Jonas Folger made a huge impression last weekend in Barcelona with his appearance as a wildcard rider in the Superbike World Championship. The mechanics were only able to get the Yamaha ready just minutes before the first race. The results of the trip to Spain: After a total of two races, Folger not only earned his first nine World Championship points in the class, but also gained widespread recognition in the Superbike World Championship.
Riding the momentum from last weekend, the former Grand Prix rider is heading to Hockenheim for the finale of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). From September 25 to 27, the atmosphere at the Motodrom in Baden will be electric, as the championship titles in all IDM solo classes will be decided.
Good news for fans: For the first time this year, spectators are allowed at the IDM. Tickets are available only in advance and online. All details, including information on ticket prices, can be found online at: www.hockenheimring.de. Even if you can’t get a ticket, you can still join in the fun. The races will be livestreamed at www.idm.de/live.
If everything goes according to plan, Jonas Folger will celebrate his first IDM Superbike 1000 title at Hockenheim. At the start of the year, he had chosen Germany’s top class as a springboard for a comeback in the World Championship. However, his future no longer lies in MotoGP, but in the Superbike World Championship. The 27-year-old Bavarian is currently seven points away from the IDM title. That means a seventh-place finish would be enough for him to secure the title ahead of two-time champion Ilya Mikhalchik on BMW. But that’s not the Yamaha star’s goal. Folger wants to finish the season as he has done at all previous events: with the fastest practice time and victories in the two races held. Dominic Schmitter (Yamaha), Vladimir Leonov (BMW), Alessandro Polita (Honda), and Marc Moser (Yamaha) are battling for the remaining positions. Theoretically, at least third place in the overall standings is still within reach for everyone. Kawasaki is fielding French rider Valentin Debise as a replacement for Erwan Nigon, who is fulfilling his contract in the Endurance World Championship that same weekend. Like Folger, Debise competed in the Superbike World Championship round in Barcelona but failed to score any points.
While Folger is the clear favorite in the premier class, the outcome of the 600cc championships is wide open. In the IDM Supersport 600, Luca Grünwald leads the championship on his Kawasaki by just three points over Lausitzring double winner Martin Vugrinec on a Yamaha. He is followed by defending champion Max Enderlein. The Yamaha rider is just one point behind his Croatian teammate. Therefore, his chances of securing a third consecutive title remain strong. In the production-based IDM Superstock 600 class, Paul Fröde leads the field on the only Honda. Late entrant Jan-Ole Jähnig on a Yamaha is within striking distance, trailing by three points ahead of the two decisive races.
In the IDM Supersport 300, Rick Dunnik on Yamaha could become the first Dutch rider to win the title. The 18-year-old heads into the two final races of the junior class with a 15-point lead. Although the talented riders from the neighboring country make up the second-largest group of participants in the IDM Supersport 300, none of them have managed to win the championship so far. Dunnik, too, is not yet in the clear. The more than 35 riders in this “flying classroom” are always good for surprises. So far this season, there have been five different winners across the six races. And how will local hero Dirk Geiger fare on his home track? The 18-year-old from Mannheim is actually competing in the Moto3 Junior World Championship, but that series is currently on hiatus. So, in the meantime, Geiger is participating in the IDM and promptly made it onto the podium at the Lausitzring. Could he perhaps tip the scales in the title race?
After a disastrous start to the season in Assen for defending champion and eight-time world champion Tim Reeves, the IDM Sidecar 600 has turned into a real wild card. The Swiss duo of Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries head to Hockenheim as the favorites to win the title. They could seal the deal early. Otherwise, the final results will be decided at the Sidecar Festival in Oschersleben in early October. They are not eligible for the World Championship, but the IDM also provides a home for sidecars with 1000 cc engines. All victories so far have gone to Mike Roscher and Anna Burkard.
The IDM finale at Hockenheim will be accompanied by races from the BMW Motorrad Boxer Cup, the Pro Superstock Cup, the Twin Cup, and the Northern Talent Cup.