Despite finishing seventh in the penultimate race of the season, Luca Grünwald (25, Waldkraiburg, Kawasaki Schnock Team Motorex) on his Kawasaki has extended his lead in the championship. The Bavarian now leads defending champion Max Enderlein (23, Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy) on Yamaha by five points. The two-time IDM champion managed to finish eighth after a weak start to the race.
In contrast, Martin Vugrinec (21, CRO, Unior Racing) on a Yamaha has lost his position as the top challenger after two crashes. The tenacious Croatian now trails Grünwald by twelve points heading into the decisive race.
In a race held under difficult track conditions on the 3.692-kilometer version of the Hockenheimring, guest rider Kevin Wahr (31, Nagold, MVR Racing) on a Yamaha won ahead of Milan Merckelbagh (19, Netherlands, Bonovo Action by MGM Racing), also on a Yamaha.
Merckelbagh is thus celebrating his biggest success to date in the IDM Supersport . The 19-year-old rider from the new Superbike championship-winning team Bonovo Action by MGM Racing got off to the best start from the front row and was even able to pull away from the field.
But on the twelfth of 15 laps, he was beaten by Kevin Wahr. The rider from Nagold capitalized on a small mistake by the Dutchman in the Sachskurve and pulled ahead. Wahr won by a narrow margin of 3.7 seconds. The guest rider joked at the finish line: “I told myself: Since you’re here anyway, you might as well give it your all.”
The veteran thus prevails over the Dutch youngster. “There are a lot of young guns in the field,” says Wahr.
Marc Buchner (29, Königswinter, Buchner Racing by KME) on a Yamaha also capitalizes on the challenging track conditions. The runner-up from last year fights his way up from tenth place to the podium with fast lap times.
In the IDM Superstock class, Jan-Ole Jähnig (19, Altenburg, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy) on a Yamaha overtook the previous championship leader, Paul Fröde (18, Hohenstein-Ernstthal, ADAC Sachsen e.V.) on a Honda, with his victory. With the decisive race still to come, Jähnig leads Fröde by two points in his first 600cc season.
The second race will start at 2:20 p.m.
Supersport 600 Hockenheimring, Race 1
Results
Distance: 15 laps (3.692 kilometers) = 55.38 km
1. Kevin Wahr (Nagold, MVR Racing), Yamaha in 24:07.445 min. (137.738 km/h)
2. Milan Merckelbagh (NL, Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) on Yamaha, +3.697 sec.
3. Marc Buchner (Königswinter, Buchner Racing by KME), Yamaha, + 4.262 sec.
4. Victor Steeman (NL, Lentink Sports), Yamaha, +8.395 sec.
5. Gabriel Noderer (Eysölden, Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing), Kawasaki, +13.034 sec.
6. Sander Kroeze (NL, Team SWPN), Yamaha, +27.528 sec.
Fastest lap: Wahr in 1:33.272 (142.499 km/h)
IDM STK Standings
1. Jan-Ole Jähnig (Altenburg, Freudenberg SMC WorldSSP Academy), Yamaha
2. Paul Fröde (Hohenstein-Ernstthal, ADAC Sachsen e.V.), Honda
3. Per Behmer (Fockbek, Rubin Racing Team), Yamaha
Standings (after seven of eight races)
IDM Supersport
Standings before the final race
1. Luca Grünwald, 111 points
2. Max Enderlein, 106
3. Martin Vugrinec, 99
4. Sander Kroeze, 93
IDM Superstock 600
1. Jan-Ole Jähnig, 120 points
2. Paul Fröde, 118
3. Tim Holtz, 95