Kawasaki had to wait 13 years for the IDM Supersport 600 title. Now Luca Grünwald has given the brand what French rider Sébastien Diss last achieved in 2007. Grünwald and the Greens: it was a perfect match this year. At 25, the Waldkraiburg native has now won his third IDM title. In 2010, he won the 125cc class on a Seel; two years later, he won the Moto3 class on a KTM; and now the Bavarian has secured a breakthrough victory in the IDM Supersport 600 class for the Kawasaki Schnock Team Motorex. Many people have reached out to Grünwald to congratulate him. “Quite a few people have noticed,” he says happily.
What’s next? “Ideally, I’d be racing in the Supersport World Championship in 2021,” says Grünwald, adding with a touch of realism: “But when does something like that ever happen?”
Tomorrow and the day after (October 3–4), he’ll be riding the HPC-Power Suzuki IDM Superbike in the invitational race as part of the Sidecar Festival in Oschersleben. “Team boss Denis Hertrampf called me and asked if I’d ride the bike. I said yes. Of course, it’ll be an adjustment, but the main thing is to have fun that weekend and be part of it.” Grünwald on a Suzuki Superbike isn’t exactly new, though. In 2017, he already competed in the top class for Suzuki Mayer.
Denis Hertrampf confirms Grünwald’s participation. “Since Kevin Sieder was injured at the Hockenheim finale, he’s now out. Luca is the right man for the weekend and rounds out our team alongside Daniel Kartheininger. That’s the background to this decision. We haven’t discussed anything else.”