Cross-training on Wednesdays and weekends, and just recently a test at Oschersleben to prepare for the IDM: Things are going well for Christoph “Chris” Beinlich.
When Chris Beinlich wants to see the local motocross track in Pößneck, Thuringia, all he has to do is open the window. In theory, the 25-year-old from Team Roto-Store BRT could watch the comings and goings on the track, but he prefers to ride himself—at least once a week. He’s gearing up for the battle in the IDM Supersport 600. “We’ve never had so many strong riders at the top,” he notes, looking at the entries. Where does he rank himself on the Yamaha R6? “Realistically, in the top ten, even if that’s tough to sustain in the long run,” he says, playing it down for now.
Beinlich is feeling confident following last weekend’s test at Oschersleben. “Jan-Ole Jähnig and Max Enderlein. Marc Buchner, Dino Iozzo, and Rob Hartog were there at the same time, and I was able to make my first comparisons,” reports Beinlich. “Jan-Ole and Max were the fastest; I was on par with Rob Hartog, but faster than the other drivers in our class.”
Beinlich spent two days at the Motorsport Arena. On Saturday, he broke in the race engine. On Sunday, he went full throttle, but only for three laps. “It had started to rain,” Beinlich explains, adding cheerfully: “Maybe I could have done even better otherwise. It was good that we 600cc riders started together and pulled out of the pits at the same time. That way, you always had someone right in front of you. At the same time, my opponents noticed that I was there too—I fought back against their attacks.”
Nevertheless, Beinlich is reluctant to make any definitive assessments of his rivals in the IDM Supersport 600. “We had a practice session at Oschersleben, not an IDM race. That’s a whole different story.” Technically, the Yamaha rider is on the same level as Enderlein and Jähnig. He rebuilt the bike last year.