The predictions are coming true. The IDM Superbike 1000 is more fiercely contested than it has been in a long time. In the three free practice sessions held today, Friday, at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Marc Moser (Yamaha) emerged as the fastest rider of the day. His lap time: 1:26.232 min. Ilya Mikhalchik (BMW) closed the gap to 0.032 seconds behind him in the final session. Florian Alt (BMW) trailed by 0.299 seconds. Valentin Debise was the top Kawasaki rider, finishing in ninth place. Honda’s lone rider, Alessandro Polita, ended the day in 11th place overall.
The big surprise was Marco Fetz’s performance. The 21-year-old newcomer from the Wilbers BMW Racing Team made an impressive mark by finishing in eighth place. Together with his teammate Florian Alt, he gave team boss Benny Wilbers one of the best birthday presents imaginable. The charismatic team owner—known for his blue shoes and blue glasses—celebrated his 69th birthday at the racetrack today. “I expected Florian to finish third,” Wilbers admitted happily, adding confidently, “There’s more to come.” He was surprised by von Fetz, however, “but he was very consistent, very strong, and rode very confidently. He also had some great things to say about the bike.” Wilbers says, “I’ve had my eye on him for a long time as a promising young rider. We’re going to bring him to the forefront.”
Tomorrow, the first qualifying session in the IDM premier class will begin at 10:40 a.m. The second session will take place at 2:50 p.m.
Free Practice Results
1. Marc MOSER (GER/Yamaha)
2. Ilya MIKHALCHIK (UKR/BMW)
3. Florian ALT (GER/BMW)
4. Bastien MACKELS (BEL/Yamaha)
5. Phillip STEINMAYR (AUT/Yamaha)
6. Luca GRÜNWALD (D/BMW)
7. Dominic SCHMITTER (CH/Yamaha)
8. Marco FETZ (D/BMW)
9. Valentin DEBISE (F/Kawasaki)
10. Nico THÖNI (A/Kawasaki)