Things really heated up right from the start of Supersport first IDM Supersport . In the end, the podium was taken by winner Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing Team) from France, Patrick Hobelsberger (Bonovo Action at MGM Racing) from Germany, and Marcel Brenner (Hess Racing) from Switzerland.
The weather conditions were changeable. It drizzled occasionally, but never hard enough to warrant rain tires on the motorcycles. Rob Hartig took the lead on the first lap. In qualifying, the Dutchman had failed to make the top ten. But this weather was right up his alley, as he usually encounters similar conditions on his home track in Assen. Furthermore, the 29-year-old was able to put all his experience from ten years of road racing to good use. Andreas Kofler was pushing toward the lead, with Martin Vugrinec within striking distance. By the fourth lap, everything had changed completely. Debise had taken the lead.
In the ninth lap, the rain began to fall more heavily in some places. Jeroen Hilster, Dino Iozzo, Severin Bingisser, Yves Stadelmann, Jan-Ole Jähnig, and Max Enderlein either crashed or simply slipped and fell on the wet track. Race officials called off the race. The finish line crossing after the eighth lap counted toward the results. A restart was not attempted due to the continuing uncertain weather conditions. Consequently, Debise, Hobelsberger, and Brenner (pictured left) took the podium.
Given the changeable conditions, there probably wouldn’t have been any way to beat Debise anyway. A lead of over five seconds after eight laps speaks for itself. This was nothing new for the Frenchman. He has won every race so far this year in his national championship. Debise is a tough competitor. He races in the IDM Supersport only “on the side.” His main job is as a ZX-10R rider in the IDM Superbike 1000. As a double-starter, he’s under pressure all day long.
“I didn’t want to lead the race,” Patrick “Pax” Hobelsberger stated. Although he had secured pole position, he wasn’t at all happy with the weather conditions. “I preferred to take the corners alongside Andreas Kofler, but unfortunately he had a highside on the second lap.”
The fact that Debise ultimately won ahead of him doesn’t bother Hobelsberger, who is aiming for the title, “because in dry conditions he couldn’t keep up with me. In that respect, I don’t see any danger.”
In the Superstock 600 Cup, pole-sitter Paul Fröde on a Honda took home the full points. Guest rider Tim Holtz (Yamaha) should have been right there with him, but he was forced to retire during the formation lap due to technical issues.
Results, Round 1 IDM SSP 600
1. Valentin DEBISE (F/Kawasaki)
2. Patrick HOBELSBERGER (D/Yamaha)
3. Marcel BRENNER (CH/Yamaha)
4. Martin VUGRINEC (CRO/Yamaha)
5. Rob HARTOG (NL/Kawasaki)
6. Glenn VAN STRAALEN (NL/Kawasaki)
7. Melvin VAN DER VOORT (NL/Yamaha)
8. Colin VELTHUIZEN (NL/Yamaha)
9. Christoph BEINLICH (D/Yamaha)
10. Tom KOHNEN (B/Yamaha)
Results, Round 1 SSP 600 Cup
1. Paul FRÖDE (D/Honda)
2. Noah LEQUEUX (L/Yamaha)
3. Kevin MICHEL (D/Yamaha)
4. Philipp STICH (D/Yamaha)
5. Dominik BLERSCH (D/Yamaha)