Florian Alt (Wilbers-BMW-Racing) secured pole position in the IDM Superbike 1000 class. In the second qualifying session, he knocked the previously dominant Yamaha rider Marc Moser (Bonovo action by MGM Racing) off the top spot. Moser had said he would take it in stride if it happened, but when it did, he was clearly annoyed.
Alt’s team boss, Benny Wilbers, took the pole position as a gift even a day after his birthday and laughed: “We chose the right tire at the right time, and Florian timed his pit exit perfectly for his fastest lap. We worked out a detailed strategy, and it paid off.” Alt needed 1:25.025 minutes to complete the 3.667-kilometer track, beating Moser’s existing best time by 0.097 seconds.
One thing is already clear: the battle for victory in the premier class at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben is going to be a fierce one. Ilya Mikhalchik (EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW), Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing), Dominic Schmitter (Hess Racing), and Bastien Mackels (Team SWPN) are also seasoned veterans. In addition, the Kiefer Racing Team made a respectable debut with Luca Grünwald. “In hindsight, it was perhaps a mistake to go into the second qualifying session on the hard tires, but everything is fine,” said team boss Jochen Kiefer.
Nothing is going right for Vladimir Leonov (Hertrampf MO Yamaha Racing). Instead of competing at the front of the pack, the Moscow native is languishing in 14th place. “I take full responsibility for this,” admitted team boss Denis Hertrampf. “It’s not Vladimir’s fault at all; the problem lies with us. We haven’t got the Yamaha’s electronics under control. Instead of moving forward, our efforts since yesterday have backfired.”
Hertrampf believes he can still get a lot more out of the bike overnight. “If we can get the Yamaha set up like the Bonovo team, then Leonov will be charging through the field tomorrow. That’s not out of the question.” However, the fact that Leonov is only in P14 is also due to the required tire stickers being applied incorrectly during practice. Because of this rule violation, he was actually set back three positions.
New BMW rider Ricardo Brink (BCC Racing Team) is worried about whether he’ll be able to start. He crashed in the first qualifying session and injured his shoulder. He had to sit out the second session. He now needs someone to tape his shoulder so he might still be able to race tomorrow.
Starting Grid
1. Florian ALT (D/BMW)
2. Marc MOSER (D/Yamaha)
3. Ilya MIKHALCHIK (UKR/BMW)
4. Valentin DEBISE (F/Kawasaki)
5. Dominic SCHMITTER (CH/Yamaha)
6. Bastien MACKELS (B/Yamaha)
7. Luca GRÜNWALD (D/BMW)
8. Marco FETZ (D/BMW)
9. Alessandro POLITA (I/Honda)
10. Phillipp STEINMAYR (D/Yamaha)