The second IDM Superbike 1000 race marked a turning point. Two-time champion Ilya Mikhalchik won convincingly on the new M 1000 RR from the EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team. At the same time, he took the lead in the standings.
Luca Grünwald (Kiefer Racing Team) finished second ahead of Vladimir Leonov (Hertrampf MO Yamaha Racing).
It wasn’t until the final corner of the last lap that the race was decided—not least because of the reverse-grid starting order. Alessandro Polita (HRP-Honda) emerged from the first lap in the lead. Shortly afterward, Florian Alt (Wilbers-BMW-Racing) went into a spin. As a result, Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing) had no choice but to take a detour through the gravel trap. It was the first time this weekend that things hadn’t gone so well for Debise in the race. The Frenchman also competes in the IDM Supersport 600 class, where he had secured a one-two finish shortly before the second Superbike race.
Opening-round winner Marc Moser (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) and Florian Alt both crashed. For Alt, one of the title favorites, it was the end of a very bitter Sunday. In the first race that morning, he had also scored just three points. And the Nümbrecht native will miss the next event in Most, Czech Republic, because he has a commitment in the World Endurance Championship.
While the crash may also be frustrating for Marc Moser, the Dieburg native can still leave Oschersleben with his head held high. His victory in the first race was a knockout.
At the halfway point of the second race, Ilya Mikhalchik—one of the top contenders for the title—had taken the lead once again. In the first race, he had finished ninth on rain tires. Leonov and Grünwald kept pace before a gap opened up to the chasing pack, led by Bastien Mackels (SWPN).
Mikhalchik seemed to be gaining more and more control of the race, while the battle between Leonov and Grünwald intensified.
Mikhalchik had already crossed the finish line when, 8.5 seconds behind him, the action finally heated up. Grünwald overtook the Russian while drifting through the final turn. This marked a successful IDM Superbike 1000 debut for Jochen Kiefer’s former World Championship team. “Vladimir was faster than me in the chicane on the other side, and then I made a few more mistakes. So I only had the last chicane left to get past him,” Grünwald reported.
Leonov’s mood had also clearly brightened. On Saturday after qualifying, he had been more than upset. Due to electronic issues with the Yamaha, he had only managed to secure the 14th starting position. Fortunately, things turned out just as team boss Denis Hertrampf had hoped: “If we can get the problem under control, Vladimir will cut through the entire field.” Team junior Max Schmidt also put on a strong performance. The 18-year-old runner-up in the 2020 Pro Superstock Cup charged up from 20th on the grid to 12th place.
After the two races at Oschersleben, Mikhalchik (34 points) leads the overall standings in the IDM Superbike 1000, ahead of Schmitter (31), Mackels (29), Leonov (26), and Moser (25).
IDM SBK 1000 Results, Round 2
1. Ilya MIKHALCHIK (UKR/BMW)
2. Luca GRÜNWALD (D/BMW)
3. Vladimir LEONOV (RUS/Yamaha)
4. Bastien MACKELS (B/Yamaha)
5. Dominic SCHMITTER (CH/Yamaha)
6. Alessandro POLITA (I/Honda)
7. Valentin DEBISE (F/Kawasaki)
8. Julian PUFFE (D/BMW)
9. Kamil KRZEMIEN (PL/BMW)
10. Pepijn BIJSTERBOSCH (NL/BMW)