It was a solo race that Patrick Hobelsberger led from start to finish. The Yamaha rider from Bonovo Action by MGM had plenty of breathing room behind him and put on a brilliant performance, crossing the finish line with an 8.617-second lead. Thomas Gradinger came in second. It wasn’t until behind the 24-year-old Austrian that the real battle began. Marcel Brenner (Hess Racing) from Switzerland handled the competition best. He finished third.
There was a reason why the battle at the front was settled so quickly. In the first corner, a rider traveling too fast caused three others to crash: Rob Hartog (Füsport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki), Gabriel Noderer (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing), and Martin Vugrinec (Yamaha, ferQuest-UNIOR Racing). For them, the race was over before it had really begun.
“I heard it scraping against the asphalt behind me and thought the race was about to be stopped, but that wasn’t the case,” said winner Hobelsberger. He then extended his lead lap after lap. “I knew I could post times in the low 1:36s, but at some point that wasn’t necessary anymore. So I decided to play it safe and secure my 25 points.” Only one rider almost threw a wrench in his plans: a lapped rider. “He looked back and saw me, but drove right into my line. That was another close call.”
Thomas Gradinger, the 2017 IDM champion, finished second and won the hearts of the fans. The Austrian paid his Bavarian friend the highest respect. “He was simply faster and better than me.” Gradinger was no longer competing as a guest rider; he has since registered for the championship as a full-time rider. As a result, he earned 20 IDM points for his performance. Marcel Brenner (Hess Racing, Yamaha) took third place and earned 16 points. Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing) crossed the finish line in fourth. The Frenchman was the first to break Yamaha’s dominance at the front.
The new M32 Racing Team, featuring Max Enderlein and Jan-Ole Jähnig, bounced back from their rough start in Oschersleben to finish in 5th and 6th place.
IDM Supersport 600, Round 1
1. Patrick HOBELSBERGER (GER/Yamaha)
2. Thomas GRADINGER (AUT/Yamaha)
3. Marcel BRENNER (SUI/Yamaha)
4. Valentin DEBISE (FRA/Kawasaki)
5. Max ENDERLEIN (GER/Yamaha)
6. Jan-Ole JÄHNIG (GER/Yamaha)
7. Andreas KOFLER (AUT/Kawasaki)
8. Christoph BEINLICH (GER/Yamaha)
9. Melvin VAN DER VOORT (NED/Yamaha)
10. Dino IOZZO (ZAF/Kawasaki)