New faces in the sidecar class: Two sidecar teams will be lining up with new passengers this race weekend at the International German Championship (IDM) at the Schleizer Dreieck. For one team, it was part of the plan; for the other, the timing finally worked out.
Following their disappointing results at the race in Most, Czech Republic, Nils Köster and his passenger, Dutchman Wouter Zwiers, have parted ways prematurely. The Racing Team Köster (#99) has secured a last-minute replacement in the form of the experienced Enrico Roick from Veckenstädt. The 35-year-old is no stranger to the sidecar scene and brings a wealth of experience from his racing days in both the Sidecar Trophy and the IDM.
“Nils had already asked me back in the winter if I’d be interested in racing with him in the IDM this year, but at that point I still had plans with my longtime rider, Ken Knapton,” Roick reports. However, Knapton canceled the season at the last minute in April. That’s how another meeting came about in Most.
“We hit it off right away,” says Nils Köster, who is competing in his first IDM sidecar season. He hopes to benefit from his new partner’s many years of experience, not only to improve his riding skills but also to refine the sidecar that was completely rebuilt over the winter.
There’s another new face at RCN Factory Racing. Dutch driver Jouk Hahn will now take his place as co-driver alongside Wiggert Kranenburg for the remainder of the season. The young blond-haired driver was unable to compete in the first race due to scheduling conflicts, which is why he was replaced by Klaus Knobloch in Most.