Packed grandstands, crowded green spaces, and top-notch racing without restrictions. The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) races at the Schleizer Dreieck thrilled 28,000 spectators last weekend. They were treated to top-notch racing full of surprises.
It was the first IDM event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic at which there were no restrictions for participants or visitors. “The races at the Schleizer Dreieck are always a highlight of the racing calendar for us,” says series manager Normann Broy of Motor Presse Stuttgart. “The fact that we were able to return to normalcy here of all places after almost two years was a real coup. After the 2020 event had to be canceled, we were welcomed like friends we’d missed. We’re always thrilled by the atmosphere around the track and the passion for racing in the region.” With open access to the paddock, the IDM also stayed true to its commitment to letting fans get up close to the riders and their motorcycles.
In the IDM Superbike 1000 class, where BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha motorcycles boast over 220 PS, Markus Reiterberger made a comeback. The three-time IDM champion in the premier class has not only chosen the Schleizer Dreieck as his favorite track, but has also held the lap record there since 2017. Reiterberger has returned to the IDM for three events, as a spot opened up on the BCC team from Heilbronn. In the first race, he was still beaten by Ilya Mikhalchik (EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW). In the second race, the Bavarian turned the tables and was celebrated by the fans after a powerful burnout on the Buchhübel. Third place in the first race went to Belgian rider Bastien Mackels (Team SWPN) on a Yamaha. 
In the second race of the day, the trophy went to Florian Alt (Wilbers-BMW-Racing). For championship leader Dominic Schmitter (Hess Racing), the weekend at the Schleizer Dreieck was one to forget. The Swiss rider struggled with his Yamaha on the track and lost valuable points in the title race. He still leads the overall standings by six points, however.
Second place went to Mikhalchik, who edged out French rider Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing). Like Schmitter, Debise struggled with the challenging track. Local hero Julian Puffe (GERT56), who lives right in Schleiz, narrowly missed the podium in the second race and finished fourth. In contrast to the results in Schleiz, where the BMW riders dominated the IDM Superbike 1000 race, the overall standings are very close between the BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha brands.
Two first-place finishes in the IDM Supersport round out the weekend’s results for Patrick Hobelsberger (Bonovo action by MGM Racing). The Yamaha rider, who hopes to return to the Supersport, has thus secured one-two finishes both at Most, Czech Republic, and now in Schleiz. Finishing in second place in both races was his Yamaha teammate Max Enderlein (M32 Racing Team), who didn’t make it easy for “Pax” right up to the finish. Third place was shared by Kawasaki rider Glenn van Straalen (NIWA Racing) and Kevin Wahr (MVR-Racing). The German Yamaha rider from Nagold is replacing Marc Buchner for the remainder of the season effective immediately and had only completed a brief test beforehand. Once he’s back in top form, Hobelsberger and the rest will have their work cut out for them.
There was also a one-two finish in the IDM Supersport junior class. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) was unstoppable on the natural race track. He climbed two spots in the overall standings and is now trailing only his teammate Lennox Lehmann.
Lehmann, 15, is the defending champion in the IDM’s smallest class and has set his sights on defending his title. He was rewarded for his efforts in Thuringia with a third-place and a second-place finish.
In the first race, Micky Winkler (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing), who is from Schleiz, finished ahead of him, and in the second race, Marvin Siebdrath (Füsport RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) finished behind him.
All good things come in threes: The IDM sidecar team of Josef Sattler and Luca Schmidt (Team Bonovo action) from the Schleizer Dreieck also took home the maximum number of points available from Schleiz. The Bavarian and the Thuringian claimed victory on Luca Schmidt’s home turf; Schmidt hails from nearby Zeulenroda.
“Our goal from the very beginning was to take the lead right away and never let it go,” said Luca Schmidt after the race in the Adolf RS F1 sidecar. Visibly moved and proud of his passenger, Josef Sattler praised the 18-year-old in front of the spectators: “It went perfectly. With Luca, you can become world champion.” After the first race, Markus Schwegler/Ondrej Kopecky and Peter Kimeswenger/Kevin Kölsch joined them on the podium. After the second race, they were flanked by Michael Grabmüller/Nicolas Bidault and Schwegler/Kopecky.
The event at the Schleizer Dreieck also featured races for the IDM Superstock 600 Cup, the Twin Cup, the Pro Superstock Cup, and—for the first time—the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Cup. In the junior class, Sarah Göpfert—one of the two women in the field—took the win.