IDM SSP 300: Narrow victory for the World Championship rider

The first race of the IDM Supersport 300 was decided in the final meters before the finish line. In the end, Britain’s Tom Booth-Amos (Füsport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) emerged victorious, though he certainly didn’t have it easy against his rival Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team).

Geiger took the lead right from the start with a blistering getaway. But just a few turns later, guest rider and World Championship competitor Booth-Amos passed the Mannheim native and took the lead. The two leaders pulled away from the chasing pack and battled it out among themselves. Geiger kept up a relentless challenge against the Kawasaki rider and refused to let himself be left behind. Four laps before the checkered flag, Geiger managed to pass the Kawasaki rider, but as they entered the final chicane, Booth-Amos sealed the deal and won the race. “I knew Dirk was a fast rider,” said the Brit after the race. He said he enjoyed battling against him.

Dirk Geiger was also pleased with how the race went. “I didn’t expect to be able to maintain that pace until the final lap,” said the driver, who currently sits in second place in the overall standings, in the Parc Fermé. He added: “But we now know that we have the speed for the World Championship.” For Geiger, this means an additional 25 points in the standings, as Booth-Amos competed as a guest driver and is not included in the standings.

Marvin Siebdrath (Füsport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) crossed the finish line in third place. However, the first third of the race went anything but smoothly for the Kawasaki rider. After a botched start, the Wildenfels native dropped from third to tenth place. Numerous collisions made it difficult for him to move up the field. “I realized, though, that I could ride about as fast as Dirk and Tom, even though the two of them were already too far ahead to catch,” said the 17-year-old with start number 94. Eventually, he managed to move to the front of the chasing pack and break free.

Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) also refused to let it get him down. Despite a game of cat and mouse and countless passing maneuvers that temporarily dropped him back to ninth place, he ultimately moved up to fourth. A result he felt could have been better: “I was pushed wide once on the first lap and had to weave my way back into the chasing pack, which I just couldn’t break out of.” Because of this mistake, he missed his chance to make it onto the podium.

Behind Lehmann, Micky Winkler from Schleiz (Kawasaki Werber-Motos Racing) and Belgian guest rider Sasha De Vits crossed the finish line. For the only German rider, Lucy Michel, the race ended prematurely due to a front-wheel crash.

The second race of the IDM Supersport 300 will take place on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. and will be broadcast on the IDM livestream.

IDM SSP 300, Race 1: