In the IDM Supersport 300, he was in contention for the title, but technical issues and a crash meant he ultimately finished fourth overall in the junior class. Nevertheless, Dirk Geiger’s move up to the Supersport 300 World Championship is looking increasingly likely, especially following his stellar performance as a guest rider last weekend in Portimão, Portugal.
Just one day after the IDM finale on the last weekend of September, the 19-year-old from Mannheim was released from his contract with the Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team. The team from Bischofswerda, Saxony, thus helped their rider secure a spot in the World Championship with Team Füsport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki.
Two days later, the aspiring media designer was on a plane to Portugal, and shortly after that, he was riding a Kawasaki for the first time. “It’s a completely different motorcycle from the KTM I’m used to, and I had to adjust my riding style,” Geiger reports. Was he nervous as hell? “At first, I just did my own thing and tried to copy a bit from the faster riders who passed me during practice. But before the first race, I was really nervous. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect.”
After 13 laps at the Algarve International Circuit, Geiger finished sixth behind Tom Booth-Amos, who would go on to become the runner-up in the world championship. In the second race, he finished fifth. The German’s result exceeded all expectations. “With the KTM, I might have expected to be in the leading group,” said Geiger, sounding surprised himself, “but not with the Kawasaki. It was completely new to me, after all.”
The Baden native is now in contact with Rob Vennegoor and Frank Krekeler, the two heads of Füsport-RT Motorports by SKM-Kawasaki, regarding the 2022 season. For him, one thing is clear: his path is set to lead straight to the Supersport 300 World Championship. There has been no official statement yet regarding the Freudenberg team’s plans. “I’m curious to see how and with whom things will proceed.” It will be interesting for Geiger to see what role he plays in this.