From the IDM Supersport to the IDM Superbike. Rob Hartog is set to make a direct leap into the premier class of German road motorcycle racing next season with the Dutch team SWPN and its partner, the “Zorgeloos Kind” Foundation. The 29-year-old Rob Hartog, who is also from the Netherlands, will take to the track on a Yamaha R1M.
Hartog brings a wealth of experience at both the national and international levels. In 2014, he won the Dutch Supersport class. He followed that up with the European championship title in 2018. In the Supersport World Championship, Hartog secured several top-ten finishes. In 2016, he competed for one season in the higher-displacement FIM Superstock 1000 European Championship, but most recently returned to the Supersport class, finishing sixth overall in 2021 in the highly competitive IDM Supersport. Now he is set to return to the premier displacement class and make his debut in the IDM Superbike series.
The SWPN team is supported by Yamaha Motor Europe, BeNeLux branch, and is kicking off its seventh season in the IDM’s premier class. The Yamaha R1M is new to Hartog. To ensure he’s well prepared for the season, he’ll be taking part in several test sessions in Spain. He says: “I’m really looking forward to this new adventure. At first, I had my sights set on continuing my career in the IDM’ Supersport , but when SWPN approached me about the Superbike class, I didn’t think twice and seized this great opportunity to make the leap to the premier class. It will be a challenge, but a very exciting one, and I’ll do everything I can to make it a success.”
Team manager Frank Brouwer explains the partnership as follows: “In Rob, we have a driver with experience, but also a driver who, in my opinion, is a good fit for the team in terms of attitude and mentality. Rob is serious, calm, and eager to learn.”