Côme Geenen’s debut in the IDM Superbike didn’t go as planned. The top-ten finishes the 31-year-old Belgian had hoped for didn’t materialize. Last year’s Pro Superstock Cup winner from the Vigenon Racing Team even returned home from the IDM season opener at the Lausitzring without scoring a single point. He finished in 19th and 17th place.
What’s going through the Superbike rookie’s mind right now? We took a look behind the pit gate.
Côme, how are you feeling after the season opener?
The first race weekend was very complicated. We’ve done very little testing on dry tracks this year, and we never managed to find a suspension setup that would have allowed me to feel comfortable on the BMW at Lausitz. The setup issues led to unusual tire wear. This made the BMW very unstable to ride. I didn’t really have confidence in the bike, even though it has exactly the same base as last year. The team took the entire bike apart again before the races in Oschersleben.
Did you underestimate the IDM Superbike?
Not at all. We know the level of competition in Germany’s top racing class and will do everything we can to move up.
What do you need to learn next?
I have to stay completely focused and find solutions quickly in order to remain competitive.
Who are your main competitors right now?
I can't say. I just focus on myself so I can make progress and get faster. I have to push through.
What’s the plan for Oschersleben?
The competition is tough, but I knew that going in. Still, I hope to do better this coming weekend than I did at the season opener. We have data for Oschersleben, so we have a better foundation for this track. So I hope to have fun there and that the results will follow.
What do the lap times of Markus Reiterberger or Florian Alt mean to you?
Everyone is watching these two drivers, and I keep an eye on them too. They’re successful. So I have to try to do the same thing they do.