Pulling off a backflip on the asphalt is no problem for Michel-Caspar Wieth. Nor is breaking into the top 10 right off the bat as a rookie in the IDM Supersport 300. For the 20-year-old from Klein Nordende, this is his first season in the IDM, which he kicked off unexpectedly with 9th and 7th-place finishes at the Lausitzring. In fact, motorcycle racing is still pretty much uncharted territory for Wieth.
The Yamaha rider had his first experience on the racetrack just 2.5 years ago. His first kiss with the asphalt came six months later. That was in 2019, just before the pandemic. From then on, the former longtime gymnast had gotten a taste for it, as he puts it, and wanted more. “I came across the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Cup through an ad online and was determined to participate. But then COVID-19 hit and everything was canceled,” Wieht says of his early days.
Instead of sitting around twiddling his thumbs, he made the most of his time and prepared for his first racing season in 2021 with track training and pit bike riding, ultimately finishing fourth in the overall standings. “I never would have dreamed of such a result,” Wieth says, looking back on his debut year as a race car driver. When he was 11, his father gave him a motocross bike, which he rode for six years. After a serious crash and a somewhat longer break, he took part in a cornering course for street motorcycles. Looking back, that was the foundation for his path to becoming a race car driver.
The Yamaha bLU cRU IDM by Kiefer Racing team recognized his potential and took him under their wing for the 2022 season, entering him in the IDM Supersport 300 class. After a botched first qualifying session at the season opener at the Lausitzring—where, as Michel-Casper Wieth himself admits, he put too much pressure on himself—he started from 17th place. He knew he could do better, he thought to himself, and ultimately fought his way up to 9th and 7th place. “I was amazed that I was able to keep up so well in the races right off the bat,” said the likable student, who is currently catching up on his secondary school diploma and plans to pursue an apprenticeship as a vehicle painter afterward. “I’ve always thought cars and motorcycles were cool,” Wieth explained his career aspirations.
The second race weekend in Oschersleben, however, was more mixed. He crossed the finish line in eleventh place in the first race, while the second race ended prematurely after a crash. “That was a shame, but no big deal,” said Wieth, who feels very well supported and encouraged by the experienced Kiefer Racing Team. With Sandro Cortese as team coordinator in the background, the 20-year-old is aiming for a top-10 finish in the overall standings at the end of his first IDM season.
Wieth will have another chance to rack up the necessary points this coming weekend when the IDM makes a stop in Most, Czech Republic. The first IDM Supersport 300 race will take place on Saturday afternoon, and the second on Sunday. All races will be streamed live and free of charge. And who knows—if Wieth manages to make it onto the podium this time, he might just cap off this success with a Flickfack…