The IDM Sidecar qualifying session in Schleiz on Saturday afternoon sent stress levels soaring for many. Rain that suddenly set in one minute before the start of qualifying caused a stir among the teams, all of whom were ready to go on slicks. A few attempted to chase lap times despite the wet track and pouring rain. But it was too dangerous; everyone agreed on that. So they had to switch to rain tires on the spot—and time was running out.
Within four minutes, Bennie Streuer and Kevin Kölsch (Bonovo Action Team/Adolf RS) had completed the tire change as a team. They were among the first to take to the 3.8-kilometer road race track. Things went well for the duo, who had just competed in the World Championship at Donington Park the previous week. For Kevin Kölsch, however, it was a special situation: “It was my first rain ride with Bennie. But it was fun and went well.” If it rains again during the sprint race this afternoon, Kölsch wouldn’t mind. “We’ve seen that we work well together even in the rain. Whether I get soaked in the rain while wearing my leather suit or in the heat while riding through Switzerland doesn’t really matter,” grins the Nepthen native. For a long time, they led the field as the fastest sidecar team until, in the final 15 seconds, Tim Reeves and Kevin Rousseau (Bonovo Action Team/Adolf RS) snatched the lead from them and pushed them back to second on the grid. This means two world champions are on the front row, and they certainly won’t let anything slip by.
One row back, Josef Sattler and Luca Schmidt (Bonovo Action Team/Adolf RS) will start from third position, followed by two other world champions. Fourth place on the grid was secured by Finland’s Pekka Päivärinta and the Netherlands’ Ilse De Haas. Starting from fifth position, Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries (Team Schlosser/LCR F1) will be hitting the gas, having cleaned their car of wet dirt from the track immediately after qualifying.
“That was a hardcore dress rehearsal,” said Peter Kimeswenger (MRSC Gunskirchen SRT#11/ LCR Yamaha) afterward; for his co-driver, Ondřej Sedláček, it was his first time on the road course in Schleiz. But both took the circumstances in stride and are looking forward to the first race, true to the motto “new game, new chance.”
Qualifying did not go as smoothly for Jakob Rutz and Thomas Hofer (Sidecar Racing Team Rutz/LCR Yamaha). The two Swiss riders failed to qualify during today’s practice session; however, after submitting a request to race control based on a strong time in the first free practice session, they will start from the last position this afternoon.
The sprint race on Saturday starts at 5:35 p.m. and will be broadcast live at www.idm.de/live.
IDM Sidecar, Qualifying
1. Tim REEVES/Kevin ROUSSEAU (GBR/FRA)
2. Bennie STREUER/Kevin KÖLSCH (NLD/DEU, guest starters)
3. Josef SATTLER/Luca SCHMIDT (DEU)
4. Pekka PÄIVÄRINTA/Ilse de HAAS (FIN/NLD)
5. Markus SCHLOSSER/Marcel FRIES (CHE, guest starters)
6. Enrico WIRTH/Werner LÜTTKE (DEU, guest starters)
7. Lennard GÖTTLICH/Uwe NEUBERT (DEU)
8. Peter KIMESWENGER/Ondrej SEDLACEK (AUT/CZE)
9. Janez REMSÉ/Manfred WECHSELBERGER (SLO/AUT)
10. Max ZIMMERMANN/Ronja MAHL (GER)
11. Eero PÄRM/Lauri LIPSTOK (EST)
12. Markus SCHWEGLER/Ondrej KOPECKY (GER/CZE)
13. Wiggert KRANENBURG/Jermaine VAN MIDDEGAAL (NLD)
14. Wout VERMEULE/Jarno BOUIUS (NLD)
15. Jakob RUTZ/Thomas HOFER (CHE)