Max Enderlein set the fastest time of 1:27.007 in the first IDM Supersport qualifying session at the Schleizer Dreieck. Second-fastest was his own MR32 Racing teammate, Jan-Ole Jähnig, who was 0.456 seconds behind. The Thuringian battled it out with Twan Smits right up until the end. Jähnig managed to hold off the Dutchman (Team Apreco) by just one hundredth of a second. All three riders are competing on Yamahas. The top Kawasaki rider was Belgian Luca de Vleeschauwer (Weber Motos Racing) in sixth place.
Thomas Gradinger was not there. The Upper Austrian, who was among the favorites to win, crashed during free practice yesterday, Friday. In the crash, the 25-year-old dislocated his shoulder. It was reset at the hospital. The Eder Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 rider also suffered a back injury. According to team boss Thomas Eder, a final diagnosis has not yet been determined. Gradinger is being examined at a specialized clinic. “We haven’t been able to determine why he crashed yet. From the outside, he looked too fast; his competitors simply saw him fall. We’ll figure it out.”