As exciting as the reverse grid in the IDM Superbike can be, it can also prove challenging for individual riders. Markus Reiterberger (BCC-alpha-Van Zon-BMW) and Florian Alt (Wilbers-BMW-Racing) were the exceptions. Even starting from the third row didn’t stop them from finishing at the very front. Joining them was Julian Puffe (GERT56)—and this time, he did it all on his own.
Florian Alt gave it his all, but even in the second IDM Superbike race at Schleiz, he was unable to defeat the dominant Markus Reiterberger. Starting from the third row, Reiterberger had once again found the right line to move up to the front. Alt hadn’t been so lucky in the past, but this time he went on the attack right away. That completely took Reiti by surprise. “The Wilbers team is tenacious—you never know what they’ll pull off,” he said, “but when I looked back this time, Florian was already right on my tail.” And he added: “I didn’t think Flo would stay on my tail for so long. It was another unforgettable weekend in Schleiz.” Reiterberger secured the team’s 100th victory since its inception for Werner Daemen’s team on the unique natural race track. Alt, for his part, stayed much closer to the leader, Reiterberger, in the second race than he had in the first.
Rob Hartog (Team SWPN), Julian Puffe, and Pepijn Bijsterbosch (BCC-alpha-Van Zon-BMW) were battling it out for third place. Bijsterbosch, from the Netherlands, was the first to fall behind. He was no longer able to keep up with the pace of the group. Eventually, his compatriot Hartog joined him, while Puffe made a break for the lead and pulled three seconds ahead of his rivals. Finishing third for the second time that day after 18 laps made the local hero beam even more than he already does. This podium finish was hard-earned. In the first race, the Schleiz native had more or less inherited his position due to the crashes of Jan Mohr and Toni Finsterbusch. In the overall standings, Puffe moved up two positions. He is now third in the standings.
Rob Hartog, who finished fourth in the race, also solidified his position in the IDM premier class, to which he has Supersport from IDM Supersport . At the same time, he was once again the top Yamaha rider. Leandro Mercado put in a solid performance, finishing sixth on his Honda Fireblade. He was followed by Bastien Mackels on the Weber-Kawasaki. Another notable result: 19-year-old rookie Max Schmidt (Hertrampf MO Yamaha Racing Team) earned as many points in a single race—the second Superbike race—as he had in the entire season up to that point.
IDM Superbike Results, Round 2:
1. Markus REITERBERGER (GER), BMW
2. Florian ALT (GER), BMW
3. Julian PUFFE (GER), BMW
4. Rob HARTOG (NED), Yamaha
5. Pepijn BIJSTERBOSCH (NED), BMW
6. Leandro MERCADO (ARG), Honda
7. Bastien MACKELS (BEL), Kawasaki
8. Daniel KARTHEININGER (GER), Yamaha
9. (G) Marc-Reiner SCHMIDT (GER), BMW
10. Philipp STEINMAYR (AUT), Yamaha