With three riders, Team Apreco has assembled a strong lineup for the upcoming IDM season. Twan Smits will compete in the IDM Supersport class. Kas Beekmans and Ruben Bijman will race in the junior IDM Supersport 300 class. And at the official team presentation, it became clear: Once again, the Dutch team can count on the support of Ten Kate Racing Products and Yamaha Motor Europe (Benelux).
Twan Smits is set to begin his second season in the Supersport class. Last year, the rookie immediately secured 5th place in the overall standings. With five podium finishes, he made a strong impression. This year, the 18-year-old from Steenwijk will once again be fighting for championship points on a Yamaha YZF-R6. His goals are ambitious: “In 2023, I want to continue developing and aim for victory in every race.”
Ruben Bijman is no stranger to the scene either. Quite the contrary. In 2019 and 2020, he competed in the International German Motorcycle Championship, finishing both seasons in the top ten and moving up to the Supersport 300 World Championship. He now competes in both series. There are scheduling conflicts on two weekends, and in those cases, he gives priority to the World Championship. “I am very grateful to Apreco and Yamaha for their fantastic support in the upcoming season,” says the 19-year-old YZF-R3 rider from Lopik, adding: “The IDM races are good training for me ahead of the World Championship rounds. In the IDM, our goal is to secure as many podium finishes as possible. The team has already proven that we can go for the win.”
Kas Beekmans is a nearly new face in the IDM Supersport 300. But only nearly. The 18-year-old raced in the Northern Talent Cup, which made several guest appearances at the IDM, before competing in his first two IDM races at the big Hockenheim finale in 2022. Now his first full IDM season is just around the corner. “I want to be right up front, so the top ten is the goal,” he said optimistically.
Apreco team owner Evert Blom would have preferred to have his team in place much sooner, “but preparing for the 2023 season wasn’t easy. Due to the uncertain economic climate, everything took longer.”