The field of riders in the IDM Supersport 300 is growing. The Molenaar Racing Team is planning to field three young guns in the prestigious junior class: Thom Molenaar, Sven Doornenbal, and newcomer Senna van den Hoven. All three will race on a Kawasaki Ninja 400 sporting the colors of Arie Molenaar Motors/Nutec. The trio has already completed their first test laps.
In mid-January, the team completed numerous laps at the race tracks in Jerez, Almería, and Cartagena. The team spent a full week testing a wide variety of components and fine-tuning the bikes’ setup. Also on board: former World Supersport 300 World Champion Jeffrey Buis as a supporting mentor. Twenty-two-year-old Thom Molenaar and Sven Doornenbal, who is two years younger, benefited significantly from the collaboration. Molenaar was able to improve his lap times on all tracks, and Doornenbal also felt right at home on the Kawasaki with the team.
For Senna van den Hoven, the test week in Hoven was mainly devoted to getting to know the Kawasaki Ninja. He competed in the IDM Supersport 300 last season, but has switched from his Yamaha to the Kawasaki for 2023. The 19-year-old Dutchman sees this as another opportunity in his career and says: “First of all, I’d like to thank Arie Molenaar for letting me be part of this team.” He enjoyed the week in Spain, but he also knows: “It’s going to be an educational season, and my goal is to finish in the points in every race.”