Most was once again well worth the trip. Last weekend, under bright sunshine, the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) thrilled spectators with a mix of nail-biting finishes and the chance to see the riders up close. Promoted by Motor-Presse Stuttgart, the IDM has maintained its reputation as a professional series that feels accessible to fans.
After three crashes, three-time champion Ilya Mikhalchik (BCC ALPHA VAN ZON BMW RACING) in the premier class IDM Superbike was hoping for a win. The reason: He had secured pole position in qualifying. But he would have to wait a little longer. In the first of two races, Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) emerged as the clear winner after 16 laps. For lap after lap, he had been locked in a thrilling battle with Hannes Soomer (Enemat Enos Motorsport) that was as edge-of-your-seat as it gets. Mikhalchik, who had been too aggressive at the start of the battle and ended up off the track, had fought his way back to the front in the meantime. The race wasn’t over yet when the Ukrainian launched a successful but aggressive attack on the Estonian, who had no chance to counter. Mikhalchik had thus split the Honda duo at the front and finished second between Alt and Soomer.
In a turbulent second race full of twists and turns, the reverse grid added to the excitement. Under this format, the three fastest drivers from the first race start on the third row, while positions four through six move up to the front row. This setup led to a tightly packed field. Florian Alt and Hannes Soomer soon found themselves at the front again. Ilya Mikhalchik had gotten stuck in the pack. The fact that he ended up at the very front despite starting at the back is a testament to his tenacity and a massive comeback. He had steadily worked his way through the field to take advantage of a gap that opened up in the skirmish between Alt and Soomer. As disappointed as the Ukrainian was after his second-place finish in the first race, he was all the more beaming with joy after this triumph. And his team boss, Werner Daemen, was absolutely ecstatic, ripping his T-shirt off and celebrating.
Soomer crashed out of the race on the final lap. As a result, Bastien Mackels (Team SWPN) made it onto the podium, rounding out the mix of BMW, Honda, and Yamaha brands. Behind him, Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Weber Motos Racing) was the first Kawasaki to cross the finish line. Florian Alt leads the championship.
In der IDM Supersport Guest rider Oliver Bayliss (D34G) won the first race on a Ducati. It marked the Italian motorcycle brand’s debut in this year’s IDM. There had been some surprise on the starting grid. Although he had secured pole position, the Australian—and son of three-time Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss—started only from fourth place. There was a reason for that. Due to missing, but mandatory, tire stickers during the warm-up, he was set back three places. For Bayliss, who comes from the Supersport, this was no problem. After the start, the 19-year-old Ducati rider was already in the lead by the first corner, a position he held until the finish. Because Bayliss was running outside the points, Dutch rider Melvin van der Voort (Team SWPN) returned to the checkered flag in second place following his crashes at the last event, as he received the full points in the championship—in which he is the title favorite—instead of Bayliss; however, the championship is currently led by his compatriot Twan Smits (Team Apreco), who finished third in the race.
The second Supersport race at Most had to be stopped again after a restart and several crashes and was not counted toward the standings.
In der IDM Supersport The Kawasakis from Team Füsport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki dominated this weekend. In the first race, Czech rider Petr Svoboda prevailed in his home race and celebrated his first victory in the IDM. Dirk Geiger (Team Freudenberg-Paligo Racing) finished in second place. On race Sunday, Spaniard Inigo Iglesias (Füsport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) crossed the finish line ahead of his teammate Petr Svoboda, securing a one-two finish for the team. Iglesias left the Most circuit as the leader in the overall standings.
Two spectacular races in the FIM Sidecar World Championship Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (Team Ellis/Clement/LCR Yamaha) battled it out with Tom and Ben Birchall (Wyckham Blackwell von Birchall/LCR Honda). The Birchall brothers won Saturday’s sprint race ahead of Pekka Päivärinta and Ilse de Haas (Team Bonovo Action Team/LCR Yamaha). Sunday’s main race developed into a thrilling duel between Ellis/Clement and the Birchall brothers, which Todd Ellis won thanks to better momentum coming out of the final corner.
In the battle for the IDM Title Josef Sattler and Luca Schmidt (Team Bonovo Action Team/LCR Yamaha) set the pace. With two wins at Most and an additional 50 points in the bag, they currently lead the championship ahead of the new junior team of Lennard Göttlich and Lukas Krieg (Team Bonovo Action Team/LCR Yamaha).
The additional classes—Pro Superstock 1000, the Supersport Women’s Europacup, and the Northern Talent Cup—ensured a full schedule without any breaks in Most. The next round of the IDM will take place from July 21 to 23, 2023, at the legendary Schleizer Dreieck, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
