The second Superbike race at the Schleizer Dreieck was a one-man show at the front by Ilya Mikhalchik (BCC ALPHA VAN ZON BMW RACING), who claimed his third victory of the season. Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Weber Motos Racing) finished second. Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) won the dramatic battle for third place, further extending his lead in the overall standings. And Marc Moser (Motoforce Racing) threw in the towel.
Gusty winds marked Sunday’s second Superbike race. The grid girls had their hands full holding up the umbrellas on the starting grid. Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Weber Motos Racing) took advantage of his pole position on the reverse grid to take the lead right after the start. Ilya Mikhalchik, also on the front row, had the best starting position among the top riders in Germany’s premier motorcycle road racing class and snatched the lead from Mercado on the very first lap. As the winner of the first race, Florian Alt had to start from the third row alongside Toni Finsterbusch (GERT56) and Hannes Soomer (Enemat Enos Motorsport). While Finsterbusch worked his way past Kamil Krzemien (BCC ALPHA VAN ZON BMW RACING), Jan-Ole Jähnig (GERT56), and Daniel Kartheininger (Hertrampf Yamaha Racing) relatively quickly, Alt remained stuck in the pack for longer.
Meanwhile, Mikhalchik showcased his dominance at the front of the pack throughout the weekend. Mercado followed him comfortably at a distance. Behind them, things were heating up. Jähnig, who was riding completely unleashed despite this being only his eighth Superbike race, put up a fight against the approaching veteran. Bastien Mackels (Team SWPN) launched a fierce attack on Hobelsberger, who was subsequently forced to take the emergency exit. The Bavarian had a rough time in Schleiz anyway. He didn’t know the track. He usually loves to have already covered quite a few kilometers on it beforehand. He also had a misaligned brake. Philipp Steinmayr (BCC ALPHA VAN ZON BMW RACING) was right in the thick of it as well.
And Alt closed in on Finsterbusch, who was in third place, meter by meter. By that point, Jähnig had already fallen behind. The battle for the final podium spot was decided on the penultimate lap. Alt outmaneuvered Finsterbusch by taking a different line.
Mikhalchik had secured his third win of the season, finishing 9.983 seconds ahead of Mercado. “That was the real Mikhalchik,” he said after the race. After the first run, he had been unresponsive. It’s always easy to tell how the Ukrainian is feeling.
Mercado secured Kawasaki’s first podium finish of the year and was celebrated not only by his own team but also by the Wilbers team. Wilbers no longer has its own team in the IDM Superbike series, but it remains closely connected to the IDM and supports the Swiss Kawasaki Weber Motos Racing team with its suspension technology.
Florian Alt, who had fought his way confidently from ninth to third place and further extended his lead in the overall standings, described the race as not exactly easy, with strong winds and a lot of dirt in the dip. He also criticized the reverse grid, saying it involved too much risk when trying to get through. But Alt no longer needs to worry about losing the championship lead if he misses the next race in two weeks at the Red Bull Ring due to a scheduling conflict. His lead over second-place Soomer, who is racing at the Red Bull Ring, stands at 65 points. Alt can travel to the World Endurance Championship in Suzuka with a clear conscience.
Marc Moser rode what is likely to be his final race in the IDM Superbike series. The former Ducati rider had already hinted on several occasions that he was struggling with the BMW. The results speak for themselves. “It’s not the bike’s fault, and certainly not the team’s; it’s just that I can’t tap into its potential. The BMW and my riding style aren’t a good fit. So this is the best solution for now.”
IDM Superbike, Round 2
1. Ilya MIKHALCHIK (UKR), BMW
2. Leandro MERCADO (ARG), Kawasaki
3. Florian ALT (GER), Honda
4. Toni FINSTERBUSCH (GER), BMW
5. Jan-Ole JÄHNIG (GER), BMW
6. Daniel KARTHEININGER (GER), Yamaha
7. Philipp STEINMAYR (AUT), BMW
8. Bastien MACKELS (BEL), Yamaha
9. Patrick HOBELSBERGER (GER), BMW
10. Hannes SOOMER (EST), Honda