As in 2022, the Bonovo Action BMW team from the World Superbike Championship will make a guest appearance in this year’s International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM), this time at the Red Bull Ring.
The team’s roots lie in the IDM, particularly those of team owner Jürgen Röder and team manager Michael “Galle” Galinski. “The top priority is to have fun,” he says, outlining the plan for the weekend, “we have enough stress all year round. For Jürgen Röder, it’s important to come back once a year and show what we’re made of.” On the starting grid are the bonovo riders Loris Baz from France and Garrett Gerloff from the U.S.
The current weather conditions in Styria are anything but pleasant. It’s raining, and the track is wet. “We have exactly one spare fairing with us,” Galinski notes. “Take it with you, manufacturer Julius Ilmberger told me. It’s like an umbrella. If you have it with you, it won’t rain. But I’ve asked our guys to be a little careful with the equipment. In the World Championship, they break quite a few things, but there we have plenty of spare parts on board. Here, it’s a different story.”
As was the case last year, the IDM Superbike campaign will be run on BMW rolling chassis. The engine and base chassis form the foundation. PVM wheels and fairings are added to the mix. “We simply dug out the bike Loris used last year in Assen.” Baz had finished second twice in the Netherlands on that bike, behind Markus Reiterberger, who went on to become a four-time IDM champion. Gerloff’s bike ran for the very first time today in free practice, and the Red Bull Ring is also completely new to the American himself.