The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) traditionally wraps up its season at Hockenheim. This year, the grand finale will take place at the Motodrom in Baden from September 22 to 24. Two titles are still up for grabs at the seventh and final round. The competition in the premier Superbike class and the IDM Supersport class could hardly be any closer. Spectators can expect a thrilling spectacle on the track, complemented by numerous attractions from the series’ partners—BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha—in the paddock. Every penny spent on the attractive admission tickets will be well worth it.
Everything is set for a weekend full of excitement. Can Florian Alt (GER/Honda) finally clinch the title for Honda in the IDM Superbike? For the brand, it would be its first victory in 13 years and a cause for celebration after so many disappointments. The twist in the decision: Alt could have sealed the deal as recently as Assen, but a crash in the second race dashed all hopes once again. The printed champion T-shirts remained in their packaging. Instead, the 27-year-old faces pursuers Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR/BMW), Patrick Hobelsberger (GER/BMW), and 
Hannes Sommer (EST/Honda) has closed the gap in the standings.
Even though he has a 36-point lead, Alt can’t afford any major setbacks at Hockenheim. Experience has shown that nothing is impossible in racing. The final tally won’t be in until the second race next Sunday is over. On top of that, the championship is generally very close. It’s conceivable that there will still be some position changes in the top ten and beyond. Riders like Bastien Mackels (NLD/Yamaha) and Leandro Mercado (ARG/Kawasaki) haven’t had their final say yet.
The competition is even tighter in the IDM Supersport class. Dutch rider Twan Smits (NLD/Yamaha) leads the standings with 195 points, ahead of his compatriot Melvin van der Voort (Yamaha), who has 186 points. Austrian Andreas Kofler (Yamaha) has 182 points. Smits and Kofler have finished every race so far. The Dutchman has secured three wins, while Kofler has won one race. Van der Voort has even claimed five victories, but because he crashed twice in Oschersleben and fell far behind as a result, it has been a tough season for the long-haired 18-year-old. But he is determined to become German champion before continuing his path in the World Championship. However, the decision of who ultimately takes home the trophies is not solely up to the three riders mentioned; Thomas Gradinger (AUT/Yamaha) or Luca de Vleeschauwer (BEL/Kawasaki) are also likely to tip the scales. For the favorites, the road to the title will be no walk in the park.
In the IDM Supersport 300 junior class, the title has already been decided. The new champion is Inigo Iglesias (Kawasaki) from Spain. Walid Khan, Dustin Schneider, and Philipp Tonn will battle it out for the remaining podium spots. All three ride for the Freudenberg-KTM-Paligo Racing team. Their teammates Lennox Lehmann and Dirk Geiger will not be competing at Hockenheim, as the Supersport 300 World Championship, in which they compete, is taking place simultaneously in Aragon. As always, the IDM result is likely to be extremely close. In the junior class, every centimeter counts, and it’s not uncommon for just thousandths of a second to separate the winners from the losers. This showdown among teenagers is racing at its finest.
That’s not all that spectators can look forward to this weekend. A variety of cup series will be taking place as part of the IDM support program. The lineup offers everything from top-tier professional racing to the talent pools of the future.
And the IDM remains a series you can experience up close. A ticket automatically includes free access to the paddock, where autograph hunters will be in their element. So what are you waiting for? Ticket prices range from €5.00 for a Friday day pass to €35.00 for a weekend pass.