IDM SSP 300: Khan Wins and Finishes as Runner-Up

Walid Khan secured victory in the second race of the IDM Supersport 300 at the Hockenheimring and, in doing so, clinched the runner-up title. The already-crowned champion, Inigo Iglesias, finished second, while Oliver Svendsen celebrated his first podium finish of the season with a third-place finish.

After Inigo Iglesias (Füsport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) was crowned the new IDM Supersport 300 champion at Assen, Walid Khan (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) secured the runner-up title for good in the second race on Sunday at the Hockenheimring. Only nine points separated him from his closest rival, Dustin Schneider (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing). All Khan had to do was finish ahead of Schneider—and that’s exactly what he did. After a poor start, the Dutchman was able to pull away from the field alongside Inigo Iglesias halfway through the race, and the two engaged in their own head-to-head battle. In the end, the KTM rider prevailed by not giving the Spaniard any opportunity to pass him on the final lap. Visibly moved, he commented after the race: “I’m overjoyed that I was able to end this challenging season with a victory.” Whether he will return to the IDM next year, however, remains to be seen.

“There are definitely new plans,” announced runner-up Inigo Iglesias at the awards ceremony. “I’ll be returning to the World Championship next year,” he said proudly, praising the atmosphere at the Hockenheimring.

Third place went to Denmark’s Oliver Svendsen (B.art Racing). He demonstrated throughout the weekend that he was in top form at Hockenheim. Right from the start of the race, he was in the mix at the front, and after a few battles with Dustin Schneider—from which he ultimately emerged victorious—he managed to close the gap to the leaders on his own. “That was a great race to finish the season. We struggled to compete at the front all season long, but here at Hockenheim we had really good speed right from the start,” explained Oliver Svendsen. He seized his opportunity in the final race and secured his best result of the season—and his first podium—with third place.

For Dustin Schneider, the last race didn't go as hoped. Although he put in a strong performance early on behind the leader, Inigo Iglesias, he ran out of steam as the race went on and had to let his rivals pull away. In the end, he finished in fourth place, missing out on the chance to become runner-up.

In the large chasing pack, Phillip Tonn (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) held on to fifth place, followed by Belgian rider Ferre Fleerackers (B.art Racing). Dylan Czarkowski (DC Racing) crossed the finish line in seventh, while Max Zachmann (Füsport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) could only manage eighth place today. Teammates Sven Doornenbal and Thom Molenaar (both Molenaar Racing) rounded out the top 10 in ninth and tenth place.

You can find all the other results here.

SSP 300 Results, Race 2: