Ever heard of Holzappel? It has nothing to do with wood; it’s actually a town west of Limburg an der Lahn in Rhineland-Palatinate. It’s the hometown of Julius Caesar Rörig, the only Honda rider in the recently concluded 2023 IDM Supersport series. The 17-year-old finished tenth in the overall standings. Goal achieved. But that won’t be enough next year. The high school graduate is now expected to finish in the top 5.
From Honda Germany’s perspective, Rörig has done everything right this year. Riding solo on the CBR 600 RR, he made his presence felt at the front of the pack, even though he had to overcome some obstacles. Some parts were delivered late. On top of that, due to a lack of reference data, Rörig constantly had to adjust his setup, but ultimately ended up with an increasingly better bike. “The bike has a lot of potential—that’s no secret,” says the teenager from the MCA Racing Team, “and for me, it’s a privilege to work with Honda.” His father and team boss, Stefan Schmidt, adds, given the more elaborate preparations: “If it were easy, anyone could do it.” The authorized Honda dealer is also his own son’s biggest critic. As a former racer and winner of the 2016 “1000 km of Hockenheim,” he can afford to be.
Rörig is taking a one-of-a-kind model of the super sports bike—currently available only in Japan in its ninth generation—for a spin on the racetrack. According to the latest information, the motorcycle is set to hit the market here in 2024. By then, Rörig will have been in test mode for quite some time. Ahead of him lies a tempting yet labor-intensive winter with plenty of riding time in warm Spain. The question remains: how can a high school senior afford this while still in school? The answer comes from him: “I have a verbal agreement with the school that if my grades are good, I’ll be excused from classes.” Things are looking good for Rörig—and the trend is upward.
