The wait is over. The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) kicks off its new season this coming weekend. Seven events are on the calendar, starting May 3–5, 2024, at the Sachsenring. With riders from all over the world, two rounds of the FIM Sidecar World Championship, and various junior classes on the program, Germany’s premier motorcycle racing series guarantees an entertaining show.
When the asphalt shakes in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany’s motorsports capital, it means the IDM is in town. The series opener will reveal just how successful the preparations of the past few months have ultimately been.
In the Superbike class, Florian Alt returns to Honda as the defending champion. The 28-year-old from Engelskirchen led the brand to its first major victory in 13 years at the season finale in Hockenheim. This year, the field in the top class has become even more competitive, with over 30 riders registered. Among them are star riders such as Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR/BMW), Patrick Hobelsberger (D/BMW), Toni Finsterbusch (D/BMW), and Leandro Mercado (ARG/Kawasaki). How will the current Italian champion, Lorenzo Zanetti, fare against them? It promises to be exciting, as the 36-year-old also marks Ducati’s return to the fray. The Superbikes have over 200 PS and can reach speeds of more than 300 km/h, depending on the track.
For Max Enderlein, this marks a fresh start. The Hohenstein-Ernstthal native has three Supersport under his belt and spent most of last year working as a team manager, but his urge to get back on the bike himself turned out to be stronger than he’d expected. The 27-year-old Yamaha rider is hitting the ground running with his promotion to the top class.
Kevin Orgis from Arnsdorf is the next Saxon to make the switch to Superbikes. Last year’s 24-year-old Pro Superstock 1000 Cup winner has made things particularly exciting. His preseason preparations were completely thrown off track when he broke his right wrist in a fall while bouldering indoors over the winter. “But it’ll all work out,” says the BMW rider optimistically. The fact is: there are many seasoned riders in the class and a handful of enthusiastic newcomers. The deck is likely to be completely reshuffled.
“I think there will be a few races where the outcome won’t be decided until the final lap, in the final turn,” says series manager Normann Broy as he looks over the starting grid for the Sachsenring. The battle between the manufacturers has been at an all-time high for years anyway. Now the bar has been raised even higher. In 2024, more manufacturers than ever before will be competing in the championship. On board are: BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Triumph, and MV Agusta.
As with the Superbikes, the field has grown significantly in the slightly smaller Supersport as well. Among the riders competing there is Lennox Lehmann from Dresden. Since last year’s champion, Melvin van der Voort, will no longer be competing—and the races at the top were already incredibly close—the battle for victories is likely to intensify even further. In addition, the action will be heating up in the junior IDM Supersport class and various cup classes. What will particularly delight the strong community of sidecar enthusiasts in the region is that two World Championship rounds will also be held on the German Grand Prix circuit, and a German-speaking team—Markus Schlosser and Luca Schmidt—is leading the standings. The Sidecar World Championship kicked off two weeks ago in France.
IDM admission prices at the Sachsenring range from 5.00 euros for a Friday ticket to 45.00 euros for the entire weekend. Anyone who purchases an event ticket also gets free admission to the paddock.
