Dry track, wet track, or both? The second IDM Supersport at the Sachsenring required two starts, including a quick restart. At the end of the day, Austrian Andreas Kofler (Yamalube Motorsport Kofler, Yamaha) emerged as the winner over the distance shortened to ten laps. German rookie Dirk Geiger (MCA Racing, Honda) stormed across the finish line in second place ahead of Poland’s Daniel Blin (AF Racing, Ducati). This resulted in three riders from three nations on three motorcycle brands on the podium.
Signs that the race, which had just started, would be interrupted were already apparent in the first corner when it unexpectedly began to rain. After one lap, all the riders were back in the pits, only to head out again later on slicks. The weather had improved. Only one rider opted for rain tires: Štepán Zuda, yesterday’s Ducati winner. Before the restart, the race distance was shortened from 14 to 10 laps, and there was a quick restart. That means: there is only one marshal on the starting grid, and there is one minute to go. After that, it’s off to the warm-up lap and then straight into the race.
Andreas Kofler was clearly back to his old self with his lightning-fast starts and made full use of them. He led the race from start to finish. Kyle Smith (Kawasaki Weber Racing) and rookie Dirk Geiger set out to catch him and began to close the gap on the Austrian. But the 18-year-old dug deep and extended his lead again. Kofler rode to his second IDM Supersport of his career, climbed onto the top step of the podium wearing gold-mirrored sunglasses, and said candidly: “That wasn’t an easy race. Nobody wants a race like that. We started, half a lap in the dry, then it started pouring. Then in, then out, and it started drizzling again. Now the sun is shining. I have no idea. Where are you supposed to go? But I’m glad it was enough for me this time.” The cheerful Upper Austrian had been working like a man possessed since Friday on the Yamaha YZF-R6 with his brand-new family team.
Kyle Smith, Dirk Geiger, Twan Smits (Team Apreco), Kevin Wahr (Triumph Germany Supersport ), Luca de Vleeschauwer (MotoLife), Daniel Blin (AF Racing Team), and Lennox Lehmann (Yamalube Motorsport Kofler) took a while to find their rhythm. The race was effectively decided in the ninth of ten laps. Lehmann and World Championship veteran Kyle Smith were forced to drop back. Geiger, on the other hand, defended his second-place position with tremendous tenacity against the rest of the pack. The 21-year-old Honda rider with the bright yellow “60” on his fairing actually capped off his first IDM Supersport with a podium finish. Daniel Blin already knew where he belonged and sportingly claimed the third spot on the podium. That’s exactly where the Ducati rider from Poland had stood yesterday. And where was yesterday’s winner, Štepán Zuda? After his solitary decision to start on slicks, he finished last today.
Results, IDM Supersport. Round 2
1. Andreas KOFLER (A), Yamaha
2. Dirk GEIGER (D), Honda
3. Daniel BLIN (PL), Ducati
4. Lennox LEHMANN (D), Yamaha
5. Luca DE VLEESCHAUWER (B), Triumph
6. Kyle SMITH (GB), Kawasaki
7. Twan SMITS (NL), Yamaha
8. Marvin SIEBDRATH (D), Yamaha
9. Sasha DE VITS (NL), Yamaha
10.Kevin WAHR (D), Triumph
11.Filip FEIGL (CZ), Triumph
12. Kas BEEKMANS (NL), Yamaha
13. Jorke ERWIG (D), Kawasaki
14. Julius Caesar RÖRIG (D), Honda
15. Thomas EDER (D), Yamaha