Honda's defending champion Florian Alt has taken the lead in the IDM Superbike standings at Oschersleben. He has yet to secure a victory this season, but one is necessary if he wants to keep three-time Superbike champion Ilya Mikhalchik (Champion Alpha Van Zon BMW) behind him. Today, the Holzhauer Racing Promotion Team (HRP) tested at the Schleizer Dreieck.
When the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) visits the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic from June 21 to 23, 2024, only two points will separate Florian Alt and his closest rival, Ilya Mikhalchik. The Ukrainian has won the last two races. “I would have loved to have been in the lead in the second race at Oschersleben; I fought like a bull,” Alt reports, “and on the final lap, even Ilya’s team boss Werner Daemen got goosebumps.” He adds: “We were significantly faster than last year. Only Ilya had more pace than me on the BMW. That’s why we need to make the new Fireblade competitive enough to win.”
For this reason, the Honda team headed to the Schleizer Dreieck, where things didn’t go as planned last year. “We’re developing new chassis components, and the new bike handles much better on the track than the previous one,” Alt says, “but the test was also worthwhile for Most. We’ve already ruled out quite a few parts.”
Alt had to get up early to make it to the free practice sessions for the International Roadracing Championship (IRRC). “We left the guesthouse in Schleiz shortly after six, and by eight I was already on the bike. There were six free practice sessions with a lot of traffic on the track, but we made the most of them right up until the end.”
The 28-year-old German from Engelskirchen is looking forward to Most. “The track suits the bike well, and it suits me too.” Alt won a race there last year. “We’ve taken another step forward since then, and BMW has made even greater progress. But I’m staying positive, even though a win won’t come easily.”
By the way, on his way home from Schleiz to Engelskirchen, “Flo” always stops in Wandersleben at the “Drei Gleichen.” It’s a ritual. “They have the best Thuringian roast pork at the gas station. I can’t pass that up. But only once the event is over. Otherwise, it’s off-limits.”
