It was the best weekend of his Supersport career. Andreas Kofler also won the second race of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) in Most, Czech Republic. Current runner-up Twan Smits, on the other hand, continues to be dogged by bad luck.
For Twan Smits (Team Apreco), the start was the best thing that could have happened to him. The Dutchman surged from sixth place straight to the front on his Yamaha. Ironically, Andreas Kofler (Yamalube Kofler Motorsport)—usually a quick starter—was slow off the mark this time and, despite starting from pole position, lost ground. Neither rider noticed the commotion behind them. Guest rider Jonas Kocourek (SP Race Project, Ducati) missed the first corner and went straight on. At the same time, Kyle Smith (Weber Kawasaki) skidded through the gravel trap elsewhere. For the Brit, the race was over.
Smits and Kofler then took turns in the lead. Dirk Geiger (MCA Racing, Honda) and Kas Beekmans (Team Apreco) dominated the chasing pack. Lennox Lehmann (Yamalube Kofler Motorsport) retired, and Filip Feigl (Genius Racing Team) moved up to fourth place on his home track. The Czech rider had some breathing room in front and behind him. The upside: his position was secure.
A trio consisting of Smits, Kofler, and Daniel Blin (AF Racing, Ducati) led the field into the second half of the race. The race consisted of 14 laps on the 4.212-kilometer track. Feigl was no longer alone behind them and was no longer in a safe position. His pursuers had closed the gap on him.
Then came the shock: Smits, who had been leading the race, crashed out. It was almost too bad to be true. Yesterday, after many setbacks, last year’s runner-up finally stood on the podium and savored his breakthrough victory. Today, he fell all the way back to the bottom. His dream of winning the championship title this year is now unlikely to come true.
Kofler was the beaming winner at the finish line. The 19-year-old driver from the Austrian family team had driven a flawless race right up to the end. He was able to extend his lead in the championship. “It’s going well,” was his brief comment, to which there is nothing more to add. He won both races at Most, secured his third pole position, and is now leading the standings. What more could you want? Because Luca de Vleeschauwer, the double winner at Oschersleben, didn’t have the best day today, Kofler’s lead over the Belgian is now 31 points instead of the previous two.
Feigl was pipped to the finish line by the visiting riders Jonáš Kocourek (who had recovered after his early detour), Marcel Brenner (VIAMO Racing by MTM), and Luca Göttlicher (Triumph Germany Supersport Racing). Since Kocourek and Brenner were out of the running, Göttlicher received championship points as if he had finished third behind Blin.
IDM Supersport, Race 2
1. Andreas KOFLER (A/Yamaha)
2. Daniel BLIN (PL/Ducati)
3. Jonáš KOCOUREK (CZ/Ducati)
4. Marcel BRENNER (CH/Kawasaki)
5. Luca GÖTTLICHER (D/Triumph)
6. Filip FEIGL (CZ/Triumph)
7. Dirk GEIGER (D/Honda)
8. Luca DE VLEESCHAUWER (B/Triumph)
9. Sasha DE VITS (B/Yamaha)
10.Kas BEEKMANS (NL/Yamaha)
11. Štěpán ZUDA (CZ/Ducati)
12. Wiljan VAN WIKSELAAR (NL/Ducati)
13. Kevin WAHR (D/Triumph)
14. Damien RAEMY (CH/Yamaha)
15. Jorke ERWIG (D/Kawasaki)