Thick fog, zero visibility, and constantly changing schedules as a result. But the weather drama in the Eifel couldn’t slow down the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) on its return to the Nürburgring. For two days, all classes had been groping their way through the fog for hours, and several practice sessions were canceled. But as the fog lifted and the sun even broke through the clouds, there was no stopping the riders in the premier and cup classes. It was all about the final push before the season finale at Hockenheim in three weeks. In the top class, IDM Superbike, Ilya Mikhalchik on a BMW clinched the title early.
The Superbikes took to the track on Sunday under brilliant conditions at the foot of the Nürburgring. Would this be a dream day for 28-year-old BMW rider Ilya Mikhalchik, one in which he would clinch the title early? His only remaining rival was Honda’s defending champion, Florian Alt. But Alt had little hope left after his disastrous crash two weeks ago in Assen, in which he suffered deep lacerations to his right hand. Yet he wasn’t about to give up without a fight. It wasn’t until he was on the starting grid that he admitted, “I’m in a hell of a lot of pain, but I’ll give it a try.” Mikhalchik won the race after a fierce battle with his Estonian BMW teammate Hannes Soomer. Toni Finsterbusch (BMW) finished third. The podium featured a Ukrainian, an Estonian, and a German. Despite his injured hand, Alt finished a commendable fifth.
In the second race, Mikhalchik just had to finish among the top 13. The title was practically handed to him on a silver platter. All he had to do was take it. After 18 laps covering 3.618 kilometers, it was finally official: The 28-year-old Ukrainian had clinched the IDM championship in the top class ahead of schedule—for the fourth time. Mikhalchik’s partner Milana, his mother Ludmilla, his aunt, and even his grandmother had come to the Nürburgring to celebrate their personal superstar, who returned to the paddock for the podium ceremony waving the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag after his great triumph. He would have loved to cap off the success with another victory, but Hannes Soomer snatched that win away. The Estonian went down in IDM Superbike history as the new winner. A rampant Lorenzo Zanetti, who overtook two opponents at once, finished third. In the final laps, the Italian slipped past Finsterbusch on his Ducati, thereby preventing a BMW sweep, as had happened in the first race. Florian Alt crossed the finish line in fifth place, suffering excruciating pain in his hand. But that’s Florian Alt: giving up is not an option.
In the IDM Supersport , Twan Smits (Yamaha) won both races. It’s too late for the title race, but the reigning runner-up showed that, despite his up-and-down season, the competition must always count on him. Dirk Geiger secured two second-place finishes on a Honda, delivering the manufacturer’s best weekend result to date. And “Lucky Luc” Luca Göttlicher charged his way onto the podium in third place after starting from eleventh on the grid in the first race.
Championship leader Andreas Kofler (Yamaha) couldn’t get going in the Eifel. In the second race, he botched the start. That was unusual, as the Austrian is actually known for his lightning-fast starts. The fact that Smits and Geiger were ahead of him didn’t bother him much in terms of the overall standings, since neither of them plays a role in his title race. Kofler just had to make sure his direct rival, Luca de Vleeschauwer (Triumph), stayed behind him. And that’s exactly what happened. Third place went to Daniel Blin (Ducati) this time, but that was purely damage control. The Polish rider had crashed in the first race. The airbag in his leather suit deployed. Blin was able to walk away from the run-off area unharmed. Statistically, however, the incident knocked him out of the title race for good, and Lennox Lehmann (Yamaha) has also overtaken him in the overall standings and is now third overall.
The teammates from Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing engaged in a thrilling battle at the Nürburgring in the Supersport 300. In the first race, Phillip Tonn continued his winning streak with his third victory, a streak he had begun with a one-two finish at Assen. The German seemed to have finally made his breakthrough, leaving Ruben Bijman and Oliver Svendsen in second and third place. However, Svendsen subsequently lost his podium finish due to a penalty, with the Dutch rider Dylan Czarkowski (Yamaha) taking his place, leaving Svendsen in fourth. In the second race, the Dane responded promptly to this setback and secured the victory ahead of Bijman and Tonn. With this win, Svendsen extended his lead in the championship and heads into the final two races with a comfortable 30-point lead.
Breathtaking races in all championship classes and cup series kept the large crowd that poured into the paddock entertained. The grand season finale will take place at the Hockenheimring from September 20 to 22, 2024.