The competition in the IDM Superbike class is fierce. Sheridan Morais knew that. But the South African was surprised that he managed to score just a single point at the season opener. He didn’t race at the Schleizer Dreieck at all last time. As idm.de has learned, this was purely a strategic decision.
Top-ten finishes are the goal for Team Motorradtke GYTR Pro Shop by Penz13. But the start has been tough for the only team officially supported by Yamaha—at least in Germany’s top motorcycle racing class. Because the deal with Sheridan “Shez” Morais wasn’t finalized until just before the season opener, team boss Lars Sänger had to move quickly. But even though he’s one of Germany’s best mechanics, he can’t work miracles. In Oschersleben, Morais praised the Yamaha YZF-R1’s solid chassis, but the gap in practice time couldn’t be made up—let alone the issues with the electronics. “We got stuck with Magneti Marelli,” says Sänger, “but we went to test in Schleiz afterward and made significant progress.”
Sänger no longer sees his driver—who has won races in the World Endurance Championship ( Supersport) and is right at home in the World Endurance Championship—at the back of the starting grid. “We’re sticking to our test plan, even if it’s hard sometimes.” Anyone who knows Sänger soon realizes that the 41-year-old from Thuringia is not one to stand in the shadows.
It took a lot of logistics and a phenomenal debut by Justin Hänse
Morais is officially booked only for events, and the singer reveals: “We have to plan exactly where we’ll use him and bring the equipment along. The Schleizer Dreieck wasn’t on the schedule. Shez was there as a riding coach for the Apreco guys, Twan Smits and Lennox Lehmann. “We have a good rapport with the Apreco team.” Sheridan Morais himself will be back on the Superbike in just under two weeks. “We’ll get the logistics sorted out for the races in Most.” But the “Miracle of Korbußen”—where Motorradke GbR, a die-hard Yamaha dealer, is based—will have to wait, at least in the IDM Superbike series.
In the new IDM Sportbike class, however, the team really made a splash. “Justin Hänse’s second place on the Yamaha R7 in the overall standings is phenomenal,” says Sänger, clearly thrilled, adding right away: “We’re focusing on this class now, and we won’t be diverting any resources—we’ll be putting all our energy into it. I’m also proud of our second rider, Cedric Holme Nielsen. He’s made incredible progress.”
