Andreas Kofler won the pole position sprint in the IDM Supersport class at Most. The first race in the class takes place today. The defending champion from Austria needs to nurse his injuries until then to be in top form.
Andy Kofler (Yamalube Motorsport Kofler) wants to complete the 4.212-kilometer lap at the Autodrom—which features twelve right-hand and nine left-hand turns—as quickly as possible. The 20-year-old Yamaha rider is still struggling to recover from his crash two weeks ago in Schleiz at 240 km/h. His shoulder, in particular, took a beating. “After qualifying, the pain really kicks in again,” he said, quickly retreating to the pits to treat his shoulder. It’s 26 degrees in the shade outside. Directly above the racetrack, the sun is blazing with full intensity.
But Kofler can’t afford to slip up. In Schleiz, Dirk Geiger snatched the overall lead from him, and Luca Vleeschauwer (Track and Trades Wixx Racing) also overtook him on his Ducati. Although only two of seven events have been completed so far, Kofler will have to grit his teeth if he wants to keep his title hopes alive.
With Marcel Brenner (MotoLife), another serious contender has joined the fray. The Swiss rider is feeling better and better now that he’s overcome his burnout. “Last year was a really rough year for me,” the 27-year-old Ducati rider reflects, “Now, at the first two events, I had to get back into the swing of racing. Everything is getting better and better, and I feel better than I have in a long time.” Last year, he raced in the Supersport World Championship at the Autodrom Most and also made a guest appearance in the IDM here. Today, Brenner finished second on the timesheet after qualifying.
Dirk Geiger has secured third place on the grid. The Honda rider is in the form of his life and has won three of the four races held so far. It’s going to be interesting. Yamaha, Ducati, and Honda will all be on the front row. Not to mention, the Czechs are a force to be reckoned with on their home track and are always good for a surprise.
Richard Irmscher (Racingteam Irmscher) is set to compete in the first IDM Supersport race of his life. Last year’s Northern Talent Cup runner-up had to turn 16 before he could participate. That wasn’t the case at the season opener. And Schleiz was taken off the list as a precaution, as his parents had reservations. The young rider was supposed to gain experience on a permanent race track first. Three weeks ago in Oschersleben, the Saxon from Burgstädt took the Honda for a test ride. Yesterday in Most, he crashed out of the race. Today he’ll start from 18th place. After the compulsory routine comes the freestyle. Things get serious at 5:05 p.m. sharp.
Qualifying Results
1. Andreas Kofler (AUT), Yamaha
2. Marcel Brenner (CHE), Ducati
3. Dirk Geiger (GER), Honda
4. Marvin Siebdrath (GER), Yamaha
5. Štěpán Zuda (CZE), Yamaha
6. Daniel Blin (POL), Ducati
7. Melvin van der Voort (NLD), Ducati
8. Lennox Lehmann (GER), Yamaha
9. Luca De Vleeschauwer (BEL), Ducati
10. Julius Caesar Rörig (GER), Honda
11. Filip Feigl (CZE), Triumph
12. Jonáš Kocourek (CZE), Ducati