Amid the chaos, flying debris, and a postponed maiden victory, Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) kept his cool in the second IDM Superbike race. The only Honda rider in the field won the 16-lap race at the Autodrom Most, finishing ahead of Toni Finsterbusch (GERT56 by RS Speedbikes) and Hannes Soomer (Masteroil Alpha Van Zon BMW).
Things got heated right from the first lap. Jan-Ole Jähnig (GERT56 by RS Speedbikes) got tangled up in the melee with Lorenzo Zanetti’s Ducati (Triple M Racing Ducati Frankfurt). Both were forced off the track, though Jähnig managed to get back on, chased after the pack, and was rewarded with two championship points.
It was a similarly close battle between Florian Alt and Hannes Soomer, but the German gave the Estonian some breathing room, and nothing happened. After two laps, the field had settled into a somewhat established order. Lukas Tulovic (Triple M Racing Ducati Frankfurt) led the race ahead of Toni Finsterbusch, Soomer, Alt, Tati Mercado (Masteroil Alpha Van Zon BMW), and Leon Orgis (ORM Racing Team).
A blow to Tulovic’s motorcycle abruptly changed the situation. The chain snapped and flew through the air. It was sheer luck that it missed Finsterbusch, who was right behind him, and also whizzed past Alt’s motorcycle on the left. For Tulo, the race was over. With Zanetti already out of contention, Triple M Racing Ducati Frankfurt had to cope with a complete write-off. After his fabulous time in Superpole, Tulo had been aiming for the championship lead at Most. His third-place finish in the first race hadn’t helped, and the broken chain came at the worst possible time.
Five laps had been completed when Alt led the field ahead of Soomer, Finsterbusch, Mercado, Smits (Team Apreco), Leon Orgis, Maximilian Kofler (Yamalube Motorsport Kofler), Martin Vugrinec (Skach Motors Kawasaki Racing), and Bálint Kovács (Masteroil Alpha Van Zon BMW). The presence of Smits and Vugrinec was noteworthy.
The usual suspects at the top were pushing for change. Finsterbusch attacked Soomer, forcing him to ease off. At that very moment, Mercado slipped through. The Argentine would never in a million years have given a second thought to the fact that his teammate was leading the league and could extend his lead. It’s not time for that yet, and Mercado wants to win it himself.
Because his rivals were battling it out, Alt was able to pull away easily. Later, the pit board indicated that a rider was behind him. He didn’t know it was Toni Finsterbusch. The 32-year-old Saxon has never been one to be underestimated, and “Fibu” is a force to be reckoned with on the brakes. He has achieved so much, but there’s one thing missing: he still hasn’t secured his first IDM Superbike victory. He was so close again in Most, but after 16 laps, the winner was Florian Alt. “I would have liked to give Flo a run for his money, but we’ll have to put that off,” said the BMW rider, who has been a mainstay at Gert56 by RS Speedbikes for years. “Besides,” he noted, “I made two or three mistakes, so I was never within striking distance.”
Hannes Soomer, who was in third place, had traveled to the Czech Republic with a one-point lead over his closest rival, Lukas Tulovic, in the overall standings. The situation has completely turned around. Soomer now has a 9-point lead, though not over Tulovic, but over Alt. Tulovic has slipped to third place. Lurking behind him is Finsterbusch—trailing by exactly one point.
IDM Superbike, Race 2
1. Florian ALT (GER), Honda
2. Toni FINSTERBUSCH (GER), BMW
3. Hannes SOOMER (EST), BMW
4. Leandro MERCADO (ARG), BMW
5. Twan SMITS (NED), Yamaha
6. Bálint KOVÁCS (HUN), BMW
7. Maximilian KOFLER (AUT), Yamaha
8. Martin VUGRINEC (CRO), Kawasaki
9. Max SCHMIDT (GER), BMW
10.Soma GÖRBE (HUN), BMW
11.Leon ORGIS (GER), BMW
12. Sandro WAGNER (GER), BMW
13. Marco FETZ (GER), BMW
14. Jan-Ole JÄHNIG (GER), BMW
15. Philipp STEINMAYR (AUT), Kawasaki