The second race of the IDM Sportbike class at the Nürburgring got off to a shocking start. Title contender Oliver Svendsen (Triumph Germany Racing Team), who was making his comeback this weekend after a serious leg injury, unexpectedly crashed during the warm-up lap. Since he then had to undergo a medical check, he was unable to make it to the starting grid in time. His team did everything they could to get the bike back in racing condition in order to score crucial points for the title fight and prevent the gap to championship leader Inigo Iglesias Bravo—who entered the race with a five-point lead—from growing too large. It wasn’t until the fourth lap of the race that Svendsen was able to rejoin the action from the pit lane—but it was too late. The 21-year-old was only allowed to miss 25 percent of the race and, consequently, had to complete 75 percent of it. By the time he rejoined the race on the fourth of a total of 13 laps, however, the opportunity had already passed.
Sudden Turn of Events for Inigo Iglesias Bravo
At the front, Iñigo Iglesias Bravo (Wematik Racing by RT Motorsports) initially had everything under control. But on lap seven, there was another twist: Blue smoke suddenly began billowing from the exhaust of his Triumph—engine trouble! The Spaniard had to coast to a stop and get off his bike.
This cleared the way for the chasing pack. Justin Hänse (Motorradtek GYTR by Penz13 – ADAC Hessen-Thüringen e.V.) initially took the lead, closely followed by Korbinian Brandl (AK Racing Team), Rick Kooistra (Pearle Gebben Racing), Luis Rammerstorfer (Freudenberg Rora-Paligo Racing), and Alexander Weizel (AK Racing Team). Brandl capitalized on his strength under braking and passed Hänse shortly thereafter. Kooistra also overtook the German.
A bold passing move seals the deal
But the race wasn’t decided until just before the finish: At the start of the penultimate lap, Austrian Luis Rammerstorfer capitalized on a gap, boldly fought his way through on the inside, and catapulted himself from fourth place to the lead. Hänse, meanwhile, dropped back to fifth place. From there, the 17-year-old defended his lead all the way to the finish line and celebrated his first victory in this class. “I already knew yesterday that I had the pace to race at the very front. But I was too defensive. Today I did things differently—that was my best race of the season—thanks in part to Inigo, who really helped me this weekend with his tips,” the winner beamed in the Parc Fermé.
Behind him, Korbinian Brandl once again put in a stellar performance and earned a well-deserved second-place finish. “That was the best race of my life. I pushed to the limit every lap—and sometimes even beyond,” said the 18-year-old, who impressively confirmed his strong form following his victory at Assen, which was awarded to him retroactively.
Dutch driver Rick Kooistra finished third and was thrilled with the eventful race: “That was so crazy! I had a blast and was so focused that I was completely surprised when the checkered flag suddenly came out.” With this result, he moves up to fourth place in the championship standings, overtaking Justin Hänse.
An Unfortunate End for Weizel and Hänse
For Hänse and Alexander Weizel, however, the race ended unhappily. With three laps to go, Weizel crashed, and Hänse, who was right behind him, was unable to swerve out of the way and collided with the Aprilia rider. Both escaped with only minor injuries but had to be examined at the medical center. Ty Henriksen (Henriksen Racing) and Cedric Holme Nielsen (Motorradtek GYTR by Penz13 – ADAC Berlin Brandenburg) benefited from the dropouts, moving up to fourth and fifth place, respectively. Behind them, Kristoffer König (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb), Ben Kugler (MotoLife), and Sven Seidler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) rounded out the top 8.
The championship remains highly exciting: Inigo Iglesias Bravo continues to lead by five points over Oliver Svendsen. The title will now be decided at the grand finale in Hockenheim from September 26 to 28. Excitement is guaranteed.
IDM Sportbike, Race 2 Results:
- Luis RAMMERSTORFER (AUS), Triumph Daytona 660
- Korbinian BRANDL (DEU), Aprilia RS 660
- Rick KOOISTRA (NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Ty HENRIKSEN (DNK), Aprilia RS 660
- Cedric HOLME NIELSEN (DEU), Yamaha YZF-R7
- Kristoffer KÖNIG (DEU), Aprilia RS 660
- Ben KUGLER (DEU), Triumph Daytona 660
- Sven SEIDLER (DEU), Aprilia RS 660
DNF: Justin HÄNSE (GER), Yamaha YZF-R7
DNF: Alexander WEIZEL (GER), Aprilia RS 660
DNF: Inigo IGLESIAS (ESP), Triumph Daytona 660
NQ: Oliver SVENDSEN (DEN), Triumph Daytona 660