The first race of the EURO MOTO Superbike series at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben ended with dramatic scenes. A severe engine failure on Twan Smits’ Yamaha triggered a chain reaction on the sixth lap. Four other riders crashed. The race was stopped with a red flag. Since the required distance was not completed, only half points were awarded for the standings.
Even before the start, Florian Alt (HRP Honda) had outlined his strategy for the battle against pole sitter Lukas Tulovic (Triple M Racing Ducati Frankfurt). “If Tulo’s in the lead going into the first corner, he’s gone. If not, then we can disrupt him as he tries to move up.”
Over the past few days, the HRP Honda team had developed a chassis setup unlike any they’d had before. “It’s even gentler on the tires than before,” Alt noted with satisfaction. In the final qualifying session, however, the 2023 champion said he had made a mistake. “Otherwise, we could have posted a time in the high 1:23s and would have been second behind Tulo. But even so, we achieved our goal of making it onto the front row of the grid. We’re in a good position—better than we thought.”
All hopes are pinned on Twan Smits
The best hope for putting pressure on Tulovic right from the start initially rested with Twan Smits. At first, however, the main hope lay with Twan Smits. With his incredible grip on the rear wheel of the Apreco-Yamaha and starting from second on the grid, the Dutchman was in the best position to match Tulo in the opening meters. Smits didn’t hesitate for a moment to carry out his mission and took the lead right after the start. The 22-year-old put in a really strong first lap and defended his lead before Tulovic took control.
Smits then battled it out with Florian Alt. Marcel Schrötter (GERT56), who was sitting higher in his seat than usual due to his injured leg, was busy fending off Markus Reiterberger (Masteroil Alpha Van Zon BMW), Toni Finsterbusch, Jan-Ole Jähnig (both GERT56), and Leon Orgis (ORM Racing) behind him.
Engine failure triggers a chain reaction
Then came the shocking moment. On the sixth lap, the engine of Smits’ Yamaha exploded. Within seconds, the track disappeared into a gigantic cloud of smoke. Florian Alt, Markus Reiterberger, Toni Finsterbusch, and Kevin Orgis had no chance to swerve out of the way and crashed. Reiterberger’s BMW took off and was hurled with tremendous force over the tire barrier and into the adjacent arena hill. Alt’s Honda also flew far off the track.
Despite the initial shock, relief eventually prevailed because no rider was seriously injured. Everyone involved was able to leave the scene of the accident on their own. Twan Smits was taken to the medical center with pain in his wrist. No fracture was found.
Is there enough time to rebuild?
Immediately afterward, a race against time began in the paddock. Some of the motorcycles were completely destroyed. Smits’ Yamaha will have to be completely rebuilt in time for the second race. Six mechanics worked on it nonstop. Markus Reiterberger is also facing a total loss. “I can’t imagine rebuilding it in such a short time, even though I have a lot of faith in my mechanics,” said the four-time champion, hoping for a miracle.
Kevin Orgis is worried about whether he’ll be able to compete in the second race because of a suspension fork: “All the BMW teams that could help me out are affected themselves.” Toni Finsterbusch’s BMW had its rear end pointing straight up. Repairs are underway there as well. Not much is left of Florian Alt’s Honda. Team boss Jens Holzhauer isn’t giving up: “We’ll manage to get something together by the second race.”
Nine riders crossed the finish line. Tulovic, Schrötter, and Jähnig took home the trophies.
EURO MOTO Superbike, Round 1
1. Lukas TULOVIC (GER/Ducati)
2. Marcel SCHRÖTTER (GER/BMW)
3. Jan-Ole JÄHNIG (GER/BMW)
4. Leon ORGIS (GER/BMW)
5. Lorenzo ZANETTI (ITA/Ducati)
6. Milan MERCKELBAGH (NED/BMW)
7. Jan MOHR (AUT/BMW)
8. Marco FETZ (GER/BMW)
9. Christoph BEINLICH (GER/BMW)