Just over three weeks ago, Twan Smits hadn’t even secured a pole position. Now, at the Öhlins EURO MOTO event at the Nürburgring, he claimed his fourth consecutive victory. The 22-year-old Dutchman once again easily pulled away from seasoned World Championship veterans like Marcel Schrötter, Lukas Tulovic, and Markus Reiterberger in the second Superbike race.
Twan Smits (Team Apreco-Yamaha) once again capitalized on his pole position in the second race of the day to take the lead after the first lap. Lukas Tulovic (Triple M Ducati Racing Frankfurt) and Marcel Schrötter (GERT56 by RS Speedbikes) stayed hot on the heels of the flying Dutchman, trailing by less than half a second. And just as in the first race, Markus Reiterberger (Masteroil Alpha Van Zon BMW) was back in the mix after passing Kevin Orgis (ORM Racing).
They all had their own goals: Smits wanted to win the race, Tulovic wanted to defend his title, Schrötter wanted to keep his title hopes alive until Hockenheim, and the rest wanted to build up their points total in the overall standings.
Light and Shadow
Jan-Ole Jähnig (GERT56 by RS Speedbikes) was just as fast as the leaders, but the gap between fifth and fourth place was simply too big to close. Smits had already pulled away. Former Superbike rider Marc Moser stood on the sidelines and was amazed right from the start of the weekend: “It’s crazy how fast they’re riding here.” In the EURO MOTO Superbike class, an elite group of riders takes turns leading the pack.
Florian Alt (Holzhauer Racing Promotion) gained a position by passing Kevin Orgis. His eighth starting position was a blow to the entire HRP team. “We have next to no grip on the track and are struggling this weekend,” Alt said, accepting the reality with dignity—as he does every year at the Nürburgring. The title is no longer within reach for the only Honda driver in the field anyway. Now, the 2023 champion simply had to get through the weekend decently in order to perhaps pull off a surprise at the season finale in Hockenheim.
Tulovic doesn't give anything away
In the second half of the 18-lap race, Tulovic and Schrötter battled fiercely. For Schrötter, it was a huge achievement when he finally defeated the Ducati powerhouse. Tulovic didn’t need to take on Schrötter given his lead in the championship, but his racing spirit got the better of him, and he wasn’t about to let anything slip by. “Today had it all. The front wheel on the bike cracked and buckled. I overdid it a bit in a corner and had to go too far to the outside. That’s when Marcel slipped past,” reported the 26-year-old Ducati Panigale V4R rider after the back-and-forth battle.
After the Eifel weekend, Tulovic and Schrötter are separated by 34.5 points in the overall standings. The 2026 championship title will be decided September 25–27 at the Hockenheimring. Twan Smits trails Schrötter by 22 points. It’s going to be exciting.
EURO MOTO Superbike, Race 2
1. Twan SMITS (NLD/Yamaha)
2. Marcel SCHRÖTTER (GER/BMW)
3. Lukas TULOVIC (GER/Ducati)
4. Markus REITERBERGER (GER/BMW)
5. Jan-Ole JÄHNIG (GER/BMW)
6. Florian ALT (GER/Honda)
7. Kevin ORGIS (GER/BMW)
8. Leon ORGIS (GER/BMW)
9. Toni FINSTERBUSCH (GER/BMW)
10. Jan MOHR (AUT/BMW)
11. Martin VUGRINEC (CRO/BMW)
12. Hannes SOOMER (EST/BMW)
13. Milan MERCKELBAGH (NLD/BMW)
14. Lorenzo ZANETTI (ITA/Ducati)
15. Marco FETZ (GER/BMW)
16. Christoph BEINLICH (GER/BMW)