IDM 2019 - Saisonauftakt am Lausitzring!

Time Markers: 00:00 Intro / Welcome 00:46 News 03:10 Track Introduction 05:27 Qualifying 10:55 Race 1 17:49 Race 2 23:08 Farewell / Outro Premiere for a new starting grid in the IDM Superbike 1000. The principle adopted from the Superbike World Championship was applied for the season opener at the Lausitzring. And it did indeed lead to interesting developments. The winner after 16 laps was Julian Puffe (BMW) ahead of Erwan Nigon (Kawasaki) and Ricardo Brink (Yamaha). The new starting grid for the second race comprises the top nine riders from the first race. The podium finishers will start from the third row. In front of them are the seventh, eighth, and ninth-place finishers from the previous race. At the front of the grid are the fourth, fifth, and sixth-place finishers from race 1. The new starting grid for the second race will be the top nine riders from the first race. In Lausitz, that meant Ricardo Brink started from pole position, while Ilya Mikhalchik, Julian Puffe, and Erwan Nigon lined up on the third row. When the green light turned, Brink got off to a fantastic start. The Dutchman proved to be a tough nut to crack at the front. After the first lap, he had Toni Finsterbusch (Suzuki), Pepin Bijsterbosch (BMW), Nigon, Stefan Kerschbaumer (Yamaha), Puffe, Mikhalchik, and Alessandro Polita (Honda) strung out behind him like a string of pearls. After the third lap, Mikhalchik was in Brink's slipstream and took the lead on lap six. From then on, there was no stopping the defending champion from Ukraine. He took off, and no one doubted his second victory of the day. That was until the 22-year-old suddenly slowed down on lap nine and even coasted to a stop. The diagnosis on the bike: an electronic defect. It was a bitter pill to swallow: Mikhalchik was leading with such a large margin from ninth place – and then this happened. But Puffe had also wormed his way to the front. "It was more difficult than usual. Somehow, I didn't manage to get past well at the beginning. We still have a bit of work to do with the bike. On the straights, the others are leaving me behind." But that didn't stop him from being so happy about his first victory in the IDM Superbike 1000 that the corners of his mouth almost stretched from ear to ear. His mother, Nora, was in tears of joy. After the Lausitzring weekend, Puffe knows he can win. Even if his teammate Mikhalchik doesn't drop out. "We saw in practice that it's doable." Puffe had led the timesheets for a long time. Ricardo Brink and Erwan Nigon fought for second place until the end. Brink gritted his teeth, but his tire was worn out. "I heard an engine noise behind me, but didn't know who it was. I pushed like crazy, but couldn't keep Nigon behind me." Remarkably, all five motorcycle brands placed in the top five. Toni Finsterbusch, riding the first Suzuki, came in fourth, and Alessandro Polita, riding the Honda Fireblade, came in fifth. Moderation: Tommi Deitenbach Interviewee: Jan Bühn Production: radioviktoria / Stephan Kraus All information is also available at www.IDM.de