IDM returns to Austria after eight years

 

The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) will meet for the penultimate time this season on this upcoming weekend and the SBK1000 class will again fight for the next German championship title. This time the race track is none other than the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg in Austria, where three weeks ago the MotoGP World Championship was held on two consecutive weekends. Hermann Tilke, the world’s most renowned track architect himself, created the racetrack with a total length of 4.318 km. From 2011 to 2013 the course was already an integral part of the IDM and should return to the calendar in 2020. But the return had to pause for another year.

 

For the German champion of 2018 and 2019, Ilya Mikhalchik, the race track in Styria is new territory. He has never been here himself and is accordingly motivated to build on his successes from the last round in Assen in the Netherlands, where the Ukrainian took the lead in the championship with two victories.

 

And this event is again a home race for one of the EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW riders, as Jan Mohr is Austrian. In 2012 he took his first steps with a motorcycle on a racetrack right here, at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been there since 2014, but is very motivated to ride on this track again and hopes to be able to make optimal use of his previous experience in the series on the Austrian racetrack.

 

Tim Eby was lucky enough to do a track test at the Red Bull Ring just a few weeks ago. In the dry as well as in the wet, he was able to set constant and fast lap times. The Baden-Württemberg resident is all the more looking forward to the penultimate event on the IDM calendar and hopes that he can still get some points-company for his only championship point to date.

 

Pepijn Bijsterbosch is also putting all his hopes on the racetrack with the red bull after a bad luck home race in Assen. He has also raced in Spielberg and was able to take home a podium place in the 600 class in 2013. The 31-year-old hopes to be able to build on the successes of that time.

 

The next stop of the IDM will take place from August 27th to 29th and also this time you can follow it live via the live stream, which can be found on the social media channels of the series as well as on YouTube and the website www.idm.de. Live timing and all other information about the International German Motorcycle Championship 2021 can also be found on the website www.idm.de.
Ilya Mikhalchik, #37:

“I arrive at this racetrack, which is new to me, with the good feeling and the beautiful emotions from Assen, where I have won twice. We have a good basic set up for the motorcycle. I just have to get to know the track. To do this, I’ll just follow the fast guys who already know the track and learn from it. Of course I will try to be at the top again. A new racetrack is always a good new adventure. If the conditions are right, then I will certainly be able to be at the forefront again.”
Jan Mohr, #5:

“In 2012 I was on a motorcycle on a racetrack for the first time in my life and that was in Spielberg at the time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been there since 2014. But I’m really looking forward to this super cool race track. We weren’t able to test here beforehand, but I still feel very well prepared. I think that we will be able to implement the experience we have gained in Assen very well here and I am really looking forward to the weekend.”
Tim Eby, #17:

“I’m really motivated for Spielberg because we were only recently testing here. I had really good lap times and everything worked very well even in the wet. I very much hope that I can benefit from it. The set up for Spielberg should fit relatively well and I’m already looking forward to riding there again.„
Pepijn Bijsterbosch, #55:

“I hope that I can finally turn around the misfortune that I had in Assen with all these numbers 13 and that it will happily turn around for me. I was on the track for the last time in 2013 and finished on the podium in the 600 class. I like the track and I finally hope for a good result again.”
Werner Daemen, Team Manager:

“I think we’re very well positioned for Spielberg. Ilya’s result in Assen cannot be topped with two wins. I hope that at best we can repeat that in Austria. I am confident that we can achieve good results there. Markus (Reiterberger) will also be back again in Spielberg. He will be racing under the BCC flag again, but the races are sure to be exciting. I hope that we can build up enough lead so that Ilya can fight for the title again at Hockenheim. Jan is undoubtedly extra motivated as it is his home race. He made good progress in Assen. Tim was recently testing in Spielberg. He has steadily improved in the last few races. Maybe he’ll be able to take a few more points with him in the last two events that are still to come. I wish for Pepijn that he has more luck in Spielberg than in Assen. The route suits him, even if that was a few years ago. We’ll see what Austria will bring us.”