Racing News

After a short break, the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) resumed last weekend. The venue was the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben for the second time this year. The fourth event of the year marked the halfway point of the 2025 season. Once again, the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team with Belgian team boss Werner Daemen was right in the thick of the battle for the IDM Superbike title. His quartet of riders was complete with Hannes Soomer (Estonia), Leandro Mercado (Argentina), Bálint Kovács (Hungary), and Milan Merckelbagh (Netherlands). There was also a reunion with their BMW colleagues from the Pro Superstock 1000, Ricardo Brink (Netherlands), Julius Ilmberger (Germany), and Ouri Bikkems (Belgium). Hannes Soomer had extended his lead in the overall standings at the last IDM meeting in Most. However, the Estonian knew that his rivals, especially Florian Alt and Lukas Tulovic, were hot on his heels. After practice, the Estonian was in…

Fans and riders gathered in Most, Czech Republic, last weekend for the third of seven events in this year’s International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). Belgian team boss Werner Daemen travelled to the Superbike class races with his quartet of riders from the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team, consisting of Hannes Soomer (Estonia), Leandro Mercado (Argentina), Bálint Kovács (Hungary) and Milan Merckelbagh (Netherlands). With summer temperatures in full swing, Sunday’s races were particularly heated.   After round 2 of the IDM, holding a one-point lead in the overall standings, Hannes Soomer headed to Belgium for the Spa 8H, where he claimed victory in the Superstock class of the Endurance World Championship. From there, he travelled to Suzuka, Japan, to take part in a BMW test for the world championship campaign. Then it was straight back to Most for the next IDM challenge. «A lot of kilometres on different motorcycles», was how the Estonian…

IDM Schleiz: Not for the faint-hearted The Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team travelled to Thuringia last weekend. The riders and thousands of fans of the International German Championship (IDM) gathered at the Schleizer Dreieck for the second of seven race weekends in the 2025 season. Belgian team boss Werner Daemen travelled with the entire IDM Superbike quartet for the first time this year: Hannes Soomer from Estonia, Leandro Mercado from Argentina, who lives in Italy, Milan Merckelbagh from the Netherlands and Bálint Kovács from Hungary. Our Pro Superstock 1000 team kicked off the season at Schleiz with a fantastic weekend: Ricardo Brink secured a double victory, while Julius Ilmberger Jr. and Ouri Bikkems showed significant improvement throughout the weekend. Hannes Soomer travelled to Schleiz as the overall leader after a successful start to the season at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and, like his colleagues and competitors, had completed a few test laps on…

The winter break for the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) lasted eight months before the 2025 season finally got underway last weekend at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, with the hunt for points and trophies resuming. With a new name and a new look, but with the same motivation as ever, the most successful team in the series, led by team boss Werner Daemen from Belgium, was back on the Superbike grid. This year, Team Masteroil-Alpha-Van Zon-BMW will be fielding Argentinean Leandro Mercado, Estonian Hannes Soomer, Dutchman Milan Merckelbagh, and Hungarian Bálint Kovács in the race for the championship crown. The winter break for the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) lasted eight months before the 2025 season finally got underway last weekend at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, with the hunt for points and trophies resuming. With a new name and a new look, but with the same motivation as ever, the…

Points as part of the International German Motorcycle Championship IDM will not be awarded until May 2025. But Team Masteroil-Alpha-Van Zon-BMW, owned by Belgian Werner Daemen, is already preparing for the new season. Last year, the BMW team with Ukrainian Ilya Mikhalchik once again took the title in Germany’s top motorcycle racing category, the ninth team success overall. The team also ended 2024 in first place in the manufacturers’ championship. In the upcoming 2025 season, the team Masteroil-Alpha-Van Zon-BMW wants to reach for the double victory again. ‘We are sending two top riders into the race,’ explains team manager Werner Daemen. Leandro “Tati” Mercado from Argentina and Hannes Soomer from Estonia will fight for points and victories for BMW. Even though Soomer, who has already competed in the World Cup, will once again be wearing his distinctive blue outfit for IDM races, he is fully integrated into Daemen’s IDM team.…

The season of the International German Motorcycle Championship IDM has barely begun in May, and now it has already come to an end last weekend at the finale at the Hockenheimring. For the Champion-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team led by team boss Werner Daemen, it was the end of a successful season after the early title win at the Nürburgring. On the grid were, the new champion Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR), Jan Mohr (A) and Bálint Kovács (HUN). Max Schmidt (D) and Philipp Steinmayr (A) were forced to watch from the sidelines due to injuries. Ilya Mikhalchik was satisfied and well rested for the IDM finale. Just a few days earlier, he had pushed himself to his limits at the Endurance World Championship finale. After his team-mate’s crash during the night, Mikhalchik had to complete the second half of the 24-hour race together with Markus Reiterberger. With success, as in the end the…

The International German Motorcycle Championship IDM entered the home straight of the 2024 season last weekend with a trip to the Eifel. At the sixth of seven events, the Champion-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team led by Belgian Werner Daemen was once again competing for the coveted championship points in the IDM Superbike. On the grid were Ilya Mikhalchik (Ukraine), Bálint Kovács (Hungary), Jan Mohr (Austria) and Philipp Steinmayr (Austria). Max Schmidt (Germany) had to continue his absence due to injury. The main topic of the first day was not so much racing, but rather the persistent fog and the wet track. With few meaningful laps, a 30-minute free practice session on Saturday lunchtime in the dry led to the first and final qualifying session in the evening. Ilya Mikhalchik had already completed a few practice laps at the Nürburgring before the IDM weekend in the Eifel to refresh his track knowledge. After all,…

Last weekend, the Champion-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team had only a short trip ahead of them. For the Belgian team led by team boss Werner Daemen, the trip took them to their Dutch neighbours. The TT Circuit in Assen was the venue for the fifth round of the International German Motorcycle Championship IDM. As always, Ilya Mikhalchik from Ukraine, Bálint Kovács from Hungary, Philipp Steinmayr and Jan Mohr from Austria were on the grid in the IDM Superbike. German Max Schmidt also travelled to the event, but only as mental support for his teammates. He himself is still suffering from the effects of a broken upper arm. Ilya Mikhalchik had travelled to Assen first in the standings after his double success at the last IDM event at the Schleizer Dreieck. The BMW rider’s goal was to extend his lead. In the rainy free practice on Friday, Mikhalchik proved with the best time that…

Last weekend, tens of thousands of fans lined the track around the Schleizer Dreieck in Thuringia, where racing still takes place partly on public roads and which represents an absolute challenge for man and machine in the calendar of the International German Motorcycle Championship IDM. As always, the Champion-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team led by Belgian Werner Daemen with its quartet of riders Ilya Mikhalchik (Ukraine), Philipp Steinmayr (Austria), Bálint Kovács (Hungary) and the recovering Jan Mohr (Austria) were at the start of the Superbike class. Max Schmidt, who was injured in a crash on the Grand Prix circuit in Barcelona, was unable to take part. Ilya Mikhalchik had travelled around the world before the first free practice session in Schleiz. Just a few days earlier, the Ukrainian had been racing for manufacturer BMW in the World Endurance Championship in Suzuka, Japan, where he and his colleagues had finished fifth. But there was…

The head of the Champion-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team, Werner Daemen, certainly had the longest journey to the third round of the International German Motorcycle Championship. The Belgian, who is also in charge of the Endurance World Championship team for manufacturer BMW, came straight from testing in Suzuka, Japan, to the IDM Superbike weekend in Most, Czech Republic. He was accompanied by his quartet of riders Ilya Mikhalchik (Ukraine), Philipp Steinmayr (Austria), Bálint Kovács (Hungary) and Max Schmidt (Germany). Jan Mohr (Austria) was only present as a mascot due to injury and will have to wait for his appearance on the track. Ilya Mikhalchik came to the Czech Republic with a broad chest. With Sachsenring and Oschersleben, where he even achieved a double victory, the BMW rider has already completed the two race tracks on the IDM calendar that rank lower on his personal hit list. In Most, the Ukrainian, who started…