Team Suzuki Press Office – May 1.
Dominic Schmitter – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 3rd
Toni Finsterbusch – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 5th
Dominic Schmitter raced his HPC-Power Suzuki Racing GSX-R1000 to a podium position at the weekend’s opening round of the German IDM Superbike Championship at Oschersleben as Team Suzuki Mayer’s Toni Finsterbusch took fifth place in the same second race.
Schmitter, Finsterbusch and Janusch Prokop (Team Suzuki Alber-Bischoff) showed in Saturday qualifying that they can handle the Suzuki GSX-R1000 well: Schmitter was the fastest of the three and placed the HPC-Power Suzuki GSX-R1000 in sixth position with a lap time of 1:27.016 minutes. Finsterbusch followed straight after in seventh, while Porokop landed the 11th fastest time with 1:27.701 minutes.
Finsterbusch had the best start into the first race and was able to establish himself against Schmitter on the start-line. Finsterbusch rode the whole race in the chasing group but was unable to attack the leaders in the end of the race, which meant he had to settle with seventh position. Schmitter did not have the best start but ran a constantly strong pace. Unfortunately, the Swiss had to stop with five laps to go due to a technical issue.
The second race was essentially stronger for the Suzuki riders. Finsterbusch was able to shine with a fantastic start and a terrific first lap, which saw the 24-year-old in second position. He said: “I came through the first lap quite well and I even had the chance of catching the winner of the first race on the start-and-finish-line. Unfortunately, the tyres lost performance towards the end of the race and I had to fight against wheel-spin. Foolishly I also made two small mistakes at the end of the race, which meant Schmitter was able to pass me, but nevertheless I am happy with fifth and seventh positions at our first IDM-race!”
Schmitter ran the second race extremely strong and worked his way through the pack, place by place, with 1:26’ lap times. He said: “It went quite well in the second race. I was able to run constantly low lap-times and finally even achieved a podium place with the third position. That was a bespoke prelude – I’d like it to continue like that!”
Prokop was not as lucky during the first two races. The 20-year-old crashed shortly after the start because of a clash with another rider and retired in the second race due to a crash, while Sarah Heide (Team Suzuki Laux) finished the races in 17th and 19th positions.
The next event of the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) will take place within the German Speedweek at Oschersleben from 7th to 10th of June.
IDM Oschersleben, Results:
Superbike 1000, Race 1:
1. Bastien Mackels (B/BMW)
2. Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR/BMW)
3. Jan Halbich (CZ/Honda)
7. Toni Finsterbusch (D/Suzuki GSX-R1000)
Superbike 1000, Race 2:
1. Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR/BMW)
2. Bastien Mackels (B/BMW)
3. Dominic Schmitter (CH/Suzuki GSX-R1000)
5. Toni Finsterbusch (D/Suzuki GSX-R1000)
