By The Czech Republic, Autodrom Most circuit, 2.622 miles (4219 metres) in distance first opened in 1983 near the German border. Last weekend, the World Superbike Championship hosting venue, hosted the third IDM (Internationale Deutsche Motorradmeisterschaft) round of 2025.
There was a lot of well-known racers participating, carrying varying degrees from roads scene circulations, like Prize of Krizevci experienced Croatian Martin ‘Spidermartin’ Vugrinec (P10 – IDM Superbike Race 1, P8 in Race 2), Niko Lehtiranta (after crash in free practice 2, did not start in races), an IRRC Superbike wildcard for July’s Imatranajo spectacular, two-times IRRC Supersport winner at Imatra plus second quickest 600cc rider of Finland’s Northwest 200 equivalent, behind Performance Racing Achterhoek’s Adam McLean.
IRRC Supersport wildcard last year at Schleiz Ben Kugler (P5/P6 finishes), 2024 two-times Twin Cup Frohburg race winner, R7 Yamaha equipped Justin Hanse (P12/P8 finishes) and Czech IRRC ace Petr Najman (P11 x2 finishes), aboard an RS660 Aprilia for Team SP Race Project, in new Sportbike category (IDM SPB) with Super Twin bikes.
Rico Penzkofer, Germany’s second fastest TT racer, top six finishing Macau Grand Prix rider, in 2006 ‘300 Curves of Gustav Havel’ Horice Supersport race winner & fastest newcomer was personally in the Most paddock, with Team Motorradtke GYTR by Penz 13, working with above-mentioned, Justin Hanse.
Twin Cup racers Michael Gotz, Till Weiss, Timo Kruger, Knuth Strauss, Gianni Debole, Lukas Moller, Uwe Kantimm, Jochen Mader, Paul Frisese, Ingo Bischhoff, Marvin Larsen, Klaus Hierl, Rene Wobst, Mirko Skeide, Simone Petsch, Reinhard Keben, also have experience in Twin Cup races around Frohburger Dreieck.
Concurrently, ran at the same as IDM affiliated races, the latest World Sidecar Championship competition bursts, were not to include specific famous names from road racing circles, Pekka Paivarinta/Adam Christie, Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement, Tim Reeves/Kevin Kolsch, Ted Peugeot/Vincent Peugeot, due to an assortment of circumstances.
Despite this, even with a smaller number of crews, the three-wheeling action did not disappoint. 2024 World Champions, both ex TT pilots, Harry Payne/Kevin Rousseau, clinched opening race honours before not finishing race two.
Paul Leglise (top ten TT finisher) aside Marjorie Cescuitti attained fourth, third place finishes, multiple Imatranajo race podium finishers, son/father duo Joni Manninen/Tero Manninen results resume, was a P6 finish (Race 1), non-finish (Race 2).
Added drivers/passengers, with differing levels of roads scene experience racing, included Czech Sidecar passenger Ondrej Sedlacek (P5/P4 with Rupert Archer), well-known for his Classic Sidecar racing, at venues such as Horice with his father Roman Sedlacek. ‘Flying Dutchmen’ pilot, the only TT 2025 from the Netherlands, Wiggert Kranenburg had torrid luck in Most, (did not finish x2).
2021 World Champion, Switzerland’s Markus Schlosser (P3/P1 with Luca Schmidt) will be active as demo racing guest at Old-timer Grand Prix in Schwanenstadt, Austria (30th-31st August) alongside previously mentioned Tim Reeves plus legends, TT racers like Carl Fogarty MBE, Rolf Biland/Kurt Waltisperg, and various others.
Fourth, fifth stops of IDM 2025, take place at ‘Oschersleben 2’ (fourth to sixth of July) and Assen in the Netherlands inter-twined with fifth round of World Sidecar Championship (15th-17th August).
Finally, if we are talking about racing in Germany, let us not forget to remember that the last two IRRC 2025 rounds post Imatranajo, Circuit De Chimay, Horice will be at Schleizer Dreieck (23rd-24th August) and Frohburg, 62nd IFDR (20th-21st September).
Photo credit: Jan Vavra
Words by Jan Vavra
