By * ‘King of Imatra’ Erno Kostamo (2.11.416) holds the new outright lap-record but is still waiting for his first Horice victory.
* There was also new lap record in other classes, Petr Najman (2.14.531 – Supersport) and Moritz Nestler (2.39.949 – Classic 350cc).
* New second fastest Horice rider in history, Lukas Maurer (2.11.780) is the first rider to take IRRC SBK Horice wins with two different motorcycle brands (Yamaha/Kawasaki).
* Maurer additionally was the first Yamaha vaulted rider to win a IRRC Superbike Horice race.
* Czech road racing legend Marek Cerveny (2.14.567) after Sunday race wins x3 improves his Horice podium finishes account to a record 43 (second best in this list is another exponent from last weekend Kamil Holan with thirty-one podiums).
* Cerveny’s Horice victories total now stands at 24 (‘Czech TT x14, 300 Curves of Gustav Havel x10), his IRRC victories accumulation expands to 36 and he is now officially faster aboard 765 Triumph tackle than with BMW SBK machinery from 2016, when he held the outright lap record (2.14.761).
* World Superbike Champions BMW holds the overall Horice lap-record, for the past twelve years via racers Michael Pearson, Didier Grams, Marek Cerveny, Danny Webb, David Datzer and Erno Kostamo.
* Markus Karlsson (2.13.961) scored his first IRRC race victory (previously P2 at Chimay in 2022, P3 at Frohburg in 2022), in the process becoming Sweden’s first IRRC race winner and the first Swedish rider after fifty years to triumph at Horice, (Roland Nilsson took 250cc/350cc successes in 1975, he achieved the same results in 1973).
* Competitors claiming last week their first IRRC podium attainments were Johannes Schwimmbeck and Mauro Poncini.
* Seventy-two riders in Horice racing history, personal best lap-times are under the magic value of 2 minutes 20 seconds. Seven new names in this list, Darryl Tweed, Stephane Bednarek, Matej Vit, Fedrik Matthys – newcomer, Olivier Lupberger, Thomas Altendorfer and Pontus Roestlinger).
* Twenty-seven of the thirty fastest riders during the past week’s racing explorations, set personal best lap times.
* Nine different countries gained representation within the ten fastest racers of the meeting: Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Slovakia, Austria.
* Northern Ireland’s new fastest ‘Czech TT’ Darryl Tweed (2.15.394), made huge progress, rewarded with a significant new personal best lap-time, over six seconds speedier from his event premiere in 2024.
* Austria’s new second swiftest Horice exponent (behind Florian Astner), double this year, European Hill Climb Road Race Championship runner-up Thomas ‘Uccio’ Altendorfer (2.18.938), also made strong progress, going five seconds plus quicker than his best turn of pace from last year.
* Rushab Shah (2.38.860 in Supersport qualifying), is the first Indian rider to ride at Horice. He is his nations only competitor to date at Frohburg (debut in 2024) and Circuit De Chimay (debut in 2025).
* European Super Twin Race Two winner, Czech roads scene ace Michal ‘Indi’ Dokoupil travels from Horice straight to the Isle of Man, riding 15-plate carried TZ 250 Yamaha metal in the Lightweight Classic TT.
* Just one female rider competed last week, Sarka Schmidtova, P6 in Classic 350cc race.
* Forty-one years after his Horice debut astride 500cc machinery, Karel Kalina celebrating his 71st birthday, was present again for yesteryear Classics competition.
* Swiss legend Rolf Blatter secured (same as last year) Classic 350B race honours, 46 years since his victorious first Horice visit in the same year, in which he finished 50cc World Championship runner-up. He now has in total eleven victories from Horice.
* Brian Fuidge, Karel Pesek (broken both ankles post high-speed crash on start-finish line), Olivier Lupberger were involved-in red-flag/qualifying stopping crashes. We wish them all a very quick and speedy recovery!
* We had five IRRC Champions in one place – Marek Cerveny, Laurent Hoffmann, and Lukas Maurer active on racetrack plus Didier Grams and David Datzer in role of spectators. Thank you Didi, Datziii for your Horice visit!
* Markus Karlsson is the seventh rider in history, after his premiere on Kawasaki Supersport equipment (2.19.458) to set lap sub 2:20 lap times at Horice on Superbike and 600cc/next generation Supersport apparatus following Marek Cerveny, Kamil Holan, Michael Pearson, Luca Gottardi, Laurent Hoffmann and the much-missed Joey Den Besten in achieving this feat.
* See you in Horice in 2026 for 300 Curves of Gustav Havel edition number 63 and 33rd ‘Czech TT’! Huge thanks to the organisers, riders, spectators, sponsors, emergency services and everyone around Horice Road Races.
Photo credit: Jan Vavra
Words by Jan Vavra
