By Now calm before the storm but as the legendary Irish rock band Thin Lizzy sings – The boys are back in town!
(Personal best Horice lap time located near racer’s name)
The three fastest riders in Horice racing history, are together again at the start of the ‘Czech TT’. For road racing superfans, there is no need to introduce their names, Germans David ‘Datzii’ Datzer (2.13.141) and Didier ‘Didi’ Grams (2.13.948) plus Switzerland’s swiftest Horice exponent, 2023 IRRC SBK Champion Lukas Maurer (2.13.983).
Racers keen to battle them for podiums, race wins this weekend include current IRRC Superbike Championship leader Come Geenen (100% Moto Brussels). The new lap record holder at Chimay and Imatranajo, he will be keen to follow fellow Belgians Vincent Lonbois, Sebastien Le Grelle in excelling as a ‘Czech TT’ debutant.
There’s additionally, sub 2 minute 18 seconds Horice pilots, King of Imatra, Finland’s top pure road racer Erno Kostamo (2.14.735), Johannes Schwimmbeck (2.15.916), fastest Swedish racer Markus Karlsson (2.16.967), Laurent Hoffmann (2.17.296), Czech aces Kamil Holan (2.15.762), Karel Pesek (2.16.423).
Supersport lap record holder hoister Jorn Hamberg (2.16.142) has his Superbike Horice premiere this year same as Anssi Koski, Ales Sykora and Tiziano Rosati.
Italy’s No.1 Horice speedster Luca ‘Gotta’ Gottardi (2.18.217), Austrian Florian Astner (2.19.158), former stunt rider, Slovakia’s Tomas Toth (2.19.213) should be contenders for top 12, top 10, top 8 finishes or better.
Same applies to Nico Muller (2.19.510), Jiri ‘Joker’ Petrla (2.20.147), Rene Grundei (2.21.381), Emil Krchnavy (2.21.439), Olivier Lupberger (2.21.967), quickest Welshman Rhys Hardisty (2.22.432) and Wally Jacobs (2.23.494).
Newcomers aside already-mentioned Come Geenen within the Horice start-list are Jean-Luc David, Manx GP winner Darryl Tweed and Thierry Brunel.
To date, fastest newcomer this year in Horice is overall third in European Hill Climb Superbike Championship, Austrias’ Thomas ‘Uccio’ Altendorfer (2.27.227 – set in May in tricky conditions during the 300 Curves of Gustav Havel meet). It is worthwhile noting that the fastest Horice rookie in history title is aligned to none other than Senior TT winner, Davey Todd (2.15.084).
Photo credit: Thijs Van Der Horst
Words by Jan Vavra
