By Supersport:
(PB Horice lap time, positioned near competitors name)
It is going to rock ’n’ roll here too! Czech road racing stars, IRRC Supersport Championship leader Marek Cerveny (2.16.209) plus Petr Najman (2.18.062) are 2nd, 3rd fastest Supersport riders in Horice history.
A capable opponent for them will be for sure new Supersport Chimay and Imatranajo lap record holder Adam McLean (Performance Racing Achterhoek). He will attack the best Supersport newcomer lap time in history, currently held by fastest French TT pilot Amalric Blanc (2.19.589). If all goes well McLean will probably be even faster and history will be rewritten here.
The popular Michal ‘Indi’ Dokoupil (2.18.319) returns whilst others boasting sub 2:20, near 2:20.5 seconds lap times, set for action are Ilja Caljouw (2.18.473), Wolfgang ‘Wolfi’ Schuster (2.18.608), Karel ‘Chupa’ Brandtner (2.18.883), Romain Cleaz-Savoyen (2.19.831).
Thomas Wendel (2.20.360), Mauro Poncini (2.20.366), Rico Vetter (2.20.367), twice TT winner Gary Johnson (2.20.734), team-mate Sebastian ‘Frosch’ Frotscher (2.20.876) – he did not start in the previous IRRC round at Chimay after an injury from Imatranajo.
Let’s not forget the following names, in the fight for top 15, top 10, top 6 finishes, Tomas Toth (2.21.770), Slovak TT rider Miroslav ´Laki´ Sloboda (2.21.830), Isle of Man’s Jamie Williams (2.22.363). Matous ‘Maty’ Ondrusz (2.22.572).
Matej Vit (2.22.672), Frantisek Loucka (2.23.948), Ales Sykora (2.24.116), Rhys Hardisty (2.25.514) or former overall lap record holder in Horice (from 2000 to 2005 with lap time 2.25.272) Roman Bocek (2.24.640).
TT 2024 exponent Veronika Hankocyova (Wonder Women Racing Team) will be the only female rider taking part because Magdalena Weintritt, fastest Horice female racer Nadieh Schoots cannot be found in the start list.
There are newbies for Horice with already mentioned Adam McLean, Robert Tora Alonso, Wesley Ankersmid, Brian Fuidge, Aku Korhonen, Mike Mace and Never Be Clever Racing’s Darryl Tweed.
Classics:
IRRC races will be supported by Classic solo 175, 250, 350, 500, 750 cc contests and classic Sidecars.
Intertwined 125 and 250 classic introduces for example Jiri Kolar – father of Patrik Kolar, record holder for the number of victories at ‘300 Curves of Gustav Havel’.
Second and third from Supermono race in May Libor Kamenicky with Moritz Nestler and his father Gerald Nestler. Vitezslav Hatan, most frequent winner at Classic races in Horice and Czech legend celebrating his 70th birthday this year Karel Kalina, multiple Supermono, 250 GP Horice podium finisher.
350cc (machines up till 1972) together with 350, 250cc B group (bikes 1972-1978), contains again Nestler, Kalina, Hatan plus the UK’s James Walker, Matous Ondrusz (IRRC Supersport wild card rider).
500cc action features IRRC Superbike star Laurent Hoffman on a Honda CB 500, UK rider Colin Stockdale. Adam McLean was announced for some race outings outside official classification with a Sparton 500 Triple (1975 specification, ex bike of Martin Sharpe).
Good souls of Belgian Twin Trophy, Jacques Borremans and Classic 500 lap record holder Bart Crauwels with a quick Paton 500.
750cc jockeys to watch include again James Walker and Austrian racing legend, Johann Furbock with his nice Seeley Weslake 750. More then thirty Sidecar teams ice up, add the cherry on top of the cake for Classics explorations during the weekend.
All competitors, mechanics, photographers, journalist and spectators are warmly welcome to Horice!
Photo credit: Thijs Van Der Horst
Words by Jan Vavra
