By Superbike Race 1:
Erno Kostamo proved the man to beat from the opening IRRC Chimay, Superbike race stint.
As illustrated on home soil at Imatranajo, the Macau GP Champion knows how to master tricky, mixed conditions and he harnessed all of his skillset this morning, to surge to a sixth IRRC affiliated race triumph.
Top pursuer to Penz 13 supported Kostamo was leading points scorer in terms of regular IRRC season exponents, Didier Grams.
The racer that Grams is aiming to overhaul for another IRRC Superbike title, Lukas Maurer took a gritty third place finish.
Patrick Hoff, Johannes Schwimmbeck placed fourth, fifth with sixth obtained by Sweden’s Markus Karlsson.
Virgil Amber Bloemhard occupied seventh as Davy Maes, Luca Gottardi, Nico Muller swept up positions eighth-tenth.
IRRC Chimay – Superbike Race 1:
1st – Erno Kostamo
2nd – Didier Grams
3rd – Lukas Maurer
4th – Patrick Hoff
5th – Johannes Schwimmbeck
6th – Markus Karlsson
7th – Virgil Amber Bloemhard
8th – Davy Maes
9th – Luca Gottardi
10th – Nico Muller
11th – Gabriel Pons
12th – Christophe Guerouah
13th – Pontus Roestlinger
14th – Andy Anen
15th – Florian Astner
16th – Rhys Hardisty
17th – Richard Charlton
18th – Salvatore Sallustro
19th – Paul Manx
20th – Wally Jacobs
21st – Dirk Walter
22nd – Patrick Van Der Eecken
23rd – Rob Van Eijs
24th – Emil Krchnavy
25th – Lasse Karki
26th – Christoph Kreller
27th – Morgan Baplu
Superbike Race 2:
With more favourable conditions, lap times dipped below the 1 minute 40 seconds barrier during the second IRRC affiliated Superbike race.
The two competitors going below 1:40 seconds were the eventual first, second place finishers, IRRC Superbike Championship leader Lukas Maurer and BMW Motorrad steed stalwart Didier Grams.
IRRC legend Grams held P1 up-till closing race stages when Maurer, the fastest Mountain Course newcomer of TT 2019, grabbed the initiative.
Only 0.430 of a second covered Maurer, Grams as lap eight dawned.
The race was then red-flagged and with over fifty percent race distance finished, race results went back to lap seven.
Joining Maurer, Grams on the podium was Superbike race 1 victor Erno Kostamo.
Patrick Hoff took fourth, Markus Karlsson occupied fifth, Johannes Schwimmbeck obtained sixth.
Concluding the classified top ten were Virgil Amber Bloemhard, Davy Maes, Luca Gottardi and upcoming Manx GP debutant Salvatore Sallustro.
IRRC Chimay – Superbike Race 2:
1st – Lukas Maurer
2nd – Didier Grams
3rd – Erno Kostamo
4th – Patrick Hoff
5th – Markus Karlsson
6th – Johannes Schwimmbeck
7th – Virgil Amber Bloemhard
8th – Davy Maes
9th – Luca Gottardi
10th – Salvatore Sallustro
11th – Rhys Hardisty
12th – Pontus Roestlinger
13th – Christophe Guerouah
14th – Olivier Lupberger
15th – Andy Anen
16th – Jean Pierre Polet
17th – Lasse Karki
18th – Florian Astner
19th – Paul Manx
20th – Nico Muller
21st – Richard Charlton
22nd – Rene Grundei
23rd – Morgan Baplu
24th – Emil Krchnavy
25th – Dirk Walter
26th – Christoph Kreller
27th – Wally Jacobs
28th – Mike Ceuppens
29th – Patrick Van Der Eecken
30th – Rob Van Eijs
Photo credit: Thijs Van Der Horst
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
