IDM SUPERBIKE IN ASSEN: MARTIN BAUER ON THE PODIUM ONCE AGAIN KTM rider Martin Bauer of Austria powered his RC8R Superbike to a podium place on Sunday on the Dutch circuit of Assen to move into second place in the IDM (German International Superbike) championship standings in the second-last race weekend of the competition. The two- times IDM Superbike champion from Austria managed to keep the title fight open until the final race weekend. Stefan Nebel, second rider in the KTM Superbike Team Germany had a luckless race weekend and slips back to fifth in the rankings. Superbike Race One: With the field swelled by numerous guest riders, 36 starters took to the track to attack the first race on the traditional Dutch circuit. Bauer, who was ranked third going into the race, started in the first row but slipped back a couple of places before he settled down to successfully hunt down IDM leader Karl Muggeridge and Werner Daemen. Following the exit of Dario Giuseppetti, Bauer powered his KTM Superbike into third place at the chequered flag and picked up valuable championship points. He moved into second place due to the fact that the winner, Max Neukirchner was a guest rider and therefore was not allocated any championship points. The race did not go so well for teammate Stefan Nebel when he had to give up on a good result due to an electrical fault just a couple of laps before the end of the race. As five guest riders finished in front of him, he still managed to pick up two points even though he was classified back at 19th place. The Finnish KTM privateer Ves a Kallio was again able to register an impressive result. Extremely constant and aggressive, Kallio rode his RC8R from 16th on the starting grid into an eventual eleventh place. Superbike Race Two: Chaotic is perhaps the best way to describe the second race: race distance shortened as a result of bad weather and then the race called to a halt so the IDM riders delivered a short but thrilling battle over 10 laps where positions changed frequently to the 11,000 spectators. It turned out that it was enough for fifth place for Bauer, just two seconds behind eventual winner Barry Veneman. The distance proved to be too short for Stefan Nebel, who still managed to cross the line in eighth place. Vesa Kallio finished just behind the reigning champion Teuchert in a good 12th place. Martin Bauer (3./5.): The podium in the first race was a mixture of good and bad luck. I benefited when Dario dropped out right in front of me but I had to sit behind a badly smoking bike and that cost me the chance to close in on Barry. Both starts were good and I had a faster pace before the race was stopped than after the re-start. I think I would have been a chance to win. But there’s no “if only” in racing. We’re going to give it everything in Hockenheim and really go for the victory. Stefan Nebel (19./8.): I expected to be right up the front from my start place in the third row. I got into a good rhythm after a few laps and there was a group of six in front of me. But then suddenly I had a problem with the bike. After I got started again my race was virtually over, even though just before the finish I managed to overtake three riders. The second race was simply too short for me. I had an extreme slip with the front wheel in the first lap and when I put that behind me I managed to overtake two other riders. Toni Finsterbusch wins again and is IDM 125 vice champion A great day for the Freudenberg Team. KTM youngster Toni Finsterbusch was brilliant in Assen with best time in training and another race win that allowed him to secure the vice champion title before the end of the season. Eric Huebsch, who rode for the injured Daniel Katheininger in Team Freudenberg finished in 13th place. Once again it was a very strong performance by the youngest KTM racers in the IDM. Philipp Oettl was fifth and is currently in a sensational fourth overall in his first season on his 125 two-stroke bike directly behind his teammate Damien Raemy who finished in eleventh place in Assen. Results Race One 1. Max Neukirchner (GER), Honda – Guest rider 2. Barry Veneman (NL), BMW 3. Martin Bauer, (AT), KTM 4. Karl Muggeridge (AUS), Honda; Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW 5. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW 11. Vesa Kallio (FIN), KTM 19. Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM Race Two 1. Barry Veneman (NL), BMW Max 2. Matej Smrz (CZE), Honda 3. Max Neukirchner (GER), Honda – Guest rider 4. Karl Muggeridge (AUS), Honda 5. Martin Bauer, (AT), KTM 8. Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM 12. Vesa Kallio (FIN), KTM Championship standings after 14 of 16 races 1, Karl Muggeridge (AUS), Honda, 227 Points 2. Martin Bauer (AT), KTM, 196 Points 3. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW, 196 Points 4. Barry Veneman (NL), BMW, 175 Points 5. Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM, 157 Points 15.Vesa Kallio, (FIN), KTM, 48 Points Manufacturers’ Championship Standings 1. BMW 387 Points 2. KTM 372 Points 3. Honda 355 Points 4. Yamaha 248 Points 5. Suzuki 201 Points Championship standings IDM 125 1. Luca Gruenwald, (GER), Seel, 233 Points 2. Toni Finsterbusch (GER), KTM, 185 Points 3. Damien Raemy, (SUI), KTM, 125 Points 4. Philipp Oettl, (GER), KTM, 117 Points 6. Daniel Kartheininger (GER), KTM, 89 Points