KTM riders open IDM Superbike season with double victory and podium Motorex KTM rider Martin Bauer of Austria posted a double race victory to launch his IDM Superbike season on Sunday at Germany’s Lausnitzring. Inghart KTM rider Stefan Nebel completed the excellent first race weekend by also finishing on the podium in race one. For the season’s opening race all three of KTM’s official supported riders in the German International Superbike competition started from the front row. Alongside pole sitter Dario Giuseppetti on the front row was Nebel, second fastest in training with 1:39.334 seconds and his Inghart KTM teammate Matej Smrz (1:39.729) in third place on the grid. Martin Bauer started fourth on the grid with (1:39.975) to make all of them under the magic 1.40 min limit. In the first race Bauer attacked with one of his super starts and went straight into the lead. Rival Giuseppetti briefly regained the lead in the first third of the race before the Motorex KTM rider made a concerted attack, surged ahead and began to systematically build on his lead time for the rest of the race. Nebel of the Inghart KTM team finished third and his teammate Smrz was behind him right up to the last curve combination. The Czech rider made one last attack on his teammate, the two riders touched and while Nebel managed to hold onto third, Smrz slipped down the order by two places to finish sixth. Bauer again managed a rocket start on his Motorex KTM RC8 R in the second race of the day and again took the lead in front of Dario Giuseppetti. The German stole the lead on his Italian brand bike but the Austrian Bauer immediately countered and was in front again. The rest was a cat and mouse game to the finish with Bauer wrapping up the race with an advantage of 1.8 seconds at the checkered flag. Australian Karl Muggeridge was third. Matej Smrz came in fourth behind the Australian and Nebel brought his Inghart-KTM bike home in sixth. Bauer’s double victory gave him the perfect scorecard of 50 points, followed by Giuseppetti with 40 and Muggeridge 29. Close behind were the two Inghart KTM riders with Nebel with 26 points and Smrz with 23. At the closure of the first of eight race weekends, KTM leads the Manufacturer’s Standings with 79 points followed by BMW (38), Honda (32) and Yamaha (30). Martin Bauer, Motorex KTM RC 8 R (finished 1-1): It was a very turbulent weekend. We tried out a lot of different settings but didn’t seem to find the right one. I also knew the pace was going to be very fast. So in the end we tried something completely new with the chassis and the tires and which we weren’t able to try out before the race. For this reason I held back a bit in the first couple of laps and followed Dario for y couple of laps after he overtook me. It was only when I felt sure everything was working perfectly that I attacked and I was able to ride just a bit faster than him. In the end I was able to extend my lead and take control. I want to thank my team for this first victory because they really did a lot of work on the chassis and the win belongs as much to them as to me. In the second race I used the same tires and the same setting and I could risk a bit more a bit quicker. Dario only took the lead briefly before I could retake it and work on building on the advantage. I take off my hat to Giuseppetti and his team. He is one of those riders that it is a lot of fun to fight with wheel on wheel and we leave each other enough room. This sport is risky enough so that it is not necessary to also play hara-kiri. This double victory means that I and my Motorex KTM Team have had a fantastic start to the season. Now we’ll have to wait and see what happens next. Stefan Nebel, Inghart KTM Team Germany (finished 3-6): The first race was very interesting. My start was good and it was very tight going into the first corner, after which I was fourth. I knew I could rider faster but I took a good look around. Dario was hanging onto Nebel and it took a while for me to get in front of Muggeridge. By then the front runners had got away. Then my teammate went on the attack in the final lap. I was on the inside and we both needed to be a bit more forward. I have the mark from his front tire on my right thigh. It looked like we were both going to be in trouble but luckily we managed to survive. I chose softer tires for the second race because I hoped it would give me the advantage but this didn’t work out. Suddenly I had some chattering and I had to survive a couple of slips of the front tire. After that I settled down to bring the RC8 R safely back to the finish. Under these conditions sixth place was the maximum possible. Matej Smrz, Inghart KTM Superbike Team Germany (finished 6-4): The start of the first race was good but after that I forgot to change gears and that cost me a couple of places. I was tenth after the battle in the first corner and slowly I began to work up the order. Everything worked well for me and I had a good fight with Muggeridge, Cudlin, Teuchert and Ranseder. After that I was fourth and I tried to overtake Nebel in the final lap. It was very tight and we touched each other. I feel pleased that neither of us crashed Stefan managed to hold onto his place and I had to give way then Muggeridge and Cudlin slipped past me. I apologized to Stefan and later in hospitality we joked about it together. I didn’t have such a good start in the second race but I managed to move up from eighth to fifth place. I couldn’t stick with Muggeridge who finished in front of me but I managed to get past Ranseder just before the flag because I managed to save my tired right to the end. I’m not satisfied but I have to be more consistent and think about what I’m doing. Being a factory rider is new for me and so is the bike. I hope that I am going to be able to move up the order as the season progresses. Results: Race 1 1, Martin Bauer, Austria, Motorex KTM Superbike Team 2, Dario Giuseppetti, Germany, Ducati 3, Stefan Nebel, Germany, Inghart KTM Superbike Team 4, Karl Muggeridge, Australia Honda 5, Damien Cudlin, Australia, BMW 6, Matej Smrz, Czech Republic, Inghart KTM Superbike Team 11. Vesa Kallio, Finland, KTM Race 2 1, Martin Bauer Austria, Motorex KTM Superbike Team 2, Dario Guiseppetti, Germany, Ducati 3, Karl Muggeridge, Australia, Honda 4, Matej Smrz, Czech Republic INGHART KTM SUPERBIKE Team Germany 5, Michael Ranseder, Austria, BMW 6, Stefan Nebel, Germany, INGHART KTM SUPERBIKE Team Germany 19, Vesa Kallio, Finland KTM Championship standings after 2 of 16 races 1, Martin Bauer, Austria, KTM 50 points 2, Dario Giuseppetti, Germany 40 3, Karl Muggeridge, Australia, 29 4, Stefan Nebel, Germany, KTM 26 5, Matej Smrz, Czech Republic, KTM, 23 14. Vesa Kallio, (FIN), KTM, 6 IDM 125, Race One Podium for KTM The first 125 race of the new season finished on Sunday finished with a podium second place for KTM youngster Alexander Kristiansson of Sweden of the HP Moto team of ex GP racer Peter Oettl, who rode a clever tactical and hard fought race against the Australian Jack Miller. Luca Gruenwald, the reigning German champion finished his first race for the Freudenberg Team on a KTM in a good fourth place. Austrian up and coming talent Deni Cudic was excited about his 11th place. Vice champion crashed while in the lead. Alex Kristiansson, KTM 125, Team HP Moto (finished 2): After Finsterbusch crashed I fell back behind Miller because I wanted to see what he was going to do. My KTM was running well but it wasn’t possible to get away. I waited for my chance, I tried to ride fast and constant and wanted to come out from his slipstream and attack but it didn’t work out. I am still very satisfied with my second place. That’s a good start to the season. Luca Gruenwald, KTM 125, Freudenberg Team, (finished 4): I had a good fight with Luca Amato for third place and even if I wasn’t able to pull this off I’m still satisfied. The KTM is new for me this year but I’m beginning to get used to it. In the second half we had the same lap times as the two in front so things are improving. Deni Cudic, KTM 125, Freudenberg Team (finished eleventh) That was a hard but great battle with Lukas Wimmer and Sebastian Eckner. It was a lot of fun for me. We managed to overtake each other over and over again and the tips that my trainer Ralf Waldmann gave me were very helpful. Now I’m looking forward to Oschersleben. IDM 125 Race 1 1, Jack Miller, Australia, Aprilia 2, Alexander Kristiansson, KTM 3, Luca Amato, Germany, Aprilia 4, Luca Gruenwald, Germany, KTM 5, Michael Ecklmaier Michael, Germany Other KTM 11, Deni Cudic, Austria, KTM