KTM Superbike Germany’s RC8R...
KTM Superbike Germany’s RC8R riders Martin Bauer and Stefan Nebel
With three more race weekends and a total of six races left in the competition there is still a slew of championship points and podiums to be had and the two KTM RC8R riders are fresh and ready to go. In what has been so far a great year for the team, the bike and the riders, Martin has already won twice on the RC8R and Stefan has also been on the podium. Martin is third in the championship standings and Stefan is currently in fifth place in what has been a very competitive field. The riders, team and their many loyal KTM Racing fans all have good grounds to be optimistic and can hope for some more strong performances and good points in the second half of the season.
KTM Racing News caught up with Stefan and Martin to see what they had been doing during the calendar break and to ask them about racing at Schleiz, a circuit that is very traditional and offers riders something between classic road racing and riding on a permanent circuit. What they can expect is a great IDM race weekend because Schleiz traditionally attracts one of the highest number of spectators.
Martin Bauer: In the last three weeks I was able to take care of my own company MB Bike Performance but I also really had one week’s real holiday. We just spent the time at home but it was very relaxing and I was able to follow up on my hobbies – like flying. During this time I also drove the KTM X-Bow so my holiday wasn’t really completely without motors!!
KTM Racing: Schleiz is a very different race location. What are your feelings ahead of the fifth event of the year?
Martin Bauer: Schleiz is a place where I’ve already won a few races and because of that I’m very motivated. This is the final street course in the racing calendar so I do find the location very interesting. There’s always a great atmosphere there and there’s always a lot of spectators. I think the RC8R will also suit this track well so I’m hoping for at least a podium this weekend.
KTM Racing: What are you expecting on race day in Schleiz?
Martin Bauer: In Schleiz it’s extremely difficult to keep up the pace right to the end of the race so you can still attack in the final laps. One of the reasons for this is the layout of the track. It has very many fast changes of pace and this demands a lot of effort and energy.
KTM Racing: What do you hope for yourself and the team in the second part of the season?
Martin Bauer: I hope we can continue our good performance and can be in the fight for some more victories. We’ll only see what’s going to come out of it all after Hockenheim. But I am confident that the team has made a great job up till now!
Stefan Nebel: During the break I rode my own bikes a lot both offroad and on the race track – so in a way I had my own races! So I didn’t really have too much time to rest – but I’m happy about that!
KTM Racing: Now you have had the break in the season what is it like to be going to Schleiz?
Stefan Nebel: I'm looking forward to it because like our bike, this racetrack has a special character and I think that they are going to work pretty well together! Anyway I’m happy to be on this bike and to be racing with it – and to have such a great team behind us. So I’ll go to Schleiz to try to win and like every weekend, to have fun…
KTM Racing: Given the special characteristic of the racetrack at Schleiz, what do you expect this weekend?
Stefan Nebel: For sure we are good in the race distance so we have to work with the team to get the best performance. We have to soak up the special atmosphere and draw our motivation from that. If we do that for sure the rest will come to us…
KTM Racing: Looking ahead to the rest of the season how do you think the team will perform?
Stefan Nebel: I hope that we will be able to put in some strong race and that we are on the podium a couple of times. I want to be in the top three in the championship at the end of the season because I want to show that KTM can do it!! I know everybody in the team is working like hell for it and getting good results is the best way to say thanks to all the guys for their work and thanks to KTM!
Both Stefan and Martin ride the KTM 1190 RC8R Superbike. Stefan, from Germany, is 29 and the Nürburgring is his favourite racetrack. Martin is from Austria, in 34 and his favourite track is the Sachsenring. After the two races in Schleiz, the IDM riders compete on August 22 in Assen (Netherlands) and in Hockenheim on September 19th to conclude the season.