Facts, Hardenduro im Hexenkessel 15.07.2023
Weather: 33 degrees, sunny
Prolog Award Winner: Jordan Scott (Moto-TM)
Winner: Felix Bähker (Sherco)
Fastest Lap: Lenny Geretzky (GasGas), 09:51,107
Jordan Scott wins the Prolog Award.
Alongside the many regular series riders, traditionally, numerous guest riders also
participate in the event. Due to the proximity to our southern neighbors, Austria and
Czech Republic, most of them come from these countries. However, there was also an
interesting name added last minute from Northern Ireland. Jordan Scott is not
accustomed to these temperatures at all, yet he still showed a magnificent
performance without running the Prolog. The Moto TM pilot from WieczorekGP
Team took over the lead from Fynn Hannemann, who was leading until then.
Nonetheless, it is Hannemann's best Prolog placement ever, which has now earned
him the top position in the Prolog Award's annual ranking.
The group races are won by Bähker and Wulf.
For the 134 participants who traveled to the event, the group races were already
expected to be a challenge. Once again, they started in rows of ten based on the
Prolog results. Right from the start, a large cloud of dust formed, spreading over the
rows of waiting riders. This continued into the first lap. Then, suddenly after only 7
minutes, the first riders arrived at the lap finish, causing chaos as they were not the
front runners but participants from the rear rows.
For safety reasons, the race was interrupted and restarted. What had happened? Due
to the dense dust, some riders lost track of the correct route and mistakenly turned
onto the Prolog track. The MCC Reisersberg promptly responded and resolved the
issues on the track.
After just 15 minutes, the first group race was restarted. This time, more distance was
left between the rows, resulting in better distribution of the field. Additionally, the
race distance was shortened to just 60 minutes. The same applied to the second
group race to ensure equal conditions for both groups.
"Our goal is fairness and equal conditions for everyone. It would have been unfair to
let the second group race for a longer duration, especially considering they had a
shorter break before the final. Given the temperatures, this was the better decision
for all," explained series organizer Denis Günther regarding the issues in the first
group race.
The victories in the group races were claimed by Felix Bähker and Marc Wulf. Bähker
possibly faced stronger competitors in Geretzky and Jordan Scott. However, Scott
encountered early clutch problems, yet still managed to secure third place on his
Moto TM behind Bähker and Geretzky.
Leon Hentschel, the returning rider, initially held back but secured a safe spot in the
final with a sixth-place finish. Kevin Gallas would have also made it to the final,
despite having to retire his Youngtimer Honda early due to motor issues. The bike
didn't perform as well in the hot temperatures and challenging ascents this time. To
avoid further damage, Gallas decided not to compete in the final.
In the second group race, Marc Wulf secured the victory, even though Hannemann
initially held the lead. Later, the KTM rider from Thuringia confidently took the win.
Bähker in the final, like from another star.
With the tailwind from Erzbergrodeo, Felix Bähker entered the race. He started from
the front row and surprised the competition in the Harescramble as well. Now that he
has completed his education, his focus is primarily on enduro riding, and it seems to
be paying off.
In the first lap, he effortlessly mastered all the challenges and returned with a
significant lead. Meanwhile, his competitors encountered some difficulties, leading to
exciting duels.
Towards the end of the race, an intense battle for the third-place position unfolded.
Initially, Marc Wulf held that spot, but Lenny Geretzky closed in and managed to
secure a place on the podium in a thrilling internal Thuringian duel. In the final lap,
Geretzky had enough stamina to even set the fastest lap.
Leon Hentschel, the two-time series champion, finished in second place. He was
pleased with his performance upon his return, saying, "Considering I have only been
riding motorcycles again for three weeks, this is the best possible result I could
achieve, and I didn't expect it. It was a tough challenge today in the heat, but the track
was a lot of fun."
Felix Bähker secured his first overall victory ever. With a thoughtful and consistent
riding style, he has now laid the foundation for further successes. He explained,
"Initially, I had a duel with Marc, but he made a mistake that allowed me to take the
lead. I then focused on not making any errors and rode the same lines every lap. It all
worked out, and I'm already looking forward to Gefrees."
In the overall standings, the top three positions have become even closer. Lenny
Geretzky and Marc Wulf are now tied at the top, closely followed by Felix Bähker,
who is only 5 points behind. It will undoubtedly remain exciting in Gefrees.
Series organizer Denis Günther also provided a fitting concluding statement: "We
have already reached the halfway point of the season. After cold and sometimes wet
conditions in the first three races, we now experienced the complete opposite on the
hottest day of the year. The championship remains exciting as our juniors have taken
the level to new heights. With three different winners in the first four races, we are
witnessing the best season the HESG has ever had."
Excitement continues in the class rankings as well.
The class rankings also remain highly exciting. Everything is still wide open,
especially in the Juniors category, where Felix Bähker and Lenny Geretzky are tied at
the top, closely followed by Fynn Hannemann with a slight lag. Since only the top ten
positions receive points in the classes, except for the Amateurs, the standings present
a slightly different picture compared to the overall standings.
The winners in Reisersberg were Leon Hentschel (Pro), Felix Bähker (Juniors), Eva
Täuber (Women), Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Amateurs), and Rene Jerbach (Seniors).
The next race of the series will take place on August 5th in Gefrees.
You can find the latest information about the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries
Germany at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on social media.