KTM's Bauer gets Superbike win

From KTM Racing

KTM Superbike Team Germany celebrated a win by RC8R rider Martin Bauer and a third place by teammate Stefan Nebel on Germany's Sachsenring last weekend in the International German Superbike Championships (IDM).     
       
The Austrian Bauer registered the team's second victory of the season in the second race after he had a DNF in the first. German teammate Nebel registered a third and a fourth place on a weekend that also saw KTM vault to the front of the leader board in the Manufacturer's Standings, 12 points ahead of Honda.

Stefan Nebel registered the third best training time on the 3.7km circuit to start in the front row while teammate Bauer, even though he was sixth fastest had to start in 10th place on the grid because he overlooked the requirement to use marked tires.

The first race, won by the Australian Karl Muggeridge saw multiple changes in leadership by a group of 10 riders at the front of the pack. Nebel was sitting in fourth place going into the final lap and slipped into third for his podium position. Bauer was forced to retire because of technical difficulties.

The second race was turbulent and punctuated by a number of crashes, including among some of the most prominent riders in the competition. Bauer started from the third row but hit the front in the middle of the race and brought the KTM Superbike home in first place. Nebel looked like finishing in third place but was overtaken in the final lap by Werner Daemen (BMW).

Bauer's victory was the team's second this season and his and Nebel's points have secured KTM 222 points to lead the Manufacturer's Standing. Halfway through the season Bauer is in second place in the championship standings and Nebel is fourth.

"I really wanted this victory," Bauer said. "The Sachsenring is my favourite circuit and I was very disappointed not to finish the first race. We had some problems with the setup and the tires in training and I really had to go for it to fight for the sixth place on the grid. Then I was penalized four places because the tires weren't marked correctly. That made it an even bigger challenge because this circuit is an orgy of corners and it's very hard to overtake. I was already up to fourth place in the first race before I had to retire.

"I had a good start in the second race and the RC8 R and the Dunlop tires worked perfectly. I could go at a good pace and work my way up through the order. I followed Dario Giuseppetti for a while then took the lead about halfway through the race. I wasn't really able to break away from him and when I turned to take a look in the last lap I saw his teeth flash under his visor. So I took the precaution blocking the line so I could stay in front till the finish line."

Results:
Superbike Race 1
1. Karl Muggeridge (AUS), Honda
2. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW
3. Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM
4. Dario Giuseppetti (D), Ducati
5. Joerg Teuchert (D), Yamaha

Superbike Race 2
1. Martin Bauer, (AUT), KTM
2. Dario Giuseppetti (D), Ducati
3. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW
4. Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM
5. Didier van Keymeulen (Bel), Yamaha

Standings after 8 of 16 races
1. Karl Muggeridge (AUS), Honda, 148
2. Martin Bauer (AUT), KTM, 112
3. Werner Daemen (BEL), BMW, 109
4. Stefan Nebel (GER), KTM, 100
5. Barry Veneman (NL), BMW, 90