After a thrilling qualifying session on the new Rund um den Mühlberg circuit at Fürstlich Drehna (Brandenburg) on Saturday, the ADAC MX Masters contestants in all three classes approached Sunday's motos with plenty of adrenaline and anticipation. In sunny conditions with a pleasant ambient temperature of 18 degrees, all the preconditions for top-class motocross racing were in place. More than 12,800 spectators (nearly 3,000 more than last year) came through the gates at the 1,650-metre-long track with its deep sand surface to witness wheel-to-wheel action and to enjoy the spectacle of the season opener as the ADAC MX Masters entered its anniversary year.

In the Masters class, the end of the second moto turned out to be an almost equally thrilling chase as that seen in the final at Holzgerlingen in September 2013. Reigning ADAC MX Masters Champion Dennis Ullrich (KTM Sarholz Racing Team) came second in both races and scored 44 points, which was enough to claim the winner's trophy on the day and take him straight to the top of the new championship rankings. Moreover, he won the Red Bull Holeshot Award in both races for the fastest arrival at the first corner. So the young man from Saarlouis got his 2014 campaign off the best possible start: "I've been training intensively over the winter months with the intention of doing everything possible to defend my title. I know that I am one of the fastest, as I think I have clearly proved today."

Ullrich's closest rival, Sebastien Pourcel from France (KTM Sarholz Racing Team), came second overall and is just one point behind his KTM team-mate on 43: "I was aiming to finish in the Top Five in both motos. Despite my aversion to sandy surfaces, I've actually done better here than I was expecting, and I have surprised myself with this good result." Third place on the day and consequently in the championship table went to Austria's Pascal Rauchenecker (Cofain Racing KTM) on 40 points, a promising result that bodes well for the upcoming race weekend on his home track at Ried im Innkreis where the 21-year-old will have the vocal backing of the local fans.

ADAC MX Youngster Cup

The ADAC MX Youngster Cup produced results broadly similar to those recorded in Saturday's qualifying session, except that Spain's Jorge Zaragoza (Monster Energy Kawasaki Elf Team Pfeil) took the winner's trophy after qualifying third. This puts the 18-year-old, now riding for a new team, into an immediate lead on 47 points: "My result from yesterday gave me the confidence to do well today. I like fast tracks, so Fürstlich Drehna suits me very nicely. However, I'm not a big fan of sandy tracks, so it's encouraging that I'm capable of putting in a good performance even on this surface."

Calvin Vlaanderen (KTM Bodo Schmidt Motorsports) also has cause for satisfaction after a successful opening weekend. The 18-year-old from the Netherlands came second overall on 41 points: "So far, my starts have always been my weak point, so I'm all the more delighted that I now seem to have nailed this." Third in the table on 38 points is Lithuanian rider Armenias Jasikonis (KTM-Fahrer). Despite coming third in the first moto, Henry Jacobi (KTM Sarholz Racing Team) from Thuringia missed out on an overall podium in the closing presentations but had the satisfaction of receiving not one but two Red Bull Holeshot Awards.

ADAC MX Junior Cup

Finland's Kim Savaste (KTM Red Bull Factory) staked an early claim to the ADAC MX Junior Cup title, making two podium appearances and winning the Golden Tyre Award (i.e. a new set of tyres) for setting the fastest race lap: "It gave me a massive boost to get away so fast. It meant that I was quickly able to find my rhythm which gave me the advantage. In the second moto, I was quite far behind in the early stages, but then I accelerated up to the front."

A first and a third-place finish in the two races ensured that Savaste ended the day as overall winner in Class 3 and took him to top spot in the new table on 45 points. Just one point behind is 14-year-old Danish rider Mikkel Haarup (Mefo Sport Racing Team, KTM); his two podium finishes netted 44 points, a result with which he was well satisfied: "Sandy circuits are perfect for me. My performance today proves that all the training I've done on this sort of surface has now paid off." In third place on 32 points is KTM Kosak Racing's Martin Winter from Rehau in Bavaria.

The second of eight race weekends takes place on 7th/8th June in the Austrian town of Ried im Innkreis. That's when the ADAC MX Masters, ADAC MX Youngster Cup and ADAC MX Junior Cup riders will be competing for vital championship points on the HSV Ried club circuit. This 1,900-metre clay track forming part of the Asenham military training area is famous for its 300-metre-long starting straight.