The ADAC MX Masters entered its 14th season in ideal track conditions and under a bright blue sky at Fürstlich Drehna. This is the first year in which riders will be competing in four classes. It is also the reason why one of the points-scoring races was contested on Saturday, namely in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85. The youngest riders in the ADAC MX Masters had the privilege of opening the campaign.

Liam Everts (KTM), son of ten-time world champion Stefan Everts, had set the fastest lap time in the qualifying session by the margin of a full second, and it was obvious immediately after the start that there was only ever going to be one ultimate winner. "I got off to a great start and quickly established myself at the front," said the Belgian 13-year-old. "After a few laps, I had built up a solid lead, so I throttled back in the final stages to avoid unnecessary risk." The runner-up spot went to Lellan McCamden (Kosak Racing Team, KTM). The South African had made an impressive charge through the field and was delighted with his podium finish. "My start was actually not all that bad," said McCamden after the race. "But then I had problems changing up to the next gear, which cost me a lot of places. Luckily, I was able to fight my way back to the front. I think that, if I had stayed with Everts right from the start, I could have kept up with his pace. Anyway, let's see how well tomorrow's start goes." In third place was Radek Vetrovsky (JD Gunnex KTM Racing Team) from the Czech Republic.

In the senior ADAC MX Masters class, Max Nagl (TM) posted the fastest lap of the day with a time of 01:45.962 minutes at literally the last moment. This gave him pole position for the two races on Sunday. Prior to that, however, the German had taken a heavy fall: "I thought I would take two humps in a chicane as a double jump. It would certainly have been a time-saving move, but unfortunately it didn't work out. In the end, though, I was able to turn it up again and grab pole position. In the last two weeks, I have recovered well from injuring the nerves in my neck, and I'm fit for the races tomorrow." The second-fastest time was set by veteran rider and sand specialist Ken de Dycker (WZ Racing). The tall Belgian brought his experience and cool temperament to bear in qualifying as he set the best time of his group on his fifth lap. He then put in one more leisurely lap before calling it a day and returning to the paddock with ten minutes of the qualifying session still left. Four-time Masters champion Dennis Ullrich (2-stroke Revolution Racing, KTM) had to settle for twelfth in his group but did not appear unduly concerned. "I'm rarely the fastest in qualifying," said the two-stroke rider, reassuring his fans. "The points are only awarded in the race itself."

Filip Olsen (Team Giga-Procross, Husqvarna) went down in the record books as the first winner of a quali in the newly created ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 class. "I am very happy that I was able to set the fastest lap time," said the delighted Swede. "Towards the end of the quali, I identified some fast grooves, and so I feel well prepared for the two races on Sunday. The track was already quite churned up, and the hot weather doesn't make things any easier for us riders. But I've trained hard, and I'm hopeful of winning tomorrow!" Raf Meuwissen (Raths Motorsports, KTM) was hot on the heels of his Swedish rival. The Dutch teenager was only 0.058 seconds slower than Olsen on his fastest lap and should therefore also be a strong contender for victory on Sunday. Raivo Dankers (Team RD10 by Mefo Sport, KTM) will start from third on Sunday. The fastest German contestant in qualifying for the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 was Laurenz Falke (STC Racing, Husqvarna) in fifth place.

In the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, only two riders came in under the 01:46-minute mark in qualifying. The quicker of the two was Glen Meier (Kosak Racing Team, KTM) who is competing at Fürstlich Drehna for the ninth time and therefore knows the track very well. "It was really great!" said the 19-year-old enthusiastically. "I really like the track and have felt comfortable from first arriving here. Tomorrow, I'm hoping for two good starts. If I ride at a steady pace and don't make too many mistakes, that should be enough for the victory." Seeking to frustrate that outcome will be Bastian Boegh Damm who absolutely dominated qualification in his group, outpacing the runner-up by a good two seconds. "I had no great expectations for this qualifying," said the 16-year-old Dane, who was unable to compete last year due to a back injury. "I just wanted to have fun. Let's see how it goes tomorrow. The hot weather should not be a problem for me." Jeremy Sydow (WZ Racing, KTM) finished second in his qualifying group, which makes him the fastest German in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup.