The third round of the ADAC MX Masters (23rd/24th June) will be contested at Bielsteiner Waldkurs. This 1,655-metre track, which winds its way through a forest landscape, has a long and illustrious history. It will be the first time during the current season that the riders have competed on a hard surface, which therefore presents challenges of an entirely different nature to those encountered in the first two meetings at Fürstlich Drehna and Mölln. Consequently, we could be seeing some new faces and some old acquaintances on the winners' podium, contestants who have so far been unable to play to their strengths.
First and foremost among them will be four-time ADAC MX Masters champion Dennis Ullrich (2 Stroke Revolution Racing), who has so far had a very difficult time of it on his 300cc two-stroke KTM. "The races at Fürstlich Drehna and Mölln were not exactly easy for me," the 24-year-old concedes. "I was lacking performance in the Fürstlich Drehna sand, and the track at Mölln has never really been any good for me. Bielstein is technically demanding and should suit both me and my bike. I'm hoping to be up with the front-runners again."
Max Nagl (TM Factory Racing) and Henry Jacobi (STC Husqvarna Racing) are once again favourites for the win. After Jacobi came off his bike in the second race at Mölln, Nagl moved 20 points ahead in the championship, a lead that he is hoping to extend. The Bavarian has hit top form, as he demonstrated most recently with a strong seventh place in Round 11 of the MXGP motocross world championship at Ottobiano in Italy. Jacobi was out of luck in the recent world championship races in France and Italy where he took several tumbles, but in terms of form and pace, the Thuringian is very much on song, as evidenced by a Top Ten finish in the first race at Ottobiano.
The battle for P3 in the current championship standings at Bielstein should be extremely interesting. Third-placed Jeffrey Dewulf (Desmet-KTM Motorshop) and his closest pursuer Jens Getteman (Monster Energy's Kawasaki Elf Team Arrow) are separated by just four points. While Getteman is considered a strong rider on compacted soil, Dewulf has yet to prove that he can repeat his successes of the first two race weekends on hard tracks.
At Bielstein, Hunter Lawrence (KMP-Honda Racing) will be contesting the ADAC MX Masters class for the first time this season. The Australian has now recovered from his injuries and has been busy racking up world championship points in the meantime. He is considered to be among the favourites for the race at Bielstein.
The ADAC MX Youngster Cup is also expected to produce some extremely exciting racing. Although Austria's Rene Hofer (KTM Junior Racing) has an eleven-point lead at the top of the championship table, the pursuing bunch are breathing down his neck. They include Dylan Walsh (Team Diga-Procross, Husqvarna), Jett Lawrence (Team Suzuki Germany), Roland Edelbacher (Dimoco Europe Racing, KTM), Richard Sikyna (JD Gunnex KTM Racing Team) and Hardi Roosiorg (Sahkar Racing, KTM), five riders who are not only all within a narrow seven-point band but are each capable of challenging for the win.
An added factor in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup this time will be the guest starts by the leader and the second-placed contestant in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125. Filip Olsson (Team Diga-Procross, Husqvarna) and Raf Meuwissen (Raths Motorsports, KTM) are using the occasion of the scheduled break for their regular class to sample life in the hotly contested ADAC MX Youngster Cup. Fans should not expect these two to be overawed by the occasion or to take a back seat. The guest entry by these two top young riders contributes a novel element.
The youngest riders in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 will also be in action at Bielstein. With two victories, one runner-up spot and a third place, Camden McLellan (Kosak Racing Team, KTM) has moved to the top of the table in the general classification and will be doing his utmost to defend his lead of just five points at the weekend. The main threat to the South African so far has come from Belgium's Liam Everts who will once again rank among the favourites for the Bielstein event. Germany has three strong contenders in Constantin Piller (Mefo Sport Racing Team/MSC Freisinger Bär, KTM), Paul Bloy (Bauerschmidt KTM) and Nick Domann (Kosak Racing Team, KTM). Piller has already made one podium appearance, namely at Mölln, and also fancies his chances at Bielstein.
Bielstein is a suburb of Wiehl, a town located approximately 50 kilometres east of Cologne. Bielsteiner Waldkurs is the home venue for the organising club, MSC Drabenderhöhe-Bielstein e.V. With its forest sections, the track has a very special atmosphere, and watching a race there is a unique experience for the fans. The support programme to the ADAC MX Masters weekend at Bielstein includes an open-air concert on Saturday evening headlined by rock band Benjirose. And the needs of football fans have also been thought of: at 8pm prompt, a giant screen will be showing the World Cup match between Germany and Sweden live. The ADAC Unfallschutz bouncy castle and the ADAC Young Generation Suzuki Quadparcours will also be there to keep families with children well entertained. An additional attraction for the fans will be the autograph session with Max Nagl, Henry Jacobi, Jeffrey Dewulf, Hunter Lawrence and Dennis Ullrich at 11:45 on Sunday. These five top riders will be standing next to the ADAC truck for half an hour, signing autographs and posing for selfies with the fans.
A weekend ticket for adults costs 20.00 euros. Teenagers aged 13 - 15 get a 50% discount. Children up to 12 years are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. If you only want to come on Saturday, entry costs 10.00 euros (concert included). A day ticket for Sunday costs 17.00 euros. ADAC members are eligible for a 10% discount on the ticket price when purchased in advance.