Saturday’s qualifying sessions on the Schützenbühlring near Holzgerlingen were contested under perfect conditions. The first race of the weekend was in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85. It was won by Latvia’s Edvards Bidzans (MX Module, Husqvarna). The victory was enough for the 14-year-old to wrap up the title in the prestigious junior class ahead of time.

In the ADAC MX Masters class, Pascal Rauchenecker (Classic Oil/SHR Motorsports, KTM) clocked the fastest time of 02:04.126 minutes. The Austrian secured pole position on his last flying lap and was more than satisfied with his final attack. "My straight-line speed has been developing in the right direction throughout the season" said Rauchenecker. "I think that starting position is very important here on the Schützenbühlring, so I am all the more delighted to have got pole. We’re certainly in for two exciting races tomorrow." With a deficit of 57 points on the current leader, the KTM rider has no chance of taking the title, but he could still make it onto the final championship podium.

First in the second qualifying group, but a good half a second slower than Rauchenecker, was Sulivan Jaulin (Raths Motorsports, KTM). Apart from a creditable fifth place in Gaildorf, the French rider has so far had a rather mixed season and was therefore especially happy to have booked second at tomorrow’s starter gate. "I already had a good feeling on the recent weekend at Bielstein, but unfortunately I fell heavily in the first race," said Jaulin with some frustration. "Here at Holzgerlingen, things have gone really well so far. My confidence has received a boost today, and I’m hoping for good starts tomorrow. If I can get out of the gate well enough, I would like to be in contention for a podium."

Qualifying just 0.135 seconds behind Jaulin in second place was championship leader Dennis Ullrich (Bodo Schmidt Motorsport, Husqvarna): "Towards the end of the session, I launched another attack on pole, but on some corners, the banking had crumbled away, and that’s enough to cost you the two or three tenths that would otherwise have given you the best time." Second place in Qualifying Group 2 went to Austria’s Lukas Neurauter (KTM Sarholz Racing Team).

ADAC MX Youngster Cup

Pole position in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup went to neither of the two main contenders – Jeremy Sydow (DIGA-Procross Husqvarna) and Rene Hofer (KTM Junior Racing) – but instead to Austrian rider Michael Sandner (Thermotec Racing KTM Team by Mefo Sport). The 20-year-old was in terrific form in the second qualifying group, booking the prime starting slot for the two races on Sunday with an absolute fastest lap time of 2:05.209 minutes. "To be honest, I think I might be able to go even faster," said Sandner after qualifying. "The track suits me wonderfully; I get really good momentum here. Unfortunately, my grandfather died yesterday, so I was particularly pleased to book this pole position for him today. Let’s see what happens in the race tomorrow." Hofer was unable to match the lap time of his fellow Austrian, but with the second fastest lap in his group putting him third at the gate on Sunday, the KTM rider is well placed to challenge for the title.

The same applies to championship leader Jeremy Sydow (DIGA-Procross Husqvarna) who has so far shown no sign of any weakness on the final weekend of the 2019 ADAC MX Youngster Cup, posting by far the fastest lap time of 02:05.451 minutes in the first qualifying group. With only a nine-point lead over Rene Hofer (KTM Junior Racing), Sydow is expecting a close contest with his Austrian rival on Sunday but is nevertheless feeling quietly confident. "The club has prepared the track very well, and I always enjoy competing at the Schützenbühlring," said the 19-year-old after the session. "As for the two races on Sunday, I have no special tactics up my sleeve. I’m not a big fan of calculating the odds – all I’m aiming for is two wins."

ADAC MX Junior Cup 125

Simon Längenfelder’s (WZ-Racing, KTM) massive lead and the injury-related absence of Mike Gwerder (KINI KTM Junior Pro Team) mean that he is assured of the ADAC MX Junior Cup 125 title before the final race is even staged, but that won’t be affecting the 15-year-old’s approach to the closing fixture. "It’s a real pity for Mike, but that’s the way it is in motorsport," said the new champion. "Despite that, I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got because, as a matter of principle, I aim to win every race I compete in." The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé secured pole position once again, albeit this time by only a relatively modest margin of a tenth of a second, making a clear statement of intent for Sunday. "At the beginning of the qualifying session, I had some slight problems, but it then went better from lap to lap. I will try to win both races tomorrow." The second-fastest time was set by Jan Wagenknecht (KTM) ahead of Liam Everts (Team KTM Liamski), who is still in with a chance of finishing the season in third place overall.

ADAC MX Junior Cup 85

Spectators were treated to some thrilling action in Race 1 of the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85. Edvards Bidzans got off to a superb start, taking the first corner in second place. But in the turmoil of the opening lap, the Latvian lost two places and temporarily found himself in fourth: "I knew that P4 would have been enough for the title, but I soon realised that I could go even faster, and I eventually took the lead." The 25 points for the victory mean that the Latvian can no longer be caught in the ADAC MX Junior Cup 85, so Saturday evening saw the first of this season’s championship celebrations. "Because I went into the race with very comfortable lead of 40 points, I wasn’t at all worried," said the new champion. "Even if I crashed or had to retire, I knew that I would have a second chance to clinch the title on Sunday. Even so, I’m obviously relieved that the title is now in the bag."

Behind the winner, there were some intriguing battles for the two other podium spots, especially on the final few laps. The best of the rest was Valentin Kees (Kosak Racing Team), also an ADAC Sports Foundation protégé. "My start was exceptionally good," said Kees. "I was up among the front-runners right from the start, and I am very satisfied with the result." The contest for the remaining podium place was especially tight on the final lap in which Collin Wohnhas (KTM Bauerschmidt) eventually prevailed. "That was really a tough fight," said the 15-year-old, obviously exhausted. "But at least I’ve now got my first ADAC MX Junior Cup 85 podium of the year."