The DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany 2023 is experiencing extremely changeable weather this season. The fully booked race in the "Hexenkessel" Reisersberg once again lived up to its name. With temperatures around 34 degrees, no one should have felt cold. The MCC Reisersberg has created an extremely challenging track that includes several new difficult sections. Everything possible in off-road terrain has been incorporated, leading to countless beads of sweat for all participants. The HESG family is delighted to welcome back Leon Hentschel, who has finally returned after over a year following an injury.
Facts, Hardenduro im Hexenkessel 15.07.2023
Weather: 33 degrees, sunny
Prolog Award Winner: Jordan Scott (Moto-TM)
Winner: Felix Bähker (Sherco)
Fastest Lap: Lenny Geretzky (GasGas), 09:51,107
Jordan Scott wins the Prolog Award.
Alongside the many regular series riders, traditionally, numerous guest riders also participate in the event. Due to the proximity to our southern neighbors, Austria and Czech Republic, most of them come from these countries. However, there was also an interesting name added last minute from Northern Ireland. Jordan Scott is not accustomed to these temperatures at all, yet he still showed a magnificent performance without running the Prolog. The Moto TM pilot from WieczorekGP Team took over the lead from Fynn Hannemann, who was leading until then. Nonetheless, it is Hannemann's best Prolog placement ever, which has now earned him the top position in the Prolog Award's annual ranking.
Jordan Scott
The group races are won by Bähker and Wulf.
For the 134 participants who traveled to the event, the group races were already expected to be a challenge. Once again, they started in rows of ten based on the Prolog results. Right from the start, a large cloud of dust formed, spreading over the rows of waiting riders. This continued into the first lap. Then, suddenly after only 7 minutes, the first riders arrived at the lap finish, causing chaos as they were not the front runners but participants from the rear rows.
For safety reasons, the race was interrupted and restarted. What had happened? Due to the dense dust, some riders lost track of the correct route and mistakenly turned onto the Prolog track. The MCC Reisersberg promptly responded and resolved the issues on the track.
After just 15 minutes, the first group race was restarted. This time, more distance was left between the rows, resulting in better distribution of the field. Additionally, the race distance was shortened to just 60 minutes. The same applied to the second group race to ensure equal conditions for both groups.
"Our goal is fairness and equal conditions for everyone. It would have been unfair to let the second group race for a longer duration, especially considering they had a shorter break before the final. Given the temperatures, this was the better decision for all," explained series organizer Denis Günther regarding the issues in the first group race.
Start Gruppenrennen
The victories in the group races were claimed by Felix Bähker and Marc Wulf. Bähker possibly faced stronger competitors in Geretzky and Jordan Scott. However, Scott encountered early clutch problems, yet still managed to secure third place on his Moto TM behind Bähker and Geretzky.
Leon Hentschel, the returning rider, initially held back but secured a safe spot in the final with a sixth-place finish. Kevin Gallas would have also made it to the final, despite having to retire his Youngtimer Honda early due to motor issues. The bike didn't perform as well in the hot temperatures and challenging ascents this time. To avoid further damage, Gallas decided not to compete in the final.
In the second group race, Marc Wulf secured the victory, even though Hannemann initially held the lead. Later, the KTM rider from Thuringia confidently took the win.
Marc Wulf
Bähker in the final, like from another star.
With the tailwind from Erzbergrodeo, Felix Bähker entered the race. He started from the front row and surprised the competition in the Harescramble as well. Now that he has completed his education, his focus is primarily on enduro riding, and it seems to be paying off.
In the first lap, he effortlessly mastered all the challenges and returned with a significant lead. Meanwhile, his competitors encountered some difficulties, leading to exciting duels.
Towards the end of the race, an intense battle for the third-place position unfolded. Initially, Marc Wulf held that spot, but Lenny Geretzky closed in and managed to secure a place on the podium in a thrilling internal Thuringian duel. In the final lap, Geretzky had enough stamina to even set the fastest lap.
Leon Hentschel, the two-time series champion, finished in second place. He was pleased with his performance upon his return, saying, "Considering I have only been riding motorcycles again for three weeks, this is the best possible result I could achieve, and I didn't expect it. It was a tough challenge today in the heat, but the track was a lot of fun."
Felix Bähker secured his first overall victory ever. With a thoughtful and consistent riding style, he has now laid the foundation for further successes. He explained, "Initially, I had a duel with Marc, but he made a mistake that allowed me to take the lead. I then focused on not making any errors and rode the same lines every lap. It all worked out, and I'm already looking forward to Gefrees."
In the overall standings, the top three positions have become even closer. Lenny Geretzky and Marc Wulf are now tied at the top, closely followed by Felix Bähker, who is only 5 points behind. It will undoubtedly remain exciting in Gefrees.
Series organizer Denis Günther also provided a fitting concluding statement: "We have already reached the halfway point of the season. After cold and sometimes wet conditions in the first three races, we now experienced the complete opposite on the hottest day of the year. The championship remains exciting as our juniors have taken the level to new heights. With three different winners in the first four races, we are witnessing the best season the HESG has ever had."
Felix Bähker
Excitement continues in the class rankings as well.
The class rankings also remain highly exciting. Everything is still wide open, especially in the Juniors category, where Felix Bähker and Lenny Geretzky are tied at the top, closely followed by Fynn Hannemann with a slight lag. Since only the top ten positions receive points in the classes, except for the Amateurs, the standings present a slightly different picture compared to the overall standings.
The winners in Reisersberg were Leon Hentschel (Pro), Felix Bähker (Juniors), Eva Täuber (Women), Gerhard Kerschbaumer (Amateurs), and Rene Jerbach (Seniors).
The next race of the series will take place on August 5th in Gefrees.
You can find the latest information about the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on social media.
Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel