Hentschel wins in Schwepnitz, but Strauss takes the championship title

For the last season race of the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany, the series riders headed to East Saxony. After the 2019 season, the season finale took place for the second time in Schwepnitz.

Already on Friday, despite the rainy weather during their arrival, the eyes of the riders sparkled. The Quadpoint had invested a lot of work into the track over the past months. Everyone was curious to see how the new rock field would look in reality. Until then, there had only been photos and videos. However, on-site, some riders raised their eyebrows, especially when it was decided that the rock field would be ridden downhill in the group race.

The numerous fans once again created a record attendance in Schwepnitz. With significantly nicer weather on Saturday, they could look forward to the duel between Strauss and Hentschel. Henry Strauss arrived at the final with a 6-point lead over Leon Hentschel and could therefore adopt a more tactical approach.

Facts, Isegrim Enduro Schwepnitz 05.10.2024

Weather: 11 degress, cloudy

ACE Bikes Prolog Award Winner: Henry Strauss (KTM)

Winner: Leon Hentschel (BETA)

Fastest Lap: Leon Hentschel (BETA), 07:50,933

Pre-decision already in the ACE Bikes Prolog Award?

In fresh weather conditions, the starting signal for the ACE Bikes Prolog Award was given punctually at 8:45 a.m., triggered by a specially appointed hunter.

Henry Strauss, who entered this classification as the leader, started first on the slightly over 2-minute long lap. In addition to some technical sections, such as a small rock field and the Matrix, there were also fluid sections, which earned the prologue much praise.

The KTM rider managed to hold the best time until the end, securing the ACE Bikes Prolog Award. Hentschel finished third behind Frost, losing two more points in the championship standings as a result.

Chaos in the Rock Field.

At 11 a.m., the first group race was started. In this race, the duel between the two giants of the series entered the next round. The lead changed hands several times, but in the end, Leon Hentschel secured the victory in the group race ahead of Strauss. However, since this race was only about qualifying for the final and no points were awarded, the standings initially remained unchanged.

Like many others, Strauss also had some difficulties in the rock field. The ladies had to fight particularly hard in the second group race, as the battle for the championship was at the forefront for them. Eva Täuber secured both the daily victory and the overall championship.

At the front, Charlie Frost had an easy time and won the second group race.

Finale Grande turned into a thriller.

With an 8-point lead, Henry Strauss entered the final. However, he couldn’t take it too lightly; while a fourth place would suffice, the expected traffic jam in the rock field, which had to be ridden uphill, meant anything could happen.

In the first round, the big duel commenced, with Charlie Frost also getting involved. All three were in the rock field, with Hentschel being the first to reach the champion arch. For the Uelzener, there was only one motto: "Full throttle and away."

He managed to do just that, and despite a spectacular crash in the last meters at the tunnel jump, he secured the daily victory, allowing him to claim the second wolf as a trophy.

"It was a really awesome race. It was a blast, and the track was top-notch. We’ll be back next year," Hentschel expressed, visibly satisfied after the awards ceremony.

However, this victory had no significance for the championship. Henry Strauss drove tactically smart and secured second place, which was enough to win the championship with a 5-point lead. With this, Henry, at 15 years old, is the youngest champion of the series, and it will be hard to beat this age in the future.

Correspondingly happy, he participated in the champion interview: "The day started pretty well with the prologue, as I managed to complete a good lap. However, I had some difficulties in the rock field during the group race. In the final, it got better from round to round, which was enough for second place. I’m really excited that it ultimately led to the championship."

Charlie Frost secured third place in the daily standings. The Brit faced issues with his chain, causing him to fall back and no longer be able to challenge the top 2.

Decisions were still open for the amateurs and seniors as well. Rene Jerbach can look forward to some pocket money for the trip to Sea to Sky. Despite an incident, he secured the championship in the seniors category. In the amateurs, it was Elias Theodossiou who claimed the championship title. The day’s victory went to Fabian Heil, allowing him to move up to third place.

The final race in Schwepnitz will remain in everyone’s memory for a long time. With excellent organization, a festival tent for the championship awards and party, as well as a full-day moderator, Schwepnitz has set new standards at the end of the year. However, all eyes are already looking forward: Registration for the 2025 season begins, as always, on January 1, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.

Current information on the DOWATEK HardEnduroSeries Germany can always be found at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on social media.

Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel