Dirk Geiger: Consistency secures Standard title in 2016 ADAC Northern Europe Cup

• One win and six more podiums on his way to first ADAC NEC title
• Climax of his season: Win at Sachsenring under MotoGP banner
• Over ten tears motorcycling experience

Assen: Having started from eighth place on the grid, Dirk Geiger (15, GER) shoots up into second place in the deciding race of the 2016 season. He's in pursuit of team-mate Toni Erhard (15, GER) but is not prepared to do anything too risky and takes the decision to settle for what are perhaps the most important points of his season. Geiger finishes the last race of the ADAC Northern Europe Cup 2016 in fourth place in the Standard class to become the new champion.

“I never expected to win the title in my first year. I thought maybe the Top Five but not the championship title,” he told us. “Kiefer Racing team are brilliant, and they all did a great job for me. Everything was always perfectly prepared. Many, many thanks to all the guys from the team, to all my sponsors and my family for making all this possible.”

The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé started the season with a ninth and a fourth place at Silverstone before finishing on the podium for the first time as runner-up in the first race at Assen. He repeated this success at the Lausitzring before securing his first and only win of the season at the Sachsenring during the MotoGP.

“The best race of the season was at the Sachsenring. That was just terrific and it was especially great to win there at the MotoGP. That was the absolute highlight of my season. Everything was just perfect there, which was just terrific,” said Geiger, looking back on a season, in which he placed consistently and thus got the drop on the competition.

During German Speed Week at Oschersleben, Geiger twice came home in third place before finishing his home race at Hockenheim again in P3. However, the weekend at the Hockenheimring did not quite go entirely as he'd hoped. He secured second place to begin with in the finale at Assen before crossing the finish line in fourth place in a final race where he was on the defensive.

More than ten years experience

Despite his 14 years, Geiger has plenty of experience on two wheels. “My father got me started. He was forever riding around for fun on his pocket bike, scooter and motorcycle. When I was about three-and-a-half, I also wanted to have a try and rode a pocket bike for the first time on the car park at my school. Then, of course, I wanted to continue, and that's how it all came about,” he said.

Not long afterwards, Geiger entered the ADAC Pocket Bike Cup and immediately became champion twice on the trot. “I then moved up to the ADAC Mini Bike Cup where I also won the entry-level class and subsequently moved again to the junior class.” Geiger did not make the podium in the junior class straightaway. “I was fourth the first year but was able to win the title again in the second year, which is when we decided that I should compete in the 2015 ADAC Junior Cup powered by KTM.”

Here too, the talented rider won the ADAC Junior Cup powered by KTM at his first attempt. After taking the title, there followed another move, this time to the newly inaugurated ADAC Northern Europe Cup on a Honda Moto3 prepared by Kiefer Racing Team. Before that, though, Geiger received a very special award. He was made ADAC Junior Racer Of The Year, 2015.

School, ice hockey and big ambitions

When Geiger is not, for once, sitting on his motorcycle, then he's working hard at school. “I've just moved into Year 9 and am really getting on well at school. Maths and sport are my favourite subjects. I just seem to have a real knack for arithmetic, and sport, well, that goes without saying,” said the 14-year-old.

“I sometimes play football in my spare time and play ice hockey a great deal. We, my friends and I, also like slot car racing, which improves my concentration. So, keeping fit automatically takes care of itself,” said Geiger, telling us about his leisure time, during which, of course, watching top riders also plays an important part.

Geiger: “Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi are my idols. Marquez is a high-flyer, always on the limit, and I find that really interesting. I admire Rossi, because he's already achieved so much in his career.” The newly crowned champion of the Standard class in the ADAC Northern Europe Cup dreams one day of competing in the same league as his idols.