ADAC NEC: Geiger and Jähnig fastest at the Sachsenring

• Dirk Geiger secures pole in Standard class on MotoGP weekend
• Jan-Ole Jähnig sets fastest ADAC NEC lap at the Sachsenring
• Race 6 contested in framework of the German Motorcycling Grand Prix

Hohenstein-Ernstthal: The fourth event of the ADAC Northern Europe Cup calendar is taking place this weekend in the context of the MotoGP at the Sachsenring. The sun was shining brightly as the Moto3 riders competed in the first quali early on Friday evening, but rain during the second session on Saturday prevented the ADAC NEC riders from improving on their lap times on the 3.67km circuit, and the starting positions were therefore determined by the results from Q1. The race itself is scheduled for Sunday at 16:25 CEST and will be contested over a distance of 20 laps.
 
In the Standard class, reigning champion Dirk Geiger (14, GER) secured pole position. The ADAC Sports Foundation protégé set a fastest lap of 01:31.227 minutes shortly before the end of the qualifying session, just 0.037 seconds behind the fastest of the GP riders.

Leon Orgis (16, GER) secured second place but was 0.569 seconds adrift of his Kiefer Racing team-mate. Geiger is keen to make up for a disappointing weekend at Donington Park where he had to settle for two P3 finishes. Toni Erhard (16, GER), also a member of the Kiefer Racing Team squad and for whom the Sachsenring is a home race, lines up third in the Standard category.

However, the fastest contestant in the ADAC NEC was Jan-Ole Jähnig (16, GER). Like Erhard, the 2016 runner-up in the ADAC Junior Cup powered by KTM is very familiar with the Sachsenring, as he lives only a few kilometres away from the popular Grand Prix circuit. Jähnig set a fastest lap of 01:31.190 minutes and will start Sunday’s race from pole position.

Kevin Orgis (17, GER) and Walid Khan Soppe (17, NED) have a parallel commitment to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup this weekend and were therefore limited by the regulations in the number of qualifying laps they could complete. Both were quickly up to speed, Orgis securing second place in the GP class in the second of his three laps, with Soppe taking P3.
 
Comments from the top riders
 
Dirk Geiger (14, GER), fastest, ADAC NEC Standard: 
“The first qualifying session went well, and I quickly acclimatised myself. Significantly better lap times are achievable in the dry, but I was satisfied nevertheless. In the second quali, which took place on a wet track, I was consistently fast and kept improving from start to finish. Overall, I am happy about the outcome of the two days here. I like this track a lot – the atmosphere is breathtaking. This is a very special event. In tomorrow’s race, I’m obviously going for the win.”

Jan-Ole Jähnig (16, GER), fastest, ADAC NEC GP: 
“Competing here in the context of the MotoGP means a lot to me: for one thing, I like the track layout very much, and for another, it is of course my home GP. The new track surface gives you a better ride, but the tyres don’t last quite so long, and this could cause difficulties tomorrow in the race. In the first qualifying session, the weather was quite nice, although we had high winds. I am happy about the pole position, but I’m not quite so satisfied with my lap time. I was probably over-excited, and also my setup wasn’t yet perfect. The second quali was the first time I’ve ridden on wet weather tyres, so I was taking it steady. It went quite well. In tomorrow’s race, I’m hoping for a good start. I’d then like to pick up on my first qualifying time as quickly as possible and get even faster so that I can pull out a small lead over the pursuing pack.”