- Two times in the Finals at Supercross Stuttgart
- Best German Rider in the SX1 Class
- Seventh Place in the ADAC SX-Cup
Last Friday and Saturday, the German indoor motocross season kicked off with the opening round of the ADAC SX-Cup at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart. As at his Supercross debut at the same venue last year, Max competed in the SX1 class, but this time aboard his 450cc four-stroke KTM instead of a 250cc two-stroke.
“I’m simply more used to the 450. After making my Supercross debut last year without much pressure for results, I wanted to be more competitive this time — especially off the start and out of tight corners,” Max explained his choice. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t prepare for Supercross as intense as I had planned, but I still set myself the goal of reaching two finals.”
Good start on Friday
On Friday, Max showed strong pace with eighth place in his practice group and narrowly missed direct qualification for the final with sixth place in his semifinal, just one position short. In the Last Chance Race, he kept his cool and won the short three-lap sprint from start to finish, securing his place in the final. There, Max got a great start in second place. Despite a few small mistakes that dropped him back slightly, he rode a solid race and thrilled the fans. Finishing seventh, just ahead of former U.S. Supercross Champion Jake Weimer, he was the best German rider.
“After those mistakes, I got a bit of arm pump, but overall, it was a really good start. I’m happy to have made the final — number seven finishing seventh, that fits perfectly,” Max smiled.
Confirmation on saturday
On Saturday, Max placed seventh in time practice, less than a second off the fastest rider — a testament to how close the competition in the SX1 class is. After a crash in his semifinal, he fought his way back strongly but again missed direct qualification with seventh place. In the Last Chance Race, Max once again impressed with a start-to-finish victory, advancing to the SX1 final — this time as the only German rider.
“I don’t know why I had to make the qualification fort he final so exciting by going through the LCQ again,” Max shrugged with a grin.
In the final, he couldn’t make the same outside move in the first corner as on Friday and started the race from the back of the field. From there, he worked his way up again to finish seventh.
“I rode solidly once more and finished seventh again — both in the final and overall in Stuttgart. Seven really seems to be my number,” Max laughed. “I’m satisfied, especially considering my short Supercross preparation. With two finals, I achieved my goals and I’m already looking forward to Supercross Dortmund in January. But I think fans might see me racing again somewhere before Dortmund,” Max added mysteriously.
Results:
Friday SX1 Final: 7
Saturday SX1 Final: 7
Overall: 7
Championship: 7
