Henry Strauss takes victory at the Weinberg Xtrem Enduro Hamma round of the 2025 Auner Hard Enduro Series Germany.

The 2025 Auner Hard Enduro Series Germany moved closer to the halfway point of the season with the race in Hamma – and did so with a spectacular event in the Southern Harz region.

The race weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a parallel Endurocross as a warm-up where MSC Hamma had constructed an arena where two riders competed head-to-head in direct duels and Milan Schmüser secured the win. 

This arena was also part of the main course on race day and provided many thrilling moments – much to the delight of the numerous fans who flocked to the track in large numbers.

Fast ACE Bikes Prologue 

After rain showers on Friday evening, the track was extremely slippery on Saturday morning. Therefore, the organizers decided to include the arena only in the group races – the risk of traffic jams during the prologue would have led to unfair conditions.

Nevertheless, many riders struggled with the conditions – even current points leader Milan Schmüser was dissatisfied with his prologue performance. He lost six seconds to Henry Strauss, who not only secured the first full points of the day but also took over the lead in the ACE Bikes Prologue Award standings.

Strong performances also came from Rico Petzold and David Loose. Petzold, back on GasGas, immediately returned to the front field with 5th place. Loose achieved his best result in the series to date with 6th place.

Favourites prevail in the group gaces

By midday, the group races began – now under significantly drier conditions. In both races, the favourites came out on top.

In the first race, Henry Strauss initially battled closely with Marc Wulf. By the halfway point, Strauss was able to pull ahead and claimed a commanding victory. Behind Wulf, Leon Hentschel took third – meaning the top three favourites occupied the podium.

 In the second group race, a climb caused some minor problems, but Milan Schmüser remained unfazed. He completed his laps confidently and won the race, setting the stage for the much-anticipated showdown in the final.

Final packed with overtakes

Dark clouds gathered before the final, and eyes nervously turned to the weather radar – the memory of last year’s thunderstorm-induced race stoppage was still fresh. But this time, the weather held out.

The fans were treated to another thrilling race. The final track featured additional challenges that even forced some riders to push their bikes. Milan Schmüser initially took the lead with a fast pace and began lapping other riders as early as the second lap. But Henry Strauss stayed close, put pressure on Schmüser, and forced him into a mistake – which he exploited coldly to take the lead.

The battle for the last podium spot was also dramatic. Marc Wulf held third place for a long time, but Leon Hentschel, who started from 6th position, steadily worked his way forward. In the final lap, the showdown came – Hentschel overtook Wulf and narrowly claimed third place.

Strauss, on the other hand, was satisfied: “I’m really happy to have won today. When Milan made that mistake, I was able to get ahead and ride my own pace. Let’s keep it going like this.”

New Winners in the Class Standings

There were many surprises in the class standings. Among the juniors, Pascal Sadecki was absent as he competed at the Enduro Challenge Lichtenberg, and Jan Valvoda chose to race in his Czech homeland – opening the door for new names.

Despite an exhaust issue and early difficulties, Matthis Millich secured the day’s win and took the points lead ahead of Felix Strauss. A big surprise was Hannes Rätze, who made his first-ever podium appearance.

Kai Uebe claimed another victory in the seniors’ class, extending his championship lead. Among the amateurs, Sören Emich came out on top.

Particularly noteworthy was Eric Seifert once again, who piloted the Stark Varg confidently in the final and finished 11th – the best result ever for a HESG-E rider.

Luminus Energie HESG Kids: Wins by the Favorites

The favorites also dominated the kids’ categories. Niklas Sonnack won in the 50cc class ahead of two guest riders. Jordan Wittenberg claimed another victory in the 65cc class ahead of Constantin Richter, who continues to lead the overall standings.

In the 85cc class, Loris Solbrig remained unbeaten. He triumphed over Eric Keller and Marcel Gorajski.

The Auner HardEnduroSeries Germany now enters its spring break. The next round will take place on July 12 in Reisersberg. Online registration opens in early June.

More information: www.hardenduro-germany.de

Photo Credit: Michel238pic | Michel Kuchel