Seven-time Formula 1 racing champion Michael Schumacher will be racing this weekend on a Honda CBR1000RR at the IDM International German Motorbike Championship. There are rumors that he'll be racing under a false name, Marcel Niederhausen. Now that the cat is officially out of the bag, so to speak, he may as well skip the alias. Schumacher will race alongside current champion Martin Bauer for Holzhauer Racing.
With this announcement, all of the previous events which Schumacher took part in start to make more sense. Superbike racing is very hotly contested, and the bikes feature nearly two-hundred horsepower in race trim. Therefore, it would have been an exceedingly bad idea to race in this series without a few warm-up runs. According to event organizers, the thirty-seven year old Schumacher has been testing for the last few weeks with members of his new team and "he surprised many experts with fast times." We can only hope that our "retirements" will be so enjoyable.
[Source: Motorcycle News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
The Doctor @ May 16th 2008 7:10PM
Poor old Michael, he couldn't look cool wrestling a tiger on the deck of an exploding oil tanker.
Duncan @ May 16th 2008 7:51PM
Yeah, but he'd pin the tiger, put out the fire, get the tanker through a reef slalom faster than any other captain in the history of skippering, and people would still call him an arrogant cheat.
Bob @ May 16th 2008 9:09PM
Well put Duncan. When it comes down to hard nose competition, you just can't beat Schumi.
Andy @ May 18th 2008 4:15PM
Impressive debut...up to 21st position before crashing out. That's amazing....on a new bike and a new track...
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ivT17ixt4B8JvLctOmBh8-sk8pHw
Franz @ May 16th 2008 7:14PM
Schumi is at it again... he'll always be racing something or another. I hope he does well. Should be an interesting watch... wish I could see it.
Andy @ May 16th 2008 7:34PM
Not a big fan of F1, but it's very impressive that he's done so well in a completely different discipline. You can't fake it on a Motorcycle. He'll just have to get used to racing where there's actual passing and the drama is on the track as opposed to the boardroom (in certain cases, the bedroom).
Throwback @ May 16th 2008 7:54PM
When competition is in your blood, you don't just turn it off.
rouse42 @ May 16th 2008 8:37PM
way to go michael.
good luck.
gt-racer @ May 16th 2008 9:04PM
Ok I no longer have doubt. This guy is the second coming.
Soccer Mom @ May 16th 2008 10:39PM
Perhaps he is the greatest racer ever. Despite lack of practice he shows better times than competing F1 drivers, scores big in motorcycle racing, running with champions and so on.
ben @ May 17th 2008 2:17AM
Seems pretty selfish.
He really shouldn't be risking his life and health like this now that he has "retired." It's not really fair to his wife and kids.
The guy has more money than God himself. Play with the kids and raise them proper as if you mean it and help your wife out out around the house.
Glenn @ May 17th 2008 2:37AM
His wife married a racer. She knows what she was getting into. If he was only racing for the money then he would have stopped a long time ago. For someone to get as good as he is at anything you have to LOVE it. It would be selfish of someone to ask him to stop.
Thanh T. @ May 17th 2008 9:50AM
Good luck Michael S. on your race this weekend at the IDM International German Motorbike Championship.
Honda’s 2008 CBR1000RR is a great bike. Nice bike to drag the knee and race around the tracks on.
My good friends and I ride specially prep Suzuki’s GSX-R 1000 and Kawasaki’s 2008 ZX 10R.
I usually try stay away from racing sport bikes…but after one of my cousins was gun down-murder a year ago, some friends from a local fire department got me back into working on high performance racing sport bikes. It helps me clear my mind.
I’m glad Michael Schumacher found a similar outlet after his mother’s passing also. Cool helmet.
Ride safe and Take care.
zmf001 @ May 17th 2008 10:58AM
He will never stop racing, that is for sure. He is a really impressive racer, and his talent is obvious to anyone who has followed F1 for his career.
Let's just hope he doesn't pull any stunts like he did in F1. Though they were humorous, some were also quite dangerous to him, and the other racers.
Arnob @ May 17th 2008 11:14AM
i heard he's also rumored to represent germany in the olympics this year. he's currently registered for cycling, the marathon, triathlon, and rhythmic gymnastics...
Snix @ May 17th 2008 5:53PM
Racing is dangerous? Yeah, right. No more dangerous than driving on your local interstate with idiot drivers, who are yapping on the cellphone and not paying attention. Or like the drunken 19 year old here in Detroit this AM who killed a Mom and 8 year old.
I fear for Michael and the family (and all of us) driving on the road in their sedan than him on a two wheeler on a track.
I say go for it.
ZeitgeistXIII @ May 17th 2008 8:16PM
Mike Hailwood comes to mind. Or Phil Reed? Many racers have done both cars and bikes. It should be interesting to see since riding fast on a bike is vastly different than sititng in a car and doing the inputs needed.
Steve @ May 17th 2008 10:12PM
"hey Neidermeyer!"
oh wait, wrong person
MikeInNC @ May 18th 2008 10:34AM
Good luck Schumi !!
zaheer1 @ May 18th 2008 12:40PM
Schumi cant have a false name due to insurance problems. so he has to be registered under his name.