Will Cup winner Paul Fröde (Honda) make the leap to IDM Superbike in 2027?

The overall winner of the Pro Superstock 1000 Cup is Paul Fröde. The Sachsenring local from Hohenstein-Ernstthal won five races at the first four double-header events as part of the Euro Moto series, finished on the podium on two further occasions and even scored points with what was, up to that point, his worst result – fifth place in the first race at Assen. The Honda rider, supported by Holzhauer Racing Promotion, travelled to the finale at Hockenheim with a comfortable lead and was able to secure the title early on with a fourth-place finish in the first of the two races.

Starting from a less-than-ideal seventh on the grid, he immediately set about working his way up to third place, which he held on to safely until the finish. Naturally, shortly afterwards, the joy felt by him and his team was almost boundless. Looking back with some perspective, he said: “We were all, and still are, absolutely delighted with the title.”

Cup title celebrated with a podium finish

The lanky 24-year-old didn’t have a strategy for managing his lead; instead, he wanted to “… first and foremost, have fun.” The rough plan was to clinch the title in the first race, but there would have been a second one as well. In the end, it all worked out. And to finish on the podium again, where it’s nicer to celebrate.”

In the second race on Sunday, he was able to ride freely, settling for fourth place at the finish after a poor start and initially being as low as eighth. “Everything was fine there too, but I had a slightly worse start and had to fight my way up. I was then right on the heels of the leading trio, but all that hard battling wore out my tyres. So in the end I didn’t take any more risks, because I definitely didn’t want to crash in the last race of the season.”

The future is still up in the air

He doesn’t yet know what lies ahead for him next year. The fact is that, as champion of the Pro Superstock 1000 Cup, he is not allowed to compete with the same make of bike again next year. However, as he receives excellent support from Honda Germany and the Holzhauer Racing Promotion team, a return to the top-class Superbike series would be almost the only option. This, however, is significantly more expensive. “I definitely want to carry on, but in what form and in which class is still written in the stars. Given the overall economic situation, it’s getting harder to finance everything year on year. I hope that winning the title will help me find sponsors.”

However, Paul Fröde would not follow the exact example of Kevin Orgis, who won the Pro Superstock 1000 Cup in 2023 and subsequently moved up to the Superbike class. In 2020, he became champion in the Superstock 600 Championship, which was held with the highest national status only that one year. In 2022 and 2023, he competed in the IDM Superbike series with Honda and the support of the Holzhauer Racing Promotion team, but subsequently switched – not least for financial reasons – to the significantly cheaper Pro Superstock 1000 Cup. In 2025, he finished as runner-up in that series. Given the small field of entrants in 2026, it would be highly desirable for him to return to the Superbike class in 2027.