The ADAC MX Masters weekend in Tensfeld is a home event for Toni Hoffmann, and the 32-year-old from Wismar can look forward to seeing his family, friends and many familiar faces at the track. This year, he lines up in the Open class as the reigning German Motocross champion – with a new perspective on his career and an additional sporting challenge to focus on.
His career as a sportsman very nearly took a totally new direction following his success. “To be honest, after winning the title last year, I considered walking away from the sport completely,” Hoffmann admits. A shocking statement. After all, becoming the German champion in the pinnacle of national Motocross racing last year was a dream come true for the rider from the BVZ Racing Team: “You have to be honest enough to say that it is probably not going to get any better than that for me. When you look at my means and opportunities, that was the highlight of my career.” However, rather than hang up his boots, he went in search of a new challenge – and found it in Enduro racing.
From PW50 to the title
It was written in the stars that motorsport would play a huge part in his life. Hoffmann first sat on a motorcycle at just three years of age. His father used to race at the legendary Teterow Bergring, before switching to Enduro racing. “My dad always took me with him. When he was on the road, I used to ride around on my PW50,” he recalls. Hoffmann contested his first race when he was six, since when he has compiled a long list of successes. He won practically every class in the state championship in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This was followed by success at the Cross Finals and impressive results in the German championship. However, Hoffmann had to wait until 2025 for the big breakthrough, when he won the German title in the Open class. “The day itself was actually awful,” he says now, laughing. “You are tense, thinking about it the whole time, and constantly under pressure. However, when it was done, it was obviously an incredible feeling. After all, that is what you train for.”
A new love of Enduro
Instead of relaxing after winning the title, Hoffmann is not only starting in Motocross this season, but also in the German Enduro Championship. However, this switch was by no means a big surprise. He has had a connection to Enduro racing since he was a child. Furthermore, the BVZ Racing Team of KTM dealer Bert von Zitzewitz traditionally has strong roots in the field of Enduro. “I did my motorcycle licence many years ago,” Hoffmann explains. “I just tried my hand at a few Enduro races last season, and then I was hooked.” However, the transition is greater than many would believe. “The biggest challenge is being able to hit the ground running and be fast from the word go,” he says. While he has trained at and familiarised himself with Motocross tracks, a new situation awaits him behind every corner in Enduro racing. “You can soon be too optimistic when exiting a turn, or just get a corner totally wrong.” Then there are other areas of improvement, about which Hoffmann himself can have a little chuckle: “I am still finding myself spending too much time lying in a bush somewhere, or riding into trees. We still need to do a bit of work on staying on the bike.” Despite all the difficulties, he can already see the positive effect that Enduro is having on his Motocross riding. Enduro is forcing him to work more precisely and position the bike more consciously. “You simply learn to ride exactly where you want to be riding.”
Between the building site and the racetrack
Since November 2025, Hoffmann has been working full time for the family business. The times, in which he was able to focus fully on racing, together with his engineering studies, are over for now. Nowadays, he looks after the coordination and documentation side of things for the construction of district heating transfer stations. The balancing act between his job and motorsport demands good time management, but this has worked out surprisingly well so far. “Fortunately, I have a certain degree of freedom. If I want to train in the morning, I arrive at work later and then stay later. I am able to juggle the two well.”
Home outing in Tensfeld
Hoffmann is particularly looking forward to Tensfeld. Although the track is not exactly on his doorstep, it is still the closest thing to a home race for him this season. “Friends and family will be there, which obviously makes it special.” Then there is his team’s close connection to the event. BVZ Racing Team principal Bert von Zitzewitz has for decades been one of the biggest supporters of motorsport in the north, and is closely associated with ADAC Schleswig-Holstein. And when the team principal himself is at the track, it does not go unnoticed by Hoffmann. “When Bert is there, you take a slightly different approach to things,” says Hoffmann with a grin. “You obviously want to perform well.” He remains ambitious, and his goal for Tensfeld is clear: “I want to finish in the points again in Tensfeld.”
Driven by the flow
What drives a person to continue to seek out new challenges after over 25 years on the motor racing scene? For Hoffmann, the answer does not lie in trophies or titles. It is much more about that particular feeling that every Motocross rider recognises. “When you have a really good day of training, everything comes together, every corner is right, and you are completely in the flow, then you don’t think about anything else,” he says, describing his passion. “You go home happy in the evening.” Toni Hoffmann is still hungry for that feeling, even today. Whether on a Motocross track, between the trees on an Enduro stage, or at his home event in Tensfeld. The German champion may already have achieved his biggest goal. However, he still has that joy for motorcycle racing and the desire to constantly face new challenges. And it is for precisely that reason, that we can expect to see the friendly rider from the north of Germany on the racetracks of this country for a while longer.
