The first race of the inaugural Cup goes right to the wire as the German and Romanian duel it out at the Sachsenring
Home hero Freddie Heinrich (PrüstelGP Junior Team) took victory in the first ever race for the Northern Talent Cup at the Sachsenring, duelling it out with Romanian Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) to snatch the win at the final corner and hold it over the line. Third went the way of Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) as the Belgian fought at the front before fading slightly in the latter stages, nevertheless starting his NTC campaign on the rostrum.
It was polesitter Jakub Gurecky (JRT Automotodrom Brno) who took the holeshot, the number 59 swooping round into Turn 1 to keep the lead. Heinrich slotted into second and the two had some initial clear air just behind them on Lap 1, with third at that stage in the race comprising a pretty tight duel between Luciano and Hosciuc.
Round, down and out the Waterfall not long after, Heinrich struck at the front to lead for the first time and by the time the front squabble crossed the line next time around, it had most definitely become a quartet fighting for the lead. Behind them, a classic freight train fight was erupting in the battle for the top five.
Disaster then struck for polesitter Gurecky, however, as the Czech rider suddenly pulled out the race lead and off the racing line, suffering a technical problem and seeing his hopes of a first NTC win evaporate. That left Heinrich in the lead, but it soon tightened up again to become a trio fighting for the win – and it would stay that way for much of the race.
By the latter few laps though, Luciano was fading from the front. Lap 15 of 17 began with the fight for the lead having become a duel, and the stage was set for the first final corner lunge of the NTC. Hosciuc was at the front and started the final lap there, but Heinrich wouldn’t be shaken off, glued to the back of the Hos Racing Team KTM ahead of him…
Where would he strike? The number 9 seemed content to wait it out, and his tactics paid off to perfection as he sliced through at the final corner, taking over at the front and then gunning it for the line. That would prove enough, with the German the first winner of the season – and on home turf.
Hosciuc was forced to settle for second but so close to the win, with Luciano completing that top three in a little clear air. Soma Görbe (HRE Team) won the earlier freight train fight for the top five that became a battle for fourth after Gurecky’s problem, ultimately pulling clear of those behind. Austrian Jakob Rosenthaler (RTR – Racing Team Rosenthaler) took fifth, just getting the better of Dutch rider Kas Beekmans (KNMV) by a tenth, and Noel Willemsen (NW Racing) was even closer as he just lost out to the Dutchman at the line.
Tymur Kostin (SP – Moto Junior Team Ukraine) was close behind in P8 too, with a few tenths in hand over Damian Boessenkool (KNMV). Niklas Kitzbichler (Racing-Team-Kitzbichler) pipped Jonas Kocourek (JRT Automotodrom Brno) to complete the top ten by just half a tenth.
That’s it from Race 1 – but there’s more on Tuesday with Race 2 at 18:15 (GMT +2).
