The NTC now boasts six different winners after three rounds
Richard Irmscher (Racingteam Irmscher) stole the show on Sunday with victory over his rivals in Race 2 in Oschersleben, finishing ahead of Matteo Masili (SaMarigosa MM Racing Team) and Ferre Fleerackers (Junior Black Knights) in a fiercely-contested encounter that saw Jurrien Van Crugten (BB64 Academy) and Frellsen go wide on the last corner as they fought for the last place on the podium.
Off the line it was a great start from Dustin Schneider (Mass Sports Racing by JRP Academy) from second on the grid, taking the holeshot ahead of Fleerackers and Alessandro Binder (Kiefer Racing). Van Crugten and Masili both had poor starts and dropped positions. For the first few laps, Schneider was the front man in a lead group of seven, with Fleerackers, Binder, and Irmscher close behind.
By lap six Masili entered the top three, and from lap 11 things started to get really interesting as Saturday’s winner Frellsen finally joined the top group and started looking like he was going to do a repeat of Race 1. At the beginning the last lap it was Masili from Frellsen and Irmscher. In the last sector Frellsen got sandwiched between Van Crugten and Fleerackers, putting him a bit wide.
Meanwhile Irmscher overtook Masili on the inside into the last turn to steal the win, and then Frellsen and Van Crugten, fighting hard for third, forced each other wide. The chasing pack didn’t wait for a second invitation to roar past and over the finish line. Behind Fleerackers who nabbed third, it was Dutchman Tom Kuil (Zelda People Racing), Schneider, Thias Wenzel (Kiefer Racing), Binder, Van Crugten, Frellsen and Kyano Schoo (KS-Racing). Frenchman Antoine Nativi (Racing Nativi Team) could only manage 14th due to a problem with his visor during the race.
With six different winners in six races, the NTC is shaping up nicely for a hotly-contested and unpredictable season. We’ve enjoyed Van Crugten, Nativi, and now Irmscher, as Cup leaders. Masili’s pole and podium in Oschersleben suggest the Italian hero means business, and add Frellsen into the mix alongside talent like Van Crugten, Nativi, and Irmscher and the whole thing starts looking box-office! The NTC now approaches the halfway point of the season which will be held at the mighty Most, in the Czech Republic, in just under three weeks. Don’t miss it!
