The Belgian just denies home hero Heinrich, with the JRT of Automotodrom Brno riders duelling to complete the podium
Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) was the first to taste Lausitzring glory in Round 2 of the Northern Talent Cup, with the Belgian just pipping home hero and points leader Freddie Heinrich (PrüstelGP Junior Team) to the top step in Race 1 for his maiden win. JRT of Automotodrom Brno riders Jakub Gurecky and Jonas Kocourek duelled it out for third, with Gurecky coming out on top for a first NTC podium.
It was Gurecky who took the holeshot from pole, with Soma Görbe (HRE Team) slotting into second ahead of Heinrich. The number 42 then struck for and briefly held the lead, but it didn’t last long for the Hungarian before Gurecky hit back. It was a lead group of six for the first half of the race, before disaster struck for one of them as Romanian Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) had to pull off, running wide over the cones…
That left a five-way fight for the win, with Gurecky seemingly in charge at the front but the Czech rider unable to break away. Heinrich struck for the lead on the penultimate lap though, and that allowed Luciano to edge a little closer as the gaps had started to ever-so-slightly increase.
It was neck and neck for the top two over the line to start the last lap, however, with Gurecky emerging ahead into Turn 1 for the early advantage. Heinrich wouldn’t let that last long though, striking through the esses to take back the baton. Not long after that, Luciano also made his move. The number 81 sliced through for second and set his sights on Heinrich, with time running out to try and attack but the Junior Black Knights rider on a roll. Sure enough, he came saw and conquered, taking the lead and left to try and defend it over the last few corners of the lap…
Ultimately, he did just that, beating Heinrich by just 0.010 in an incredibly tight finish. Gurecky was forced to settle for third but his first NTC podium after pace but bad luck in Round 1, with his teammate Jonas Kocourek shuffled down to fourth.
Where was Soma Görbe? The Hungarian took a tumble on the last lap, out of contention for his second win of the year.
The fight to complete the top five was won by Austrian Jakob Rosenthaler (RTR – Racing Team Rosenthaler) as he headed up a fiercely contested group – taking fifth by just 0.030 from Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team). Seventh and eighth was even closer as Kas Beekmans (KNMV) lost out to Varga by 0.011, but beat Noel Willemsen (NW Racing) by an infinitesimal 0.006!
Luca Göttlicher (Intact Battery Power Juniors) was ninth in a solid but lonelier ride, with Dustin Schneider (PrüstelGP Junior Team) completing the top ten.
