Northern Talent Cup:
Julius Frellsen doubles up at Assen as title fight tightens
The Cathedral of Speed provided the perfect stage for the sixth round of the Northern Talent Cup.
Wildcard rider Julius Frellsen (Mass Sports Racing by JRP Motorsport) completed a perfect weekend at Assen, taking victories in both races with impressive performances on track. The Danish rider, starting 16th on the grid, managed to climb to the top in both races.
Race 1
The weather for Race 1 on Saturday was sunny, creating ideal conditions for the riders. However, the final standings were shaped by multiple penalties after the race. German rider Richard Irmscher (Racingteam Irmscher) crossed the line in second position but later received a 3-second penalty for cutting the track at Turn 6. This penalty could have been served as a double long-lap penalty during the race, but since only 5 laps remained, the time addition was applied instead.
As a result, the two riders trailing closely behind Irmscher, Frenchman Antoine Nativi (Racing Nativi Team) and Belgian Ferre Fleerackers (Junior Black Knights), both moved up a position to complete the podium. Nativi managed to clinch second place with a late move on Fleerackers, creating a photo-finish that will be remembered as one of the closest in NTC history.
A similar 3-second penalty was also applied to German rider Thias Wenzel (Kiefer Racing) for cutting the same corner, but in his case, he was also handed a pit lane start for Race 2 having joined the track in an unsafe manner.
Race 2
Frellsen faced a tough battle with two unexpected contenders on Sunday. Crossing the finish line just 0.083 seconds behind him was Belgian rider Ferre Fleerackers (Junior Black Knights), who delivered an excellent performance after starting from the pit lane due to a technical problem at the start. Another surprise came from Fynn Kratochwil (Mass Sports Racing by JRP Motorsport), racing at Assen and on the Honda for the first time, yet still managing to clinch third place after leading the race for several laps.
Cup leader Jurrien Van Crugten (BB64 Academy) and Antoine Nativi (Racing Nativi Team), right behind in second place, were engaged in a fierce battle for the race lead at the beginning of the race. However, both began to drop down the order as the race progressed. Nativi narrowly missed out on a podium finish, while Van Crugten finished in 6th place.
