Most. In warm summer conditions, the Northern Talent Cup started less than a week after the big highlight of the season at the Sachsenring this weekend as part of the IDM. This time the young drivers showed breathtakingly exciting races in the Czech Most. The Dane Julius Ahrenkiel-Frellsen (MCA Racing) secured narrow victories in both races.
A race can hardly end closer than in the two rounds of the Northern Talent Cup in Most. Despite numerous position changes and duels, the first eight drivers crossed the finish line within one second after 14 laps. Julius Ahrenkiel-Frellsen secured his first victory. However, the Dane finished just 0.064 seconds ahead of Rocco Caspar Sessler, who was able to extend his lead in the championship with second place in the first race.
His closest rival Lenoxx Phommara (Team Phommara) finished third, 0.026 seconds behind Sessler. Local hero Filip Novotny (DG Corse), Martin Vincze from Hungary (VM Racing Team), Jurrien van Crugten from the Netherlands (BB64 Academy), Frenchman Antoine Nativi (CTM 83 Junior Team) and Matteo Masili from Italy (Fairium Next Generation Riders). team) completed the photo finish up to eighth place. Even Masili, in eighth place, lost just 0.827 seconds to the winner, Ahrenkiel-Frellsen.
The second race on Sunday was just as gripping, because again it was Ahrenkiel-Frellsen, who was able to secure victory, but only put 0.814 seconds between himself and Masili in eleventh place. In the second race, Vincze finished 0.077 seconds behind Ahrenkiel-Frellsen in second place ahead of Lenoxx Phommara, who was able to catch up with Sessler in the overall standings with third place.
Novotny and Sessler completed the top-five, with the German losing just 0.232s to his MCA Racing team-mate at the top and still leading the standings with 176 points after five of seven events in 2023. However, Phommara is still chasing the 14-year-old and is only four points behind in second place.
“I’m not entirely satisfied with the result overall,” says Sessler. “But I will use that as motivation for our next race at the Red Bull Ring.” The 14-year-old has a clear goal for the remaining two events of the Northern Talent Cup 2023: “I want to build and maintain the lead in the championship.”
Anakin Zelenak had been fighting for the top 10 from start to finish in the first race, but had to retire on the last lap with an engine failure just before the finish. In the second race on Sunday, the JRP Academy Racing Team driver finally secured ninth place after a strong fight and saw the black and white checkered flag just 0.617s behind the race winner.
“The first race went very well at the beginning. I was able to move up to ninth place right at the start. In the middle of the race there was a gap to the leading group, but luckily we were able to close it again, which was definitely my goal before the weekend. In the last lap of the race I had problems with my engine, so unfortunately I had to retire from the race,” explained Zelenak about the first run.
The JRP Academy Racing Team rider continued to feel comfortable in race two. “The start wasn’t as good as in the first race, unfortunately I wasn’t able to make up any places. Nevertheless, I managed to stay close to the leading group and fight my way up bit by bit. I had great duels and a lot of position changes and finally finished in ninth place, just 0.6 seconds behind the first,” added the 14-year-old. In summary, Zelenak says: “I’m very satisfied with my performance, because I was able to implement what I had planned before the race and assert myself in the leading group. I would like to thank my team for the good work this weekend.”
After intensive weeks, the Northern Talent Cup is now going into the summer break and will start again together with the IDM on the Red Bull Ring from August 4th to 6th for the penultimate round of the 2023 season.