Northern Talent Cup:
Görbe does the double ahead of a Hosciuc vs Heinrich photo finish at Hockenheim
Race 1
Soma Görbe (HRE Team) took his second Northern Talent Cup victory of 2020 in Race 1 of Round 3 at Hockenheim, coming out on top in a wet weather duel against Jakub Gurecky (JRT of Automotodrom Brno). The race was delayed and then shortened to an eight-lap dash, with the two at the front escaping into the distance as points leader Freddie Heinrich (PrüstelGP Junior Team) won the battle for third to keep his perfect podium record intact.
Off the line it was Gurecky who took the holeshot ahead of Görbe, with Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) slotting into third. It was very much a case of carefully does it in the early stages as the riders tested out the conditions, but even by the end of Lap 1 there were two riders well ahead of the field: Gurecky and Görbe. It looked like it would then be a simple duel against each other and the slippery conditions, although there was a twist in the tale yet to come. Points leader Heinrich was initially down in fifth on Lap 1, and it looked like it would be a first finish off the podium for the German as Jonas Kocourek (JRT of Automotodrom Brno) suddenly bolted forward to join the fight for the rostrum. Catching the lead duo almost impossibly quickly, the Czech rider was right in touch by Lap 4. Heartbreak then hit not long after, however, as Kocourek’s charge came to an end in a crash and the fight for the win once more became a duel.
That’s how it stayed, with nothing in it heading onto the final lap in true NTC style. Gurecky was the man behind but attacked and took the lead through Turn 1, before Görbe hit back himself. And then they went at it again: locked together, the Czech rider attacked once more, but this time the Hungarian was even quicker to respond as he sliced back up the inside. With only a couple of corners to go, it was now or never for Gurecky, but Görbe had hit warp speed. The number 42 kept it pinned to nail the final part of the lap, tucked in out the final corner and just hanging on. Gurecky tried to pip him to the line, but the Czech rider just fell short. Görbe met the flag first for his second NTC win, bouncing back in style from some heartbreak at the Lausitzring. Heinrich then came out on top for third after a storming last lap in that battle, the German keeping his lead in the standings as he denied Romanian Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) by just 0.023. Luciano completed the top five as the frontrunners once again proved a few familiar names.
Race 2
Soma Görbe (HRE Team) has done it again. The Hungarian completed the double on Sunday at Hockenheim with another impressive victory in Race 2, coming out on top ahead of a superb photo finish to decide second. Over the line it was Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) ahead in the battle, beating Freddie Heinrich (PrüstelGP Junior Team) by just 0.002 as the two completed the podium. After an aborted and then delayed start, a shortened 10-lap race got underway with Jakob Rosenthaler (RTR – Racing Team Rosenthaler) making a stunning launch to take the holeshot. Görbe slotted into second, with Jonas Kocourek (JRT of Automotodrom Brno) in third early doors ahead of Hosciuc. It didn’t stay that way for long, however, as Görbe struck for the lead and Hosciuc sliced through to second. The Romanian then going one better to take over at the front. Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) was next on the move, gaining on Kocourek to join that front battle and through on him on Lap 2, with Görbe then taking back the lead. It had become a close top battle in the top six, however, with Heinrich and Jakub Gurecky (JRT of Automotodrom Brno) in the fray ahead of a small gap to Rosenthaler at the head of the next group.
By Lap 3, Görbe seemed to be making his move. Streaking away in the lead, the Hungarian had the hammer down and it looked like this could be the break; only Luciano able to stay with him. Sure enough though, the tightly-packed quartet behind were able to get back into the battle at the front by just the next lap, breakaway averted. Luciano then struck for the lead, but it was also a moot point as the battle raged on, six bikes so close there was nothing to choose between them. Just before the last lap, however, Heinrich pulled the pin. The German was able to take over at the front and start creating quite a gap, and it seemed like that was job done for the points leader to extend his advantage. On the last lap though, the PrüstelGP Juinior then suddenly raised his hand and seemed to have a problem, dropping from the lead and slotting back into the podium fight. Was this the end of Heinrich’s podium streak? We were about to find out, but Görbe was the man to gain as he took over at the front. That was how it would stay for the Hungarian, who needed no second invitation. Keeping it steady to the line, the number 42 took the Race 2 victory to complete the double at Hockenheim, seriously closing down the gap in the standings at the same time. Heinrich was back on it battling for second just behind though, back in the hunt, trying everything to find a way past Hosciuc as the two went neck and neck to the line. The Romanian took it by just 0.002, although Heinrich’s P3 keeps his 100% podium record going and helps him retain a solid lead heading into the season finale at Brno. Luciano, Kocourek and Gurecky took fourth, fifth and sixth in that order, close together to the last, ahead of an impressive ride to seventh for Dustin Schneider (PrüstelGP Junior Team) as he found himself some clear air.
