2021 ushers in the second season of the Northern Talent Cup, and the first track action of the year for one of the newest paths on the Road to MotoGP™ is just around the corner. Oschersleben in Germany plays host for a two-day test from the 17th to the 18th of April, giving the class of 2021 plenty of track time as they prepare to get racing.
26 full-time riders are set to compete in the second season of the NTC, representing 10 different countries from across northern, central and eastern Europe, with 10 rookies joining the grid. Some, like 2020 wildcard Loris Veneman (Kahuna Security Racing), have a little experience, but for others it’s a whole new challenge. They’ll be using the track time to get used to their KTM machinery, measure up against their new rivals and get some kilometres under their belts, as well as get some valuable experience of Oschersleben as the track hosts Round 2.
For the returning veterans like Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team), Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) and 2020 runner up Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team), it’s a first chance to get back into the NTC groove and show what they’ve got as a few new faces join and others aim to make a key step forward. With 2020 Cup winner Soma Görbe and fellow frontrunners Freddie Heinrich and Jakob Rosenthaler moving up the Road to MotoGP™, there will be a new name on the Northern Talent Cup in 2021 – and the likes of Luciano, Hosciuc and Gurecky will be keen to make sure it’s theirs. Will they still have the edge as the NTC gets back on track? Or is a rookie about to spoil the party?
The two-day test at Oschersleben will give us the first clue, so stay up to date on northerntalentcup.com and across social media for updates – and then tune in for Round 1 at Le Mans from the 14th to 16th of May.