Kratochwil reinforces champion status
The Northern Talent Cup rolled into the TT Circuit Assen for the second time this season, this time for a highly anticipated finale in the Netherlands. Fynn Kratochwil (MASS SPORTS Racing by JPR Motosport) took victory on Saturday, mastering the difficult conditions ahead of the ever-impressive Robin Siegert (Motorace Academy Germany). The #11 showed incredible late race pace, charging to the flag ahead of Tobias Kitzbichler (Racingteam Kitzbichler), who grabbed yet another rostrum finish.
Before the lights went out, Levi Flier (Levi Flier Racing) and Jaylen Korporaal (Jaylen Korporaal Racing) crashed out on the warm up lap, adding tension to the start of Race 1. Once the lights went out, Kratochwil stole the advantage, with the newly crowned champion adapting to the wet conditions instantly. Lorenzo Pontillo (Belgian Motorcycle Academy) dropped to second on the opening lap of action, slotting in front of Thias Wenzel (Kiefer Racing). Pontillo regained control at the end of the opening lap, following a mistake from the #8 at the penultimate corner.
Domi Pekkanen (DPR Team) battled through the order in the opening stages, climbing into the podium positions by Lap 3. The #46 carved his way from P13 on the grid, clocking the fastest lap in the process before entering the lead later that lap. Meanwhile, Pontillo’s hopes came to an end just one lap later, with the #23 suffering a crash on the entry to Turn 1. Then there was drama for Pekkanen on Lap 5, with the Finn crashing out of the lead. The conditions proved to be difficult as Anina Urlass (Kiefer Racing) had a big moment at the final chicane.
The scrap continued into the closing laps, with Kratochwil controlling the pace in the now six-rider group. Tom Rolin (Belgium Motorcycle Academy) was now in third position with a few laps remaining, as the #20 defended from Siegert and Urlass. However, Kitzbichler ran wide, promoting Rolin to second – leading to a last lap decider for the podium battle. Urlass ran wide at Turn 1, dropping behind Kitzbichler and Rolin as Kratochwil stormed to the flag.
Kratochwil took a confidence-inspiring win, securing Race 1 victory by 1.171s over Siegert as Kitzbichler earned the final spot on the podium. Rolin missed out on a podium finish, crossing the line a further 0.604s behind, while Urlass rounded out the top five at Assen. Meanwhile, Wenzel was sixth, with the German star finishing in front of Valdemar Mellgren (Nordgren Racing) and Alessandro Binder (ASR Binder Racing). Adam Vyskocil (FS12 Racing Team) and Swan Emprin (Swan96) rounded out the top 10 as Ricardo Berzati (RB-Motorsport) suffered a crash on the final lap.
Kratochwil reigns supreme in the wet conditions
Weather continued to play a part in the weekend’s action, with Fynn Kratochwil winning a restarted Race 2. The #8 took the final victory of the 2025 NTC season, continuing his incredible win streak after putting the hammer down in the closing laps of a reduced eight-lap race. The #8 took victory by an impressive 2.950s over Robin Siegert on Sunday afternoon. It was a strong result for the #11 who worked hard, defeating Anina Urlass following an epic last lap scrap.
Once the lights went out, Lorenzo Pontillo claimed the holeshot, converting pole position into the race lead. However, his lead wouldn’t last long as Kratochwil attacked on the opening lap – taking control. Tobias Kitzbichler and Domi Pekkanen suffered drama in the opening laps – scoring no points on Sunday. The fighting continued onto Lap 5 with Kratochwil leading Alessandro Binder and Roman Durdis (FS12 Racing Team) before rain arrived – bringing out the red flag.
The restart was declared a wet race, with eight laps set to decide our final winner of the season. It was extremely difficult conditions for the restart, with Kratochwil claiming the holeshot in the restart of Race 2. Pontillo dropped to third at the beginning, soon regaining composure as he began to move closer to the #8 in the opening laps. There was drama throughout the order, with Binder taking a brief trip through the gravel on the second lap.
Siegert was on a charge, closing the gap to the leaders, while also bringing Wenzel, Durdis and Mellgren back into the mix. Kratochwil hit the front on Lap 7, and the rest was history as the gauntlet was thrown down in the final laps. As the fighting continued behind, Durdis crashed following an incident with Mellgren. The podium scrap went down to the final lap, which allowed Kratochwil to storm into the distance with a comfortable margin.
Kratochwil earned his 12th win of the season, beating Siegert by nearly three seconds at the chequered flag. Urlass finished in third after their battle for the podium spots, while Pontillo and Mellgren rounded out the top five. Vyskocil finished behind, bagging P6 at the end of proceedings – defeating Tom Rolin by 0.017s. Further back, Swan Emprin took eighth, with Thias Wenzel securing ninth after a difficult Race 2. Manny van Tilburg (Manny96Racing) rounded out our top 10 finishers as William Krzelj (KRZ Racing Team) suffered a DNF following a crash on Lap 6.
And that’s it… The 2025 Northern Talent Cup season is over, and what a year it has been! With multiple race winners, incredible battles and a new champion crowned, we cannot wait until 2026. The riders will enjoy a well-deserved break before the NTC returns bigger and better next year!
