Phommara pips Van Crugten to top pre-season test

31 March 2023

Experience counts at Oschersleben as some familiar names fill the top echelons of the timesheets

The pre-season Northern Talent Cup test has now concluded at Oschersleben and it’s the experienced runners who lead the way so far! It was tight at the top too, with Swiss rider Lenoxx Phommara (Team Phommara) edging out Dutchman Jurrien Van Crugten (BB64 Academy) by less than a tenth. Italian Matteo Masili (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team), another with plenty of experience at the front, completed a close top three.

The weather over the two days allowed for some good track time for the class of 2023, with just a couple of wet sessions on Thursday. With a good number of rookies in the field, that provided some valuable experience ahead of the first round of 2023, which takes place at the TT Circuit Assen alongside WorldSBK in April.

Behind Phommara, Van Crugten and Masili, Hungarian Martin Vincze (VM Racing Team) made for close company, with German Rocco Sessler (MCA Racing) completing the top five. His teammate, Danish rider Julius Frellsen, was next up. Austria, Switzerland and Czechia were on the chase thanks to Kilian Holzer (HK Racing), Maxime Schmid (Schmid Racing) and Filip Novotny (DG Corse) in P7, P8 and P9, with Tom Willem Kuil (Beekman Racing) completing the top ten – the Dutchman also the top rookie at the test.

Now testing is done, it’s time to get ready for the first race weekend of the season in less than a month!

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