Jaylen Korporaal showcased a promising start to his Northern Talent Cup campaign during the opening race weekend at the iconic TT Circuit Assen. Despite a mixed set of results, the young rider demonstrated both speed and resilience on the track.

In Race 1, Jaylen secured an impressive P8 finish in his first-ever NTC race. Starting from P8 on the grid due to a penalty for another rider, he made a bold statement by seizing the lead on the opening lap. Although he couldn’t maintain the top spot and fell back into the pack, he fought his way back to P7 midway through the race. A costly mistake in the GT corner saw him run through the gravel, but he managed to regroup and finish in a respectable eighth place, aided by a crash ahead of him. Fynn Kratochwill took the win, followed closely by Anina Urlass and Thias Wenzel.

However, Race 2 proved to be a more challenging outing for Korporaal. Once again starting from P8, he launched well and entered the first corner in the lead. Unfortunately, a wide run in Turn 1 caused him to lose momentum, and moments later, a crash in the Strubben corner forced him to retire early from the race. He was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks and was cleared of major injuries, experiencing only some discomfort in his arm.

Reflecting on his debut weekend, Jaylen remains optimistic and determined to bounce back stronger in the next round. “It was a weekend of highs and lows, but I’ve learned a lot and gained valuable experience. I’ll be back stronger next time,” he said.

Photos by Kevin Huttinga.