Soushi Mihara scored his second Rookies Cup victory with a masterful display of wet weather riding to take Race 1 at the Dutch TT at Assen.
After what was a thrilling and incident strewn race the 14-year-old Japanese finally had an almost ten second advantage over Cup points leader Jorge MartÌ_n, the 16-year-old Spaniard, at the flag with 17-year-old Briton Brad Ray further back in third.
Mihara was not one of the pre race favourites, coming off the third row of the grid after qualifying seventh, but he was soon in the frame as he picked off riders at every corner on lap one to chase Stefano Manzi across the line at the end of the first of fourteen laps. When the 15-year-old Italian crashed out exiting the Strubben early in lap two Mihara had the lead.
It was a healthy advantage at the end of that lap as 16-year-old Australian Olly Simpson and 17-year-old Italian Manuel Pagliani tucked into second. It was an advantage that varied with every corner, it grew as large as almost three second but was often down to much less than two as the three leaders tested the limits of grip on various lines going quicker and quicker in the very tricky conditions.
With nine laps to go Pagliani pushed even harder and got the gap down to a second, Simpson tried to go with him but crashed. ‰ÛÏI just got into the corner a bit hard, over some ripples on the brakes and the front tyre came off the ground and washed out, that was it,‰Û
