TEENAGE racer Max Cook had a race to remember as he came out on top to pip rivals Rory Skinner and Thomas Strudwick to the chequered flag at Assen in the British Challenge Cup.

In qualifying practice, it was no surprise that Cook, Skinner and Strudwhick all performed well with the Swindon start splitting the duo on the grid.

The track itself is home to a hosts of long straights, meaning the youngster was sure to be in for a tough ride on Monday.

Cook started inside the front row, but soon saw himself falling back to fifth-place before a brave move saw him jump back up to third before the opening bend in the Netherlands.

The trio looked to break away from the rest of the pack and were able to do so in the early stages of the race. A smart move on the last chicane of the second lap saw Cook move further up the scoreboard to second.

Skinner was the race leader, but Cook was closing in as he recorded the fasted lap of the afternoon and at the end of lap six, Cook’s pressure paid off as he capitalised on a mistake from Skinner, allowing him to take the lead into lap seven.

Cook relinquished the lead further down the line as he, Skinner and Strudwhick were separated by 0.3 seconds.

The trio continued to fight it out, and on day one, Cook settled for third.

However, day two saw a storming ride from Cook who was hotly contested throughout.

Some courageous riding saw him close the gap on the leader Skinner, before eventually bearing down on the Scotsman in the penultimate lap of the race.

Pushing hard through to the end, the Swindon teenager was able to see off Skinner and clinch the chequered flag by 0.005 seconds.

The win was his second of the season, and has now brought him closer to the Championship’s top two, with the final round taking place in Valencia, Spain.