Daniel Ruiz won his home race from Danny Kent and Daijiro Hiura. 16 laps of edge-of-the-seat action with up to 8 men fighting for the lead. The 18 year old Spaniard was squeezed either side by Hiura and Kent into the last hairpin corner but fought them off to take his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup victory.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Ruiz. “To win at my home Grand Prix is just incredible. When I got in front early on in the race I thought I should try and get away but it just wasn’t possible. When Daijiro came past I followed him a bit and changed my plan. I knew it would come down to a last lap battle. I got in front again on the last lap but even at the last corner I had Daijiro up the inside and Danny outside, I just had to keep going and get on the gas as soon as I could.”

Hiura, the 15 year old Japanese, had the frustration of 3rd after 2nd on Saturday. “I tried to get away but again it was not possible. We were all together on the last lap and I thought I could win. Then at the end of the back straight Kent and I went wide and Dani Ruiz got ahead, that’s where I lost the race today.”

Fourth man home was 17 year old South African Mathew Scholtz and he was a lot happier than he had been on Saturday, “That was a much better race, cleaner and faster, a lot more fun. The front guys had got away a bit but towards the end I really got my rhythm together and closed back up to them. Going onto the last lap I thought I was in a good position but just at the last corner it all got too tight and the best I could do was to chase them across the line. I am happy with that though and we go to Mugello next. That’s a track that I love so I hope I can get on the podium.”

Scholtz out-dragged Harry Stafford to take that 4th place but the 16 year old Briton had a brilliant race. He pulled a chasing pack of 5 through to join Ruiz, Hiura and Kent to make it an 8 man lead battle that also included Jake Gagne, Niccolo Antonelli and Florian Alt. Stafford was the fastest man on the track as he charged through and had pace enough to take the lead. “It was great fun, I loved catching those guys it was a great feeling and I thought I might win it. Then we also started passing and re-passing each other and I couldn’t get clear. It was still a great race and I can’t wait for Mugello.”

It was another fine ride from Jake Gagne but the 16 year old Californian was not happy with 6th. “Not really, it was OK, I got some points but it’s not where I want to be, I just didn’t really have it together here. At least we are a bit closer on bike setting going to the next race and Mugello doesn’t have the same slow corners so it should be better anyway. I want to go much better there.”

Niccolo Antonelli, the 14 year old Italian in his 2nd Rookies race was a superb 7th and had thoughts of even better. “I had a great race, a lot of fun. I was going to try for the podium but braking into the last corner Scholtz was inside and I got pushed wide so couldn’t make it. I’ll try again in Mugello.”
Josh Hook’s 8th was impressive, coming as he did from 20th on the grid. “That wasn’t too bad, I am happy with the way the weekend ended because the crash I had on Friday took my confidence away and I didn’t qualify well. So I’ve got my confidence back with that and am looking forward to the next race,” concluded the 17 year old Australian.

The 14 year old German Florian Alt was also pleased with his 9th. He had been with the lead 8 man battle for much of the race. “I could stay with them but only when I had the slipstream, when I lost it there was nothing I could do and I dropped back. Still I have learnt a lot and really enjoyed the weekend.

There were a number of fallers, mostly without injury but Brazilian 14 year old Antonio Chiari is nursing a plastered left forearm after badly wrenching his thumb and unfortunately Alan Techer, the 15 year old Frenchman, was taken to hospital with moderate concussion and a broken left upper arm that will probably require and operation to reset.

Friday and Saturday in the sun at Jerez. The bikes the Track even the people are all really beautiful. The race (except for the RBRC Kids) hasn’t even started yet….

Danny Kent won a stunning season opener from Daijiro Hiura and Daniel Ruiz. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup podium was only decided at the last corner as 9 riders had started the last lap with a chance of winning.

Kent, the 16 year old Briton who also won at Jerez last year, just managed to deny pole man Hiura, the 15 year old Japanese and Spanish 18 year old Ruiz, the chance to pass him at the final turn. “I just pushed as hard I could through the last half a lap and was absolutely as late on the brakes as I could be at the last corner because I knew they would be right on me,” said Kent.

After 16 laps where the lead changed at almost every corner and sometimes several times within a few metres, where there were 11 teenagers all with a chance of victory for much of the race it was Kent’s cool head that gave him the win. A race so hard to win but very easy to lose with riders frequently clashing fairings and elbows.

Unluckiest was Harry Stafford, the 16 year old Briton who was right in the midst of the battle for the lead until he and Mathew Scholtz bumped with 5 laps to go and Stafford ended up in the gravel. “It was just one of those racing things,” said Stafford. “I went inside and he didn’t see me, half my fault and half his. The pace wasn’t fast though, you would try to be smooth and get away but the others would just push past and slow us down.”

The only man who ever looked like getting truly clear at the front was Hiura. Mid race he managed to get an advantage of 6 tenths of a second but that all disappeared with one mistake. “I also made a mistake at the end when I was trying to win, just small mistakes but that was enough,” said the 2nd place finisher.

Ruiz was happy to be third having been pushed from lead trio back to 11th in one of the mid race clashes. “I thought it was going to be hard then. I just settled down and started to push forward, I didn’t know how far I would get but on the last lap I was trying to win! That wasn’t possible but I think tomorrow I can do it.”

It was 17 year old Scholtz who led more than anyone else only to finally cross the line 8th. “It was pretty mad, I got ‘T’-boned at least three times. On the last lap I got bumped and lost a lot of places, then going into the last corner I out-braked 3 people but then got pushed wide again. At least I know I can run the pace so the second race should be better.”

Fellow South African Brad Binder had a great race and finished 4th. “That was a lot of fun, it was tough, the guys were all riding hard, I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for tomorrow’s race,” said the 14 year old now starting his 2nd Rookies season.

Just behind Binder in 5th was Jake Gagne, the 16 year old Californian who suffered in practice because he had missed most of the pre season Valencia test after crashing and wrenching his ankle on the first day. “That wasn’t bad considering starting from 12th on the grid. The bike still needs work, on the brakes the forks were bottomed out so I hope we can fix that for tomorrow and get a bit higher up.”

Best of the first time Rookies was 14 year old German Florian Alt in 6th. “That was so much fun, I can’t believe it. It was the first race and I never thought I could make it to the top 6, I was really just thinking about scoring a point. I learnt so much from the first race and I learnt respect for the other riders, there are a lot of fast Rookies!”

Just behind him another newcomer, the 14 year old Niccolo Antonelli who had done so well to qualify 5th. “I let the clutch out too fast and the others shot away at the start,” said the Italian who completed the first lap back in 14th. “Then I just had to try as hard as I could, I think I did most of the passing on the brakes. I hope I can make a better start tomorrow and get a good result.”

Alejandro Pardo ended the day with no points after a crash on lap 10. The 16 year old Italian had led the race briefly after a superb charge where he dragged a group with him and caught the initial lead bunch of 5 thus creating the 11 man epic clash.

Tomas Vavrous was one of those 11 and the 16 year old Czech looked set for a top 6 finish until a tangle at the last corner left him on the floor. He remounted to take 11th. The 2nd of the 10 race series starts at 3.20 CET on Sunday and can be seen live both on the Rookies website www.redbullrookiescup.com and on Red Bull Web TV, a new section of www.redbull.com

Daijiro Hiura stamped his authority on the first day of practice for the 2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season by seizing pole position for Saturday’s opening race at Jerez. The 15 year old Japanese survived a last lap stunner from Harry Stafford with the 16 year old Briton just 3 tenths slower and 2 tenths faster than 17 year old South African Mathew Scholtz.

Completing the front row of the grid is 18 year old Spaniard Daniel Ruiz but the sensation of the day was Niccolo Antonelli. The 14 year old Italian heads the second row of the grid for his first Rookies race, faster than the more experienced Alejandro Pardo and Danny Kent with another newcomer, 14 year old German Florian Alt, completing the second row.

Hiura took charge of practice at the end of the first of the two sessions and was confident even then that it was possible to go quicker. “I’m not happy with the way the bike is pulling through the first corner, we need to work on the rear suspension a bit before the second session and then I should be able to improve on the lap time.”

With the changes made he set out fast right from the start of the second session and put in a first flying lap just fractionally slower than his practice time from the previous session. That was not bravado, he was working on his weak point from 2009, the opening laps of the race. He then settled down to put in a steady string of good laps without initially improving on that 1st session time.

It was towards the end of the session that he really stretched things again with quicker and quicker laps and looked to have things very much under control. Only that final lap from Stafford that really offered any threat and the Briton admitted it was an on-the-limit effort. “The tires were sliding around quite a bit so I came in for a suspension change to see if we could make it any better. There were then only 4 minutes left and I knew I could only do a couple of flying laps so I went for it. The rear was still sliding around a lot and as I crossed the line at the end I thought, ‘well if that isn’t good enough I don’t know what is,’” concluded the happy Stafford.

Scholtz as pleased enough with 3rd having stepped on to the 3rd different race bike in as many weeks. “It was a bit strange getting back on the KTM but after a few laps I got used to it. I am pretty confident that I can have a good race,” said Scholtz who ran away at the start last year. “I don’t think I’ll be able to that again, though I’ll try.”

Antonelli was not sure what all the fuss was about after qualifying on the front row, he was more concerned that he still had the bike to sort out. “In the first session the front was not right, bouncing around, we made some changes for the second qualifying but I am still not happy with it.”

Even less happy was Jake Gagne, one of this year’s favourites who is back on the 3rd row with the 12th best time. “That’s not good enough. It’s not that the ankle is hurting me that much, I forget about it once I get going but it is the track time we missed because of the crash at the Valencia test, the bike isn’t sorted and we are a couple of days behind the other guys,” concluded the 16 year old Californian.

Ruiz is the best hope for the home fans, 4th fastest. “I hoped to be there on the front row but it was hard. At the start of the day I wasn’t comfortable, I couldn’t find the line and turning in point etc. Gradually it got better and we also made the bike better. We did some different settings on the rear suspension because it was sliding and pumping so I got a better feeling. But in the final session the rear was sliding again and I didn’t really feel comfortable on the bike. For the race we will see but I will try and run with Daijiro and the other fast guys.”

Alt did a great job to be 8th fastest, “I really enjoyed that, it was a lot of fun and fast! I seemed to be a bit down on top speed but perhaps I can improve through the last corner onto the straight. I hope I can make a good race and get a few points.”

There were quite a few fallers, fortunately without injury except 14 year old Spaniard Xavier Figueras who crashed in the final session, lost a chunk of skin from the ring finger of his right hand and is unlikely to ride any more this weekend.

Jerez Preview – Races 1 and 2 of the 2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

The 10 race Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup kicks off its 2010 season in Jerez this weekend as part of the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. With practice on Friday and a race both on Saturday May 1st and on Sunday May 2nd it is a crucial double header for all 25 of the sport’s fastest racing teenagers.

It is certainly a baptism of fire for those who are first timers as with more than 100,000 spectators packing the Jerez grandstands the atmosphere created is that of a soccer cup final. It is a huge leap for those first time Rookies who previously may have been watched mainly by family and friends.

The pressure of the situation gives the advantage to the ‘old hands’ like Daniel Ruiz who has just turned 18. As the senior Rookie in his 3rd season he is determined to claim his first race win. From Pamplona in north eastern Spain Ruiz was a very good performer last season and crossed the line 2nd in the British round in Donington in 2009 but just could not claim the top podium step or the consistency that would see him a threat for the Cup overall.

Ruiz will doubtless make the best of this season, he is intelligent enough to have learnt well from the last two years and was thrilled to find himself truly comfortable in the wet at the pre-season Valencia test, something that has been a problem in the past. Overall he was 3rd fastest at the end of the 3 days.

Fastest man in Valencia was Japanese 15 year old Daijiro Hiura. He goes into his 3rd Rookie season as one of the strong favourites, he was 3rd in the Cup last year thanks to finishing on the podium in half of the 8 races but he failed to match the win he recorded in Portugal back in 2008. To take this year’s Cup he will need to regain that winning secret and avoid the first race crash he suffered in Jerez last year after setting off from pole.

Second fastest at the test and the winner of race 2 at Jerez last year was Danny Kent. The 16 year old Briton was 4th in last year’s Cup and another very strong favourite for success this season. He knows that to take the Cup he will need more than that single race victory and having shown the ability to score pole times in practice last year will now have to convert them into wins.

Hiura, Kent and Ruiz are the experienced trio that headed the Valencia test and must be favourites for Jerez success but there is another name that should be put with them and that is Jake Gagne. The 16 year old Californian crashed on day one of the test, not a dramatic accident but when his ankle got caught between the swing arm and rear wheel it got wrenched so badly that the swelling prevented any further riding for the week.

With nothing broken he will be fit enough for Jerez and in a great position to step up from the string of podium finishes he scored in the 2nd half of last season; gaining him 6th in the 2009 Cup. His learning curve through ‘09 was certainly impressive and a direct continuation of his 2008 progress in the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup. There he went from motocrosser and complete road race novice to race winner in a single season.

So Gagne makes it 4 obvious favourites to watch out for. There are another 21 Rookies that are determined to upset that form book. The best of those at the Valencia test was 4th placed Brad Binder. The 14 year old South African goes into his 2nd Rookies season fired up; not least because he has grown enough to be racing without the weight ballast that he so hated last year.

Fellow countryman, 17 year old Mathew Scholtz is starting his 3rd Rookies year and after winning a race in his debut season was a little frustrated with 2009. Two 2nd places were his best results and he just could not turn his very obvious speed into consistent results. Last year’s opening race in Jerez saw the Springbok charge away from the start at a pace that made it look as though he was in a race of his own. An off track excursion put him back in the pack, he ended the weekend with a 2nd and a 7th, a variation that became the theme of his year.

Scholtz was not thrilled to be only 8th fastest at the Valencia test and should in no way be counted out for this year’s Cup. Less than a tenth faster at the test was 1st year Rookie Alan Techer. The 15 year old Frenchman could well get amongst the established Rookies right from the start this year even though he has never raced at Jerez before.

Techer is unfazed by the situation but will have to contend with the likes of 14 year old Spaniard Xavier Figueras and 16 year old Briton Harry Stafford who were 5th and 6th fastest in Valencia, Xavier heads into his 2nd Rookies season and Harry his 3rd.

Hiura, Kent and Ruiz fastest in the cold and sometimes wet test.

Three days of testing in Valencia prior to the start of the 4th Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season gave the teenagers plenty to think about with a variety of cold and wet conditions. By the end of a cold but dry Thursday Japanese 15 year old Daijiro Hiura was fastest ahead of 16 year old Briton Danny Kent and Spaniard Daniel Ruiz who turned 18 on the final day.

Hiura was on the pace all through the test. “It’s been a good three days for me. I was happy on the bike right from the start. I was particularly happy with Tuesday because I got a good feeling for riding in the wet. Last year it was taking me too long to get up to speed in the rain so I am a lot happier after the way Tuesday went. Then for the last day today we hardened up the suspension a bit front and rear and I think we’ve got a good setting. I’m really looking forward to Jerez, it’s a track I enjoy and I think I am ready for it.”

Kent was not to upset to be second, 0.35 behind. He was quick in every session and that was his intention. “That was what I was looking for, I wanted to be consistently fast. That was my goal for each session and it will be my goal for the season, consistency. That is what was missing last year. I knew that Daijiro was likely to put in a quick lap in that last session, it’s what he did at last year’s test.”

Ruiz was enjoying his birthday and 0.52 slower than Hiura. “The race simulation at the end of today was fun. I thought that Daijiro was going to get away, I made a bit of a mistake on the first lap but then I settled in and went quite well, I could keep up OK. We’ve done some good work on the bike through the test, changed the compression damping on the rear and the sliding that I had early on is gone so I think it is working well now. Jerez is my favourite track of the season so I can’t wait for the first race.”

Heading into his second Rookies season 14 year old South African Brad Binder was 4th fastest and quite clear about what was making his life easier. “I’ve grown since last year, I was only 37kg last year, now I’m 50 so I am not carrying any weight penalty and that makes it so much easier for me to ride the bike. I am enjoying it more and really looking forward to the first race.”

Of the newcomers, French 15 year old Alan Techer was the quickest and 7th fastest overall. “I had the chance to spend a day on a KTM before I came here so I had an idea what to expect, it is quite different to the other bikes I have ridden but after 3 days I am very happy with it. We changed the rear suspension slightly on day one but apart from that I have just been riding it and enjoying it. I am very happy and looking forward to the first race, Jerez is a new track for me so I have to learn but I’m happy with the bike already so that’s a great start.”

Another quick newcomer was 13 year old German Florian Alt, 9th overall. “It’s been so much fun but even harder than I expected. We worked a bit on the bike and now I am happy with it and looking forward very much to the first race in Jerez. I have never been there and I know that it will be tough to get into the top 15 but that is what I am aiming for.”

Antonio Chiari, the 14 year old Brazilian, also a newcomer, was right on the pace in 11th and happy with the three days. ‘I’ve been here before but only on a PreGP bike and it is very different. We changed the rear suspension a bit early in the test but really the bike is great, it is me that has to improve. That is what I am thinking about looking forward to Jerez, another track I have ridden on with the PreGP bike, I have to work on my preparation.”

The test opened on Monday with a dry track though the clouds were already threatening. Kent dominated the first day and the Briton ended the four sessions 6 tenths faster than Japan’s Daijiro Hiura with South African Brad Binder 3rd ahead of Spaniard Daniel Ruiz.

The cold track and fresh breeze didn’t catch out many with Mathew Scholtz and Jake Gagne being the only crashers. South African Scholtz escaped with an injured finger in his right hand and could ride in the final session but Gagne was sitting it out with a bandage on his right ankle.

Though not broken, Gagne’s ankle, which had been jammed between the rear wheel and swing arm and bent both when he fall, was swollen so badly that he could not ride again during the test. The fact that it was not broken is testament to the protection provided by the Alpinestars boots that all the Rookies wear.

A cold and wet second day of testing on Tuesday saw no improvement in times of course but Daijiro Hiura headed the timing sheets at the end of 3 Sessions. The Japanese was 3 hundredths faster than Britain’s Danny Kent with South African Mathew Scholtz a further 1.6 seconds adrift in 3rd.

Australia’s Josh Hook was 4th fastest ahead of Spain’s Daniel Ruiz and Italy’s Alejandro Pardo. Quickest of the first year Rookies in the very tricky conditions was fellow Italian Niccolo Antonelli in 7th and 2 places behind was Tomas Vavrous in 9th even though the Czech had a small crash during the day without serious damage to himself or the bike. He headed a group of other newcomers, Alan Techer, Xavier Pinsach and Deni Cudic.

The conditions were treacherous but there were few fallers; though Austrian Cudic managed 2 falls in one lap early in the day. German Phillip Öttl also slid off but there were no injuries.

After the rest day on Wednesday the track was dry for Thursday and again there were few fallers, James Flitcroft, Alejandro Pardo and Taylor Mackenzie being amongst the exceptions but with no injuries.

Racing starts at the Grand Prix in Jerez on May 1st and 2nd and the blow by blow story can be folowed on Twitter once practice gets under way on April 30th.

Overall best times from 3 days

1. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) 1minute 43.903 seconds
2. Danny Kent (GBR) +0.348
3. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) + 0.517
4. Brad Binder (RSA) +0.692
5. Xavier Figueras (ESP) +1.305
6. Harry Stafford (GBR) +1.424
7. Alan Techer (FRA) +1.546
8. Mathew Scholtz (RSA) +1.626
9. Florian Alt (GER) +1.700
10. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) +1.999

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup – Brno Race2 – August 16th

Jakub Kornfeil got the best on an intense 5 man battle to take his 3rd race victory of the season and the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup by 2 points. The 16 year old Czech had to fight all the way with arch rival Sturla Fagerhaug but when the 17 year old Norwegian came together with 15 year old Japanese Daijiro Hiura with three corners to go his chance of battling with Kornfeil across the line disappeared.

The 13 lap race closed out the Cardion AB Grand Prix of the Czech Republic at Brno. Fagerhaug picked up second place both in the race and the Cup and Californian 15 year old Jake Gagne an excellent third in the race and 6th in the Cup. Hiura crossed the line 4th to hold on to his 3rd in the points table.

While the rest talked about what might have been Kornfeil enjoyed his win. “I knew that Sturla was behind me all the way, I looked back and saw it was four riders not 10 like yesterday so I was happy about that. I just rode as hard as I could and even at the last corner I expected Sturla to come past but I guess he wasn’t as close as I thought and I crossed the line on my own.”

“It was a hard weekend, there were so many interviews and things to do leading up to yesterdays race that I was feeling the pressure and I found yesterday’s race very tough. Today it seemed easier, less interviews, less friends pushing me and so less pressure. I could ride my race today and I am just so happy to take the Rookies Cup, so happy.”

An obviously terribly disappointed Fagerhaug summed it all up. “It was a great race and congratulations to Jakub, he rode very well. I was hit in the third to last corner so I didn’t have the chance to pass him at the line. I thought I was going to be able to win before that happened. I have to blame myself though I had such a big lead in the points half way through and made some mistakes. It’s been a great year though and I still have a couple of GP wild-card rides to look forward too.”

Gagne had done his share of leading during the race but admitted that the Cup battle played a part in his thinking on the final lap. “It was a great race, a lot of fun and I sure wanted to win it if I could but they were all going fast and there wasn’t the chance on the last lap. I knew those guys were battling for the Cup and I wasn’t going to do something stupid.”

The new lap record went to Hiura but he was 4th across the line. “I enjoyed the race but I’m disappointed not to be on the podium. It all happened on the last lap and I was so fixed on passing the riders in front I was a bit too aggressive and that wasn’t good. I have to congratulate Jakub on his great race today. He was ready to win it and so determined. When I passed him he would pass me straight back at the next corner he had the win in his heart.”

A fine ride to 5th by 16 year old South African Mathew Scholtz who had thoughts of a higher place finish. “I was on the back of the group, at times I was having to work hard to stay there but sometimes it was easier and I was looking after my tyres planning to make a move on the last lap. What spoilt was the tight chicane at the bottom of the final climb on the second to last lap. I lost the front and that really messed up my drive up the hill so I started the last lap just too far behind them to do anything about it.”

Saturday’s 16 year old winner Florian Marino was disappointed with his 7th place behind fellow Frenchman Nelson Major. I got a good start but after that I just couldn’t find the rhythm and the guys got away from me. I just wasn’t riding as well as yesterday, I could feel that my throttle control just wasn’t quite right and I wasn’t getting the drive off the corners.”

Nico Thöni and Alejandro Pardo had a nasty crash on lap one and while the 14 year old Austrian immediately walked away, Pardo, who had been a brilliant 3rd on Saturday took some time before he too emerged uninjured. Hayden Gillim’s bike was damaged in the incident and though he continued he was later forced to retire with broken seat. Alex Kristiansson fell unhurt and Taylor Mackenzie stopped with technical problems.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup – Brno Race1 – August 15th

Florian Marino won a sensational 10 man battle to the line to claim his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup victory. The 16 year old Frenchman fought off Briton Danny Kent and Italian Alejandro Pardo, both 15, with the first 10 all crossing the line within 2.3 seconds.

17 year old Norwegian Sturla Fagerhaug finished 5th and now has a 3 point advantage over arch rival Jakub Kornfeil, the 16 year old Czech who was 8th. With the final race tomorrow at the end of the Cardion AB Grand Prix of the Czech Republic at Brno, the Cup battle is still open to the top 4 in the points table as Hiura finished 6th and is now 19 points behind Fagerhaug and Kent has 22 to make up from his 4th position in the table.

Marino could even tie on points with Fagerhaug as there are 25 points for the race win but would loose the Cup on number of race wins. All he cares about now is his first win and was happy to talk about the way his plan worked so perfectly. “With about three laps to go I was sixth and I thought about where I could pass people and where they could pass me. So I was happy not to be leading and planned to pass everyone on the downhill half of the track. I did it; but breaking into that last right hander at the bottom I was so so late on the brakes, I thought, ‘I’m going to crash, ‘I’m going to crash.’ but I didn’t, I was in front, then on the gas and back up the hill to the finish.”

He gives full credit to Rider Coach Gustl Auinger for his first Rookies win after finishing 4th 3 times. “After Donington my head was not good and I said to Gustl, ‘what do I have to do to win?’ He told me that I have to think like a winner and concentrate on that and not the other riders behind. So I fixed on that this weekend.”

Kent also enjoyed his ride to second and just wished the finish-line was in a different place. “I was closing on him and if the line had been a bit further down the track I could have won it. Never mind, I’ll try again tomorrow. It was a great race though. Early on I had a look back and saw that we were about 10 guys. I thought then that if we had a big crash and the race got red flagged I needed to be in the front so any time someone passed me I just passed them straight back.”

Such a sensational race produced many great tales including the incredible ride to 3rd put in by Alejandro Pardo. He gave himself a lot of work to do. “I made a terrible start, the KTM is so different to my own bike and I just can’t seem to get used to it. After the first few laps I saw that the lead group was 2 or 3 seconds ahead but I soon realised that the gap wasn’t getting bigger and I just said to myself, ‘you can do it’. I just tried the maximum and caught them. I never thought that I would be able to get on the podium but when I caught the group I just passed everyone where I could and made it, incredible.”

His brilliant effort pushed Jake Gagne into 4th, a shame for the 15 year old Californian who had led the race for a good share of the distance even though he is new to the circuit. He looked like he might win it but in the end was unlucky. “I didn’t know it was the last lap. I looked at the lap counter and saw it was 6 laps to go, those 6 laps just went past quicker than I expected. On that last lap Marino came past then Danny surprised me as he went through and I got off line. That spoilt my drive up the hill a bit and that is how Pardo got by.”

Going onto that last lap it was Cup leader Fagerhaug who was in front of Marino, Gagne and Kent but it was never going to be a boring last lap as Fagerhaug explained. “Going into the first corner on the last lap Jake and Danny passed me and I tried to go back around Danny but couldn’t and lost their slipstream going away up the hill. The guys behind had my slipstream and another three of them went past. I knew that I was still ahead of Jakub on that last lap and though I wanted to win I was thinking a bit about the championship and didn’t want to make a mistake.”

Coming to the end of his third Cup season the Norwegian had put in a great performance even though he was not that quick off the line. “From the start I just concentrated on getting into a good rhythm and I was happy with the way that went. I was leading for a lot of the race but slipstreaming is so important here and the other guys just seemed to be able to come past on the straight and it wasn’t possible to break away.”

The impossibility of establishing any kind of lasting advantage was even more frustrating for his Cup rival Kornfeil. “The start was good but after that I wasn’t so happy with the race. We were in a big group and I just couldn’t break through to the front. In the first half of the race I had quite a lot of rear wheel slides so I couldn’t push but then it started to get better. Tomorrow I’ve just got to push harder, be stronger, it has got to come from me.”

The second race grid is the same as the first and you can see Sundays race, the final event of the season, live on the Rookies Cup website www.redbullrookiescup.com at 15.30 CET.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup – Brno Practice – August 14th

A brilliant final lap put Daijiro Hiura on pole position for the final two races of the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season, a race on Saturday and the final on Sunday of the Cardion AB Czech Grand Prix. The 15 year old Japanese just nudged aside 16 year old Frenchman Florian Marino leaving the two Rookies tied for the Cup lead, Sturla Fagerhaug and Jakub Kornfeil, to complete the front row.

Though he is 27 points behind, Hiura can still win the Cup as there are 50 points on offer this weekend and he knows that to do it he must win races even though this track is not his favourite. “I didn’t do well here last year so I was not expecting too much. I just worked hard through the practice and step by step went faster, the tires were well worn at the end and sliding around a lot but on that final lap I managed to get a good rhythm going and a fast time.”

It is a bigger stretch for Marino, 6th in the table, to win the Cup as he has to make up 40 points but a whole string of quick laps in the second session that gave him pole for the second half of the 30 minutes demonstrated that he could well take at least one race win. “I must do it now, the bike is really good and my mind is right. I did OK here last year, I was 5th with the 4th fastest lap time and I like this track. For tomorrow I know I have to make a good start, press hard and get away, that’s the way to win the race.” He has been furious with himself for failing to get on the podium so far, he has been 4th 3 times.

With eyes perhaps more on the Cup than the race Fagerhaug was quickest in the first session and not concerned with missing out on pole. “The first qualifying session was good and I managed to go faster and faster towards the end. I was quite happy with that. For the second session we decided to try a few different things, different lines and stuff. Then I decided it was time to go a bit quicker but then I made a big mistake and spoilt one lap, then some riders came out of the pits and got in the way. I just got going a bit, did some OK times and the bike stopped. I hope it can be fixed OK and then we’re on the front row so I just have to get away with the guys and see what happens.”

His arch rival Kornfeil was fastest for the first 15 minutes of the opening session and slid off half way through the final session but without damage to man or machine. “I was pushing too hard on the brakes and lost the front. I am happy with the bike set-up though and looking forward to the race, we made some changes after the free practice this morning and it’s good now. I think I can go quicker in the race, in practice I was either on my own or with riders following me, in a race battle I can be quicker.”

Even the first three riders on the second row, Danny Kent, Mathew Scholtz and Jake Gagne are in with a mathematical chance of the Cup win and with 2 third places already this year, fast improving Gagne, the 15 year old Californian, was very impressive as the fastest of the Brno first timers. “It’s a fun track. When you first go out it seems so wide and that takes a bit of getting used to but after a few laps I started to really enjoy it. I got onto second row in the first session and wanted to make sure I managed at least that if not the first row in the second session so I am happy with that.

Early fallers in the first qualifying session were Alex Kristiansson, on the first lap, followed by Fraser Rogers, Arthur Sissis and Josh Hook who was only just returning to action after breaking his left collarbone during practice for the German round a month ago. With no-one injured and the bikes repairable all riders took part in the second session. Falls in the second session were even lighter with Dylan Mavin, Robin Barbosa, Mathew Scholtz, Benny Solis and Deane Brown all escaping injury.

Saturday’s race can be seen live on the Rookies Cup website www.redbullrookiescup.com at 16.25 CET.