Jake Gagne won the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup by finishing second to Danny Kent in a fantastic close to the 2010 season. Daijiro Hiura, the 16 year old Japanese finished third in both race and Cup. Californian 17 year old Gagne started from back on the 3rd row of the grid while 16 year old Briton Kent was on pole but Gagne made a nonsense of his qualifying position by jumping into 5th almost from the start and finishing the first lap in 4th place with Kent leading.
Gagne had gone into the race with an 11 point advantage over Kent and while the Briton clearly had the pace to win he soon realised that he needed to also try and influence what happened behind as Gagne moved into 3rd on lap 2 behind 17 year old Australian Josh Hook.
In a string of masterful moves Kent slowed the race down so that others could join the battle and hopefully push Gagne out of that essential third. It worked as Alessio Cappella, Kevin Calia, Daijiro Hiura, Daniel Ruiz, Brad Binder and Harry Stafford all joined the battle at the front.
“I realised what he was trying to do,” said Gagne. “He’s clever and he needed to try and get the other guys between us. I gust kept my head down and knew that as long as I was close to him I had a good chance of getting the points I needed.”
Kent tried everything. “I knew that I needed to get some other guys between us, just 2 was enough so I played it every way I could but Jake was just too good today and all credit to him he rode a great race. I did everything that I could, won the race but it wasn’t enough. It’s been a great season with a lot of great battles.”
Hiura was a little frustrated with 3rd. “We were all so close that I didn’t see my pit board and didn’t realise it was the last lap. I really wanted to win the last race of the year.”
It was an incredible win after a tough weekend for Gagne who’s engine stopped in the 1st qualifying session meaning that he went out on an unfamiliar spare bike for 2nd. “It just didn’t feel right and I couldn’t do better than 10th in the 2nd session. They put a good engine in my bike for the race and that was a lot better. I wasn’t too worried I was pretty sure that if I made a good start I could run with the guys and do what I needed to take the Cup.”
It could so easily have turned out differently though if any of the top group got tangled together as was demonstrated when Hook highsided on lap 8 and 15 year old South African Binder fell swerving to avoid him. They were just behind the lead trio at the time, neither were hurt but were out of the race.
While 15 year old Italian Kevin Calia had been towards the front from the start after qualifying 3rd an impressive charge came from 18 year old Spaniard Ruiz who charged through from 15th on the grid to join the lead battle by lap 8.
Calia made great use of the slipstream through the ultra fast right handers down the back ‘straight’ and led 8 of the 17 laps across the line. “I enjoyed the race and did everything I could. It really was a great race, slipstreaming and everything but in the last lap Hiura and I just touched a bit and I was 4th, that’s racing.”
Ruiz made it all the way to lead briefly and was in the hunt for the podium right up to the last lap. “In Practice there was something wrong in my head and I was just trying too hard. For the race I freed myself up and enjoyed it, it was so much fun fighting my way through. Only at the end I was a little cautious because I didn’t want to bump into Jake and Danny. Then on the last lap I got pushed a bit wide but 5th is not a bad end to the weekend and it’s been a great year.”
Stepping down from the podium with his FIM Cup medal Gagne spoke of what the Rookies Cup has meant to him. “Just about all my roadracing experience has been in the Rookies Cup,” explained the ex motocrosser. “I started with the Rookies Cup in the US 3 years ago and then with these 2 years in the Rookies Cup in Europe I have learnt so much, not just the great GP tracks I’ve ridden on but so much about riding from the great coaches, Gustl (Auinger), Kevin (Schwantz) and Raul (Jara) and talking to the media, just everything to help me with my career.”
Race Classification
1. Danny Kent (GBR) 30 minutes 59.551 seconds (139.082) 2. Jacob Gagne (USA) +0.060 3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) +0.401 4. Kevin Calia (ITA) +0.577 5. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) +1.006 6. Harry Stafford (GBR) +1.055 7. Alessio Cappella (ITA) +1.363 8. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA) +2.189 9. Xavier Pinsach (ESP) +2.258 10. Alan Techer (FRA) +2.753
Final Cup Standings
1. Jacob Gagne (USA) 170 points 2. Danny Kent (GBR) 164 3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) 125 4. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) 115 5. Brad Binder (RSA) 109 6. Kevin Calia (ITA) 97 7. Harry Stafford (GBR) 79 8. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA) 56 9. Alessio Cappella (ITA) 53 10. Alexander Kristiansson (SWE) 52
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
Jake Gagne takes the Red Bull Rookies 2010 title
American Jake Gagne rode across the line in second place on the Misano circuit in San Marino on Saturday to steal the title glory from rival Danny Kent of Britain who succeeded in winning the final race in the Red Bull Rookies 2010 series. Only Gagne and Kent were in the running for the title going into the final race. The two young riders put on a masterful show of riding and tactical skills as they went into the final round separated by 11 points. Gagne of California was in the championship lead and Kent, who took the all-or-nothing approach and landed on pole for the final scrap knew his only chance was to win the race. In a typical Red Bull Rookies dogfight, Danny did cross the line in first place but he needed Jake to place no better than third and the Californian slipped into second going into the final curve. Kent had gone out hard and controlled the race well, slowing down the pace from time to time to ensure that the leading bunch remained intact. He knew there were many of the other riders looking to go out in a high note and on the podium and he hoped that this would make it harder for Gagne to finish up the order. But Gagne too had his tactics well under control. Although he started back at 10th on the grid after having some problems in qualifying, he had already rocketed into fourth place before the riders had completed one lap. He then stuck with the front runners, sitting at third, fourth and even second as the race progressed. Then just going into the final corner he made his move. He slipped into second place leaving no space for anyone to overtake him and coasted over the line knowing the title was his. Gagne finishes the season with four victories from the nine race series and saw a significant improvement in form as the season progressed. Jake Gagne: “I realized what he (Kent) was trying to do. “He’s clever and he needed to try and get the other guys between us. I gust kept my head down and knew that as long as I was close to him I had a good chance of getting the points I needed.” It was always going to be hard for the 16-year old Briton to stop Gagne in the last race but he made a superb effort and almost pulled it off. He can be well satisfied with his second place finish. Although he won only one race (the season opener in Jerez, Spain) he was a model of consistency and was on the podium on no less than seven times. Danny Kent: “I knew that I needed to get some other guys between us, just 2 was enough so I played it every way I could but Jake was just too good today and all credit to him he rode a great race. I did everything that I could. I won the race but it wasn’t enough. It’s been a great season with a lot of great battles.” Red Bull Rookies all rider identical KTM 125 machines. The series is designed as a stepping stone to a fully-fledged racing career and a major vehicle for grooming the road racing champions of tomorrow.
More, from a press release issued by Jake Gagne Racing:
JAKE GAGNE WINS RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP AT MISANO
Misano (Sept. 4 2010) — American Jake Gagne won the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at Misano on Saturday. The 17 year-old Californian charged on the last lap to earn second place in the season’s final race and assure ownership of the 2010 season title.
Gagne, winner of four Rookies Cup races this season, started the final lap in fourth place while his only remaining title challenger Danny Kent led the race. Knowing that particular ending would have resulted in Kent winning the championship, Jake rocketed up two positions to clinch his title.
The race saw as many as a half-dozen riders going for the lead in the late going. Jake was a factor near the front for the entire contest, even though he could only qualify in tenth place due to machine difficulties.
“Friday didn’t go to plan,” said Jake after becoming the series champion. “Practice was good but we lost a crankshaft. It couldn’t be fixed in time so I had to go out on the spare bike. It isn’t the same, so the best I could do was tenth place. I was still confident for the race because I liked how my bike was working.” Gagne, who won from deep in the field in the second Czech Republic race, was set on improving his starting position. Gagne led the championship by 11 points going into the race. He knew before the race that a third place finish or better would guarantee his crown.
“I got a good start and I was in the top five by the end of the first lap,” said the Ramona, California resident. “I knew I didn’t need to win but I needed to ride a smart race. Danny Kent needed to win and have me find some trouble.”
After a wild race that saw plenty of passing and shuffling at the front, Gagne found himself in fourth place on the last lap. Jake gained the needed spots to become Red Bull Rookies Cup champion as he moved into second place, just behind Kent. He set the fast lap of the race on the final time around the Misano circuit.
“My plan was to stick to the back of the lead group until the end. I wasn’t really worried about how the race was going. I knew I could outbrake the guys but I didn’t want to set myself up to get stuffed,” said Jake. “I didn’t want to make the passes until the right time. I got up into second with a few corners to go and that was it.”
Jake’s final tally in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup was 170 points, six ahead of Kent. The talented teen was excited after wining his first roadracing championship in just his third season on the pavement after a stellar career in youth motocross.
“We ended up pulling it off and I’m super stoked at how the year went,” concluded Gagne. “I want to thank everyone who helped me this year. It’s been fantastic.”