Jake Gagne turned his weekend around with a brilliant victory in the second Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race of the Cardion AB Grand Prix of the Czech Republic and extends his Cup lead to 11 points with just the single Misano race remaining. The 16 year old Californian stole the lead from arch Cup rival Danny Kent going into the final ‘S’ bends and left the 16 year old Briton to fend off fellow countryman Harry Stafford for the rostrum places.
Saturday’s winner Kevin Calia headed a 16 man battle for the lead on lap 4 but had slipped back a few places when he crashed on lap 5. The 15 year old Italian remounted to finish 16th. Falling at the same corner on the same lap but in separate incidents were pole man Alejandro Pardo and 15 year old Italian Alessio Cappella who knocked off luckless 16 year old Japanese Daijiro Hiura.
Gagne had only qualified 16 after crashing early in qualifying and missing the second session but from the 4th row he made an incredible start. “I think I was about 5th going into the first corner and just raced from there. Yesterday the bike was tough to ride but we made some changes overnight and it was a whole lot better, the front wasn’t bottoming everywhere.”
He escaped a nasty looking collision with Kent early on but for the most part the fighting at the front was very well played. It was still typical Rookies action with at least one overtaking move at every corner and that took its toll on the lap times which were mostly a second or so off Saturday’s record pace. Lap record holder Daniel Ruiz was out of luck when the bike stopped with an electrical fault on lap 5.
“There was more wind than yesterday,” explained Gagne. “That was moving us around a bit but it was more to do with all the guys passing and re-passing. I tried to break away but it wasn’t possible so I just had to try and position myself on the last lap, I got into second for the slipstream up the hill and passed Danny (Kent) into the last corner.”
“I just didn’t know he was there,” explained Kent. “That’s one of my favourite moves and he played it on me, there was nothing I could do. It was a great race, very fair and we all enjoyed it. I wish I hadn’t given Jake the points going into the last race in Misano but I’m just going to have to do better there.” Kent trails Gagne by 11 points but as he is another 30 clear of Binder and Hiura only Kent and Gagne can now win the Cup.
Stafford’s 3rd completed a fine weekend for the 16 year old after 4th on Saturday. “That was a great race, I really tried to win it but just wasn’t in the right place coming up the hill. Then into the last corners I thought about trying to take second but just couldn’t get past and then even with a good run onto the straight there wasn’t enough room before the line. Still there’s Misano to come.”
Another with the ‘still Misano to come’, feeling is 15 year old South African Brad Binder who was 4th. “I enjoyed the race, the bike was perfect, I just couldn’t get to the front at the right time.”
“Scottish 17 year old Taylor Mackenzie had a fine ride and made a play for the rostrum through the ‘S’ at the bottom of the final climb. “I tried, but then Harry spoilt my drive up the hill and Brad came past, Josh (Hook) got alongside but I managed to hold him off.” he concluded after crossing the line 5th.
Hook’s 6th seemed scant reward for the 17 year old Australian who came off the second row of the grid and led superbly for the first 2 laps. “I had a great start, that was the main thing. I got in front and tried to get away but it was so windy, such a head wind that it wasn’t possible. You needed the slipstream to do anything, that’s why no one got away. In the end I just wasn’t in the right place but it was a lot of fun.”
Niccolo Antonelli, the 14 year old Italian, had another fine ride. When the 7 man group separated he was left to make up a gap of well over a second on his own and he did so superbly, joining them for the closing stages. He got as high as 5th before finally crossing the line 7th which matches his performances in the first 3 races of this, his first Rookies season. Another first year Rookie, 14 year old German, Florian Alt was 8th after holding on to the lead group for the entire race.
Official Race 2 Classification
1. Jacob Gagne (USA) 31 minutes 39.860 seconds (143.332 kph) 2. Danny Kent (GBR) +0.045 3. Harry Stafford (GBR) +0.089 4. Brad Binder (RSA) +0.151 5. Taylor Mackenzie (GBR) +0.267 6. Joshua Hook (AUS) +0.530 7. Niccolo Antonelli (ITA) +0.664 8. Florian Alt (GER) +0.739 9. Xavier Pinsach (ESP) +10.996 10. Antonio Chiari (BRA) +11.015
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
Jake Gagne grabs second Red Bull Rookies Race at Brno American Jake Gagne played the waiting game in a pack of eight hungry young Red Bull Rookies Riders on the Brno circuit on Sunday making his charge for the front in the second last corner of the 14-lap race to take victory and advance on his position as title leader as the competition goes down to the wire. Now with still one race to go at Misano and only a slender 11-point gap in the points standings Gagne must battle it out in Italy with Danny Kent of Britain who was second in Brno to keep his title hopes alive. Gagne had a mixed weekend. He qualified 16 after crashing early in qualifying and missed the second session. But he redeemed himself on race day with an excellent start. “I think I was about 5th going into the first corner and just raced from there. There was more wind than yesterday,” he said. “That was moving us around a bit but it was more to do with all the guys passing and re-passing. I tried to break away but it wasn’t possible so I just had to try and position myself on the last lap, I got into second for the slipstream up the hill and passed Danny (Kent) into the last corner.” The race on the broad, sweeping and very undulating Brno circuit in the Czech Republic offered plenty of opportunities to overtake, but in typical Rookies style it could have gone any way heading into the second last corner. As they approached the final corners there was less than half a second between the pack of eight riders all going for the podium. Gagne prevailed but he will take no peace from the fact that his arch rival Kent of Britain was a close second while fellow Briton Harry Stafford picked up the minor podium place. Kent admitted he had been outfoxed by the Californian in the last stages of the race: “That’s one of my favorite moves and he played it on me, there was nothing I could do. It was a great race, very fair and we all enjoyed it. I wish I hadn’t given Jake the points going into the last race in Misano but I’m just going to have to do better there,” Kent conceded. While Italian Kevin Calia, the winner of Saturday’s race was right up with the leaders at the half way mark, his chances were gone when he slid off the bike and into the gravel in a series of incidents that also took out Daijiro Hiura of Japan and the two Italians Alejandro Pardu and Alessio Capella. Misano, the final stop on the racing calendar for 2010 is new to the Red Bull Rookies so this will add yet another dimension to what is surely going to be a very exciting finish. All Red Bull Rookies race on identical KTM RC125 bikes.
More, from a press release issued by Gagne Racing:
LAST LAP CZECH-MATE MEANS VICTORY FOR AMERICAN JAKE GAGNE
Brno, Czech Republic (Aug 15, 2010) — American Jake Gagne won Sunday’s Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race in the Czech Republic, making a strong run from the fourth row of the grid to preserve his championship lead. The 16-year-old Californian salvaged what could have been a nightmare weekend with his fourth win of the season. After a Friday crash destroyed his motorcycle, Jake was able to finish eighth in Saturday’s race, then closed out the weekend with a narrow 0.045-second win.
With just a single race to go at Misano, Gagne now leads the championship by 11 points.
In Sunday’s thriller, Jake fought with championship rival Danny Kent of the United Kingdom and other top riders from around the globe. Heading into the final laps, Jake made his trademark late-race charge and was in second place (the ideal drafting position) heading down the straight for the last time. Jake took the lead in the final turn from Kent and with the sweet victory expanded his championship lead.
“Danny Kent was only six points behind going into the race so I knew we had to do well. My goal was to stick inside the top three for the entire race so I didn’t get shuffled back like sometimes happens in our races. I led some and didn’t want to do anything stupid and I wanted to make my move on the last lap. I knew I was really strong on the brakes right there in the final corners. I put myself in a good position and it worked out how I wanted. I was able to hold it to the line and get the win. I was really happy.”
The weekend began in perhaps the worst way possible as Jake had a crash early in qualifying. He missed almost all of both sessions and was classified 16th based on his few laps completed before the crash. As championship points leader, Jake’s bid to take the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup crown had appeared to suffer a severe blow.
But Jake kept focused and rescued a decent finish on Saturday, then improved the bike for Sunday’s victory. “On Saturday, I got a good start in the race but the bike was way off, settings-wise. It was bottoming out everywhere and running wide, but we were able to get eighth so we got some points,” said Gagne. “I thought if we could get through the first race, we’d be able to improve the bike for Sunday. I never got discouraged because I knew I had to keep my head down. There was a lot of work to do and I knew I could do well in the second race if we could improve the bike.”
With just Misano to go, Jake’s dream of winning the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is closer.
“We’ve got to go take care of business in Misano but we’re in pretty good shape going in,” said Gagne. “Special thanks go out to all my sponsors and supporters.”