Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Jerez, Spain May 2, 2010 Race Two Results (all on KTMs with Dunlop tires): 1. Daniel RUIZ, Spain, 16 laps, 30:13.769 2. Danny KENT, Great Britain, -0.071 3. Daijiro HIURA, Japan, -0.150 4. Mathew SCHOLTZ, Soputh Africa, -0.228 5. Harry STAFFORD, Great Britain, -0.377 6. Jacob GAGNE, USA, -0.844 7. Niccolo ANTONELLI, Italy, -2.179 8. Joshua HOOK, Australia, -6.514 9. Florian ALT, Germany, -14.256 10. Alejandro PARDO, Italy, -25.396 More, from a press release issued by Red Bull: 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. More, from a press release issued by KTM: Kent leads Red Bull Rookies as junior KTM riders launch their bid for glory Briton Danny Kent on Sunday emerged as early championship leader in the 2010 Red Bull Rookies Cup after the opening two races in Jerez Spain in this series that underlines KTM’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of professional racers. The 16-year old won the season’s opener on Saturday and followed it up with a solid third on Sunday to walk away with 45 championship points. The 24-man field of hand-picked junior talent all compete on identical KTM 125 racing machines. Chequered flag glory on the second race day went to Daniel Ruiz of Spain, who was also on the podium on Saturday in third to finish his weekend with 41 championship points, just four behind the 16-year-old Kent. Japanese talent Daijiro Hiura also had a good weekend with a second an third for overall third. Saturday’s race was another typical nail-biter with nine riders going into the final lap with podium chances and the decision only coming in the final corner when Kent, who won here last year, streaked by pole sitter Hiura and Ruiz to snatch the opening honours. “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. But on Sunday it was Daniel Ruiz’s day when he took the glory in front of his home crowd in another eight-man fight to the finish. “It’s a dream come true,” said Ruiz. “To win at my home Grand Prix is just incredible. “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.” Photos Red Bull Results Race One 1. Danny Kent, Britain, KTM, 30’25.205 2. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, KTM, 30’25.361 3. Daniel Ruiz, Spain, KTM, 30’25.499 4. Brad Binder, South Africa, 30’25. 954 5. Jacob Gagne, USA, KTM, 30’26.176 Results Race Two 1. Daniel Ruiz, Spain, KTM, 30’13.769 2. Danny Kent, Britain, KTM, 30’13.840 3. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, KTM, 30’13.919 4. Mathew Scholtz, South Africa, KTM, 30’13.997 5. Harry Stafford, Britain, KTM, 30’14.146 Championship Standings after two races 1. Danny Kent, Britain, 45 points 2. Daniel Ruiz, Spain, 41 3. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, 36 4. Mathew Scholtz, South Africa, 21 5. Jacob Gagne, USA, 21 More, from a press release issued by Gagne Racing: SOLID RESULTS FOR GAGNE IN SPAIN American Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup competitor Jake Gagne had a solid weekend in Spain, taking a fifth and a sixth in the opening races of the weekend as the Californian makes his bid to be the next series champion. The talented racer faced some of the fastest teen racers in the world (all on KTM 125cc Grand Prix bikes) but Gagne was able to run near the front at Jerez. He finished less than one second back of the winner in each leg of the doubleheader and leaves Spain tied for fourth place in the standings. “I’m happy to come out of Spain with some progress and good points,” said Jake, the sole American in this year’s Red Bull Rookies Cup. “I’m not really satisfied with the results but we were able to make up a lot of ground from Friday. Jerez really isn’t my favorite circuit with all the slow speed turns and I am looking forward to Mugello.” Gagne, who lost track time at the final preseason test due to an ankle injury, got a slow start to the weekend but the 16 year-old rallied to quicken his pace. “Practice and qualifying did not go very well because we weren’t quite there with bike setup,” said the Ramona, CA resident. “We lost some time and I wasn’t happy with qualifying 12th. We made some changes throughout Friday and even Saturday and we got closer.” Race one saw eight riders battle for the lead, with Jake catching up to the front runners and fighting for more. Gagne, who finished on the podium at Daytona in AMA SuperSport competition earlier this year, finished just 0.971 from the win. “In the first race. I started from the third row but I made some passes and caught up with the front group,” said Jake. “The bike felt better and I was hoping to make up even more spots but there were a couple of times when some of the guys made some crazy passes and it slowed us all down. I could have done a better job on the last lap but to get fifth from where we qualified was pretty good.” In race two, Gagne chopped 11.5 seconds off the time it took him to complete the 16-lap event and finished slightly closer to the front, this time only 0.844 seconds back. “On Sunday, I got another good start and was running near the front. I had some chatter that was slowing me a bit and I made some mistakes. The front group was smaller on Sunday, a little faster, too. My plan was to hang at the back of the lead group and try to gain some positions at the end of the race. I got sixth, which was good because this isn’t my favorite track. The ankle was okay. With the adrenaline of the races, it wasn’t a problem. We made progress with the bike this weekend. I’m really looking forward to Mugello.”