A charged ensemble of 27 teenagers from all over the world will line up for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup on their KTM RC125s to start the 8 race 2009 season at Jerez at the beginning of May. The Cup’s third season is expected to produce the most intense competition with an enormously talented entry. The forced cancellation of the U.S. Rookies Cup was a sad step back but bringing 3 of the top performers from the 2008 Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup across the Atlantic for this season is just part of a very significant step forward for the MotoGP Cup. There are also 9 new Rookies joining the Cup from the Final Selection Event held at Estoril last November plus 16 year-old Australian Josh Hook from October’s U.S. Cup Selection Event at Barber Motorsport Park. Britain’s 15 year-old Danny Kent graduates to the Cup from the Red Bull MotoGP Academy and there are 13 Rookies from the 2008 MotoGP Cup. With 14 Nations represented, drawing riders from as far apart as Japan, South Africa, Australia and all across Europe and the USA the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is the place where the best of the world’s teenage talent is to be seen, producing a thrilling spectacle while they develop their craft. The learning begins at Estoril on March 26th and 27th followed by another 2 day test at Jerez on March 30th and 31st. Time for some to build on their Rookies Cup experience and for others the first opportunity to feel what it means to ride a thoroughbred KTM Grand Prix machine. The three Americans are lead by U.S. Cup winner 14 year-old Benny Solis. The Californian is joined by Hayden Gillim the 14 year-old from Kentucky and 15 year-old Californian Jake Gagne who ended the season 2nd and 4th respectively. They will be looking to step on from the excellent form they displayed in the two transatlantic Riders Cup races last year. Those carrying the Stars and Stripes will find the Europeans equally determined to show who is boss on home turf. Norway’s Sturla Fagerhaug, a close third in the 2008 Cup final standings with 1 win and 5 podium places is odds on favourite to claim the Cup in his third season. The 17 year-old has all the cool and experience he needs to do it but there is plenty of opposition. South African 16 year-old Mathew Scholtz won the penultimate race in 2008 and by putting his early falls last season well behind him starts 2009 as one of those expected to be a future star. Others to watch include Frenchman Nelson Major who turns 16 before the season starts and Japanese 14 year old Daijiro Hiura who just needs to match some consistency to the genius that won him the Estoril round last year. The 27 line up for the third year running on the beautiful KTM RC125s, such close relations to the Red Bull KTM team’s factory bikes campaigned in the 125 Grand Prix class by Marc Marquez and ex Red Bull MotoGP Rookie Cameron Beaubier. This is the third year of the enormously valuable partnership between Red Bull and KTM that has made the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup such a great success. The Rookies Cup once more relies on the fabulous support of Alpinestars who deserve such great credit for protecting the Rookies from the knocks and shocks of the boiling competition as well as they do World Champions. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2009 8 race season May 2nd and 3rd Jerez – Spain May 30th Mugello – Italy June 27th Assen – Netherlands July 18th Sachsenring – Germany July 25th Donington – England August 15th and 16th Brno – Czech Republic Entry list # Rider Country 4 Xavier Figueras ESP 7 Deane Brown GBR 16 Joshua Hook AUS 20 Mathew Scholtz RSA 21 Florian Marino FRA 22 Daniel Ruiz ESP 24 Harry Stafford GBR 27 Alessio Cappella ITA/NGR 30 Dylan Mavin AUS 32 Jacob Gagne USA 33 Sturla Fagerhaug NOR 35 Benny Solis USA 36 Nico Thöni AUT 41 Brad Binder RSA 44 Nelson Major FRA 46 Daijiro Hiura JPN 47 Kevin Calia ITA 52 Danny Kent GBR 61 Arthur Sissis AUS 63 Juan Perello ESP 69 Hayden Gillim USA 70 Alexander Kristiansson SWE 71 Taylor Mackenzie GBR 77 Alejandro Pardo ITA 84 Jakub Kornfeil CZE 89 Fraser Rogers GBR 93 Robin Barbosa FRA