Lexington, Ohio (Aug 1, 2008) — The sixth Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race of 2008 takes place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Oh., on Sunday. The series for the hottest 13-to-16-year old motorcycle racers in North and South America and the Caribbean has delivered close and exciting racing so far in its inaugural season. Four of the first five races ended with the winner less than one second in front of his nearest competitors, and two of the races required the AMA’s photo finish camera to determine the winner. The only race not decided by less than one second (at Infineon Raceway) saw a three rider pack fight for the lead before a crash took out two of the leading protagonists. So far, the highlight of the year has been the battle between Benny Solis, Jr., of North Hollywood, Calif., and Leandro Mercado of Argentina. Solis leads the points race by 25 and has won four of the first five events, but each of his wins came after thrilling racing with Mercado. Although the last laps have not always turned out the way he wished, Leandro has shown remarkable speed this year. The 16-year-old has challenged for the victory in each event, with a highlight being the Road America race he won over Jake Gagne of Ramona, Calif., by just 0.0019 seconds in difficult weather conditions. “It’s been a very good season for me so far. I’ll work even harder in the second half to keep improving my skills,” said Mercado. “In the races, I’ll keep using my head so I can keep doing well. I have been consistently fast and this is the area where I have fought the most, to keep my performance level high with as few drop-offs as possible. My goal is to win and I would have liked to come out on top in more of the last lap battles we’ve had this year, but it hasn’t bothered me or gotten me down. It just made me want to work even harder. The race always goes the way it wants to go and as a rider you can only train more and get better.” Another factor at the Mid-Ohio Rookies Cup race will be the battle for the Red Bull Riders Cup. The Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup’s top ten will take on their counterparts in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at Indianapolis and Valencia later this year. The time is now for the Rookies to earn their way into the Riders Cup. Cameron Gish is one of the Red Bull Rookies looking vault into the elite group. Gish is currently 15th but just six points out of 10th place. “My goal is to get in the top ten so I can go to Indy,” said the Shingle Springs, Calif., resident. “At this race, I really need to do my best and be consistent. Wanting to move up in points and earn your way into the Riders Cup, it doesn’t really change your strategy. You can’t worry about it and be too cautious or it will slow you down. You have to run your race and just do your best. For Mid-Ohio, I have been studying the maps but I really won’t have the track down until we get to ride on it. I have never been to the track but I hear it has a great atmosphere and that is always fun. The circuit looks technical, and I did well at Barber earlier this year. We’re racing about every other weekend for a while so I hope I can get some momentum.” One rider who has put together some momentum is Joey Pascarella from Vacaville, Calif. Pascarella has been knocking on the door of a podium finish in the last few races. “I’ve gotten two sixths, a fourth, and a fifth and now I am looking for a podium,” said the 15-year-old. “It hasn’t been too long since Laguna so I think I can adapt a little quicker when we get to the track. I’ve been riding Supermoto and motocross at home, trying to stay in top shape. The guys that have been finishing in front of me “¦ between qualifying and the race, their pace becomes a lot faster. They really step it up. I think the key is to get up with them on the start and learn few tricks. My goal is the podium and once I get it, I think it will help my confidence.” The 16-lap Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race at the 2.4-mile, 15-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is scheduled for Sunday at 11 AM local time. Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Points (After five races) 1. 35 Benny Solis, North Hollywood, California 100 2. 36 Leandro Mercado, Cordoba, Argentina 81 3. 69 Hayden Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky 52 4. 12 Tomas Puerta, Medellin, Colombia 52 5. 32 Jake Gagne, Ramona, California 49 6. 56 Austin DeHaven, Los Angeles, California 44 7. 25 Joey Pascarella, Vacaville, California 44 8. 26 Toriano Wilson, St. Davids, Bermuda 35 9. 50 Emerson Connor, Burlington, Ontario 31 10. 74 Bryce Prince, Bakersfield, California 27 11. 34 Corey Rech, Liverpool, New York 26 12. 75 Huntley Nash, Marietta, Georgia 22 13. 13 Jesse Stevens, Lawrenceville, Georgia 22 14. 95 Frankie Lee Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky 21 15. 31 Cameron Gish, Shingle Springs, California 21 16. 7 Austin Medrano, Mustang, Oklahoma 20 17. 66 Jake Morman, Loganville, Georgia 15 18. 94 Jacob Cunningham, Kimberly, Wisconsin 10 19. 23 Corey Alexander, Ossining, New York 9 20. 3 Travis Wyman, Macedon, New York 8 21. 11 Luciano Ribodino San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina 6 22. 22 Garet Tomlinson, Aledo, Texas 4 23. 82 Otavio Lucchini, Jundiai, SP, Brazil 1