Jake Gagne made it a double victory weekend with another masterly display in the second Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race of the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. The 16 year old Californian was again chased across the line by 14 year old South African Brad Binder with 15 year old Japanese Daijiro Hiura 3rd, making up for his 15th place finish on Saturday.
Gagne stormed into the Cup points lead as nearest rivals Daniel Ruiz and Danny Kent both crashed. Kent remounted to finish 12th and now lies 2nd in the table, 14 points behind Gagne with Ruiz 3rd, another 10 points adrift but 4 clear of Hiura who is 4th.
“I was pretty confident I could do it again,” said Gagne. “It was a good race yesterday and there was no reason why it should be different. At one point Brad and I got away from the others a bit but I wasn’t too surprised when they closed back up again. Then it was all one group and I pretty much played it like yesterday and managed to get away just before the end. I knew that Brad was with me again but he’s a good guy and I didn’t expect him to do anything crazy and take us both out. I knew he was a little bit frustrated that he couldn’t get past me at the last corners yesterday but I was strong there and I braked even a bit deeper and held on.”
Binder made a slightly easier race for himself than Saturday with a sensational start from his 9th place qualifying place on the 3rd row of the grid. “Yah, the start was fantastic, I think I was about fourth going into the first corner. Then I got up with Jake and he and I went away a bit but we couldn’t stay clear of the group. Then later on I had a go at leading but also couldn’t get away. On the last lap I really wanted to have a go at Jake but he was just too good today… next time,” he concluded with a grin.
Hiura’s third made the Japanese smile for what seemed the first time in the weekend. “Yes I wasn’t happy with one point yesterday. But I knew that I had found quite a good rhythm and if I didn’t have trouble I could make a good result. I didn’t make a great start but we could close the gap on Jake and Brad so it was a great race. On the last lap I was going to try and win but I made a slight mistake and lost them so I will have to wait until Brno.”
Kent was philosophical about his meagre points tally after a great ride. “My start wasn’t bad but I got squeezed from both sides going into the first corner, I was almost stopped and dead last going down the hill. I think made up 8 seconds to catch the leaders but I must have taken too much out of the tyres because when I fell I wasn’t doing anything different. At least I did get a few points out of it,” concluded the 16 year old Briton who had charged brilliantly through the field and was up to 4th when he fell on the last lap. He remounted to take 4 points for 12th
Similarly reflective was 18 year old Spaniard Ruiz who was unhurt when he crashed out of the lead group on lap one taking Kevin Calia with him. “Honestly I don’t know what I did wrong, I lost the front and unfortunately took Kevin out as well. I have lost a lot of points but I just have to come back at the next race.”
The pack that chased down Gagne and Binder was headed by 16 year old Italian Alejandro Pardo who put together a string of quick laps and may well have got on the podium after a number of great passing moves but over the last few laps things got a bit ragged. “I didn’t make a good start but the bike was perfect, this is my favourite track and that corner at the bottom of the tight section where I passed Jake (Gagne) is a lot of fun. By the end though my tyres were destroyed and that’s why I was having trouble.”
At the last corner Pardo barged inside Tomas Vavrous to take fourth leaving the Czech 16 year old with rubber down his left thigh from Pardo’s front tyre. “I didn’t mean to push him out,” explained the Italian. It made a pair of excellent rides this weekend for Vavrous who was 8th on Saturday and 5th on Sunday. “I enjoyed that a lot even though this has never been a favourite track for my. The bike was great and it was just the final corner that I had trouble with in both races, yesterday I missed a gear and this time Pardo came inside. Anyway I still enjoyed it.”
The next Rookies Cup races are on August 14th and 15th as part of the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic at Brno with a single race to conclude the season at Misano on September 4th.
Race 2 Classification
1. Jacob Gagne (USA) 28 minutes 51.091 seconds (145.050 kph) 2. Brad Binder (RSA) +0.119 3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) +0.667 4. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) +2.670 5. Tomas Vavrous (CZE) +2.687 6. Alexander Kristiansson (SWE) +2.777 7. Taylor Mackenzie (GBR) +3.810 8. Joshua Hook (AUS) +9.738 9. Arthur Sissis (AUS) +22.148 10. Florian Alt (GER) +22.627
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
Jake Gagne cracks the Red Bull Rookies Cup double on the Sachsenring
American Red Bull Rookie Jake Gagne made it a weekend to remember at Germany’s Sachsenring winning both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races by deploying the same smooth tactics in the final stages of both races to be first through the checkered flag. Brad Binder, 14, of South Africa was again a contender for the top of the podium on the second day right up till the final corner but was again able to out maneuver Gagne and had to settle for second. Japan’s Daijiro Hiura made a comeback to the podium and snatched third place after an impressive ride from the rear of the pack. It was an unlucky day for the two former championship leaders. Britain’s Danny Kent who topped the leader board going into the race and his closest rival this season, Spaniard Daniel Ruiz, crashed during the race. Kent managed to rejoin the race and both were uninjured. It was a golden weekend of racing for the Californian who started on pole position and tucked into the lead group in both races, waiting for just the right moment to make his move in the final lap of the 19-lap (70 km) race distance in what was near to perfect conditions on the German circuit. Gagne seemed consistent and confident right from the start and remained in the front group of challengers waiting for his moments. With 13 laps to go he made a break away but Binder refused to let him take the glory on his own. He and Italian Alejandro Pardo made Gagne work for his victory, made a little easier when Kent, who was cvonsistently hovering, ended in the track side gravel. Jake Gagne: I was pretty confident I could do it again. At one point Brad and I got away from the others a bit but I wasn’t too surprised when they closed back up again. Then it was all one group and I pretty much played it like yesterday and managed to get away just before the end.” It was a fine race from Binder who had a great start from the third row of the grid. Brad Binder: “I think I was about fourth going into the first corner. Then I got up with Jake and he and I went away a bit but we couldn’t stay clear of the group. Then later on I had a go at leading but also couldn’t get away.” It was also an excellent confidence building performance from the 15-year old Hiura, who led the championship standings for the first half of the season before a couple of unlucky races dropped him down the order. Gagne now leads the championship points table, Kent trails him by 14 points, Ruiz is third and Hiura is back at fourth just four points behind the Spanish rider. With the championship points still very close, the fight for the title looks like going right down to the wire. There are still points up for grabs at the double header at Brno in the Czech Republic (August 14-15) as part of the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic weekend with a single race to conclude the season at Misano on September 4th. All Red Bull Rookies ride identical KTM 125 racing machines. Pix: Red Bull Race 2 Classification 1. Jacob Gagne (USA) 28 minutes 51.091 seconds (145.050 km h) 2. Brad Binder (RSA) +0.119 3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) +0.667 4. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) +2.670 5. Tomas Vavrous (CZE) +2.687 6. Alexander Kristiansson (SWE) +2.777 7. Taylor Mackenzie (GBR) +3.810 8. Joshua Hook (AUS) +9.738 9. Arthur Sissis (AUS) +22.148 10. Florian Alt (GER) +22.627 Standings 1 Gagne, 117 points 2. Danny Kent, Britain, 103 3. Daniel Ruiz, Spain, 93 4. Hiura, 89 5. Binder, 87
More, from a press release issued by Gagne Racing:
GAGNE DOUBLES IN GERMANY, NOW LEADS RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP POINTS
American Jake Gagne won both Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup races in Germany and has fought his way into the points lead as the season speeds toward the thrilling conclusion. Gagne won pole position on Friday, then won Saturday’s race after timing his charge with three laps to go. On Sunday, Jake completed the trifecta as he narrowly held off two rivals to earn perhaps his most difficult victory yet.
“I really couldn’t ask for anything better “¦ a pole and two wins,” said Jake. “It was a great weekend for me and things just seemed to click from the first practice. The bike worked great from the first practice and I was able to get my first Rookies Cup pole when I had a real good lap in qualifying.”
Gagne’s Saturday win was much like his first Rookies Cup victory in the Netherlands a battle for final lap supremacy between a group of young, eager combatants. “I was really confident going into the first race and I was in the top five the whole time. It was a classic Rookies Cup race with a lot of action going on, but I was waiting until the end to make my move. With a couple of laps to go, I was able to get into the lead. From there, I tried to brake really late and do what I could to get the win.”
Sunday’s race saw Jake take the lead early, then get shuffled into the pack during the middle stages. Jake avoided trouble during his charge and his reward was another victory. “On Sunday, I had a good start and I tried to break away from the pack. In this kind of racing, you want to do that whenever you can. The other guys saw me getting away, then they started working together to catch back up,” said the Ramona, CA resident. “When I saw they had caught me again, I decided to hold back and wait for the final laps just like I had on Saturday. On both days, I set my fast lap of the race on the final lap, and I’m proud of that.”
Gagne now leads the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup championship with just Brno and Misano to go. After a solid start to the season, Jake has won three of the last four races to rocket into the points lead.
“I’d like to thank everyone for this weekend,” said Jake. “The Red Bull Rookies Cup staff, Red Bull, KTM, Alpinestars, Arai, American Supercamp, Kevin Schwantz, Von Zipper, my dad, Danny Walker, and Mick!”