From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

HOFMANN EYES UP THE FUTURE COMPETITION

Alex Hofmann will have the opportunity to assess the future competition on Thursday evening at Sachsenring, as the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team play host to the 23 youngsters competing in this year’s Red Bull Rookies Cup.

Fought out on identical 125cc race bikes over eight rounds, the 2004 Red Bull Rookies Cup is open only to riders born between 1983 and 1991. This popular ‘novice’ series is the first phase in a three stage programme designed to identify, nurture and develop young German riding talent, with the ultimate aim being to increase the number of German riders in the prestigious MotoGP World Championship.

Over the course of the season two riders from the Red Bull Rookies Cup are selected for the second stage of the ADAC backed programme, which includes a full time ride in the 125cc IDM series. Meik Minnerop and Toni Wirsing, both just 14 years of age, were the two riders selected at the end of 2003. Minnerop is currently fifth in the IDM 125cc standings, while Wirsing is just 27 points behind his team-mate in 12th place.

Both riders are following closely in the footsteps of Georg Fröhlich, who graduated from the IDM 125cc series at the end of last season and is currently competing in the European rounds of the 125cc Grand Prix World Championship as a wild card rider.

The fourth round of the 2004 Red Bull Rookies Cup will run on the Saturday evening at Sachsenring, where current Championship leader, 15-year-old Joshua Sommer, will be looking to increase his lead over his closest rival, 18-year-old Jennifer Kaulbach; one of four girls competing in this year’s series.

On Thursday evening at 17.30 the Red Bull Rookies will visit the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team in the Sachsenring paddock for a ‘behind the scenes’ look at a factory MotoGP team at work. A tour of the pit box will be followed by a dinner in the Kawasaki hospitality unit and an opportunity to ask questions of Team Manager, Harald Eckl, and team riders, Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano.

They may be potential rivals in the future, but Hofmann – who also received support from ADAC when he started racing – is looking forward to meeting the Red Bull Rookies, especially as they’ve raced at Sachsenring once already this season and may well be able to offer some track advice to the 24-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki rider!

“ADAC have always been supportive of up and coming German riders, but what they’ve put together with the Red Bull Rookies programme moves everything to the next level,” declared Hofmann who, like the Rookies, also started his road racing career on a 125cc machine. “When I started out it was difficult; you had to find your own money and sponsors and it wasn’t always possible to secure a competitive bike. The Red Bull Rookies Cup provides these youngsters with a cost effective way of getting into racing and, by ensuring that the machinery used by everyone is equal, those with the talent to progress further are easily identified.”

“It will be good to show the Rookies what goes on in the Kawasaki Racing Team, and as they’ve already raced at Sachsenring this season, I’m hoping they’ll be able to give me a few tips for the weekend ahead,” continued Hofmann, currently the only German rider in the top flight MotoGP class. “Of course, if they want some advice in return then I’ll be more than happy to help out. Although I have to admit, I will be keeping a few things to myself; just in case I find myself racing against some of these guys in a couple of years time!”

The invitation to the Red Bull Rookies was extended by Kawasaki Racing Team Manager, Harald Eckl; himself a big supporter of ADAC young rider initiatives in the past. It was Eckl – while instructing at the ADAC race school – who was instrumental in spotting Steve Jenkner’s potential and securing him his first ride in the German National 125cc Championship aboard Peter Öttl’s spare bike.

“ADAC have been supporting young German riders for a number of years and their success rate has been extremely good,” commented the former Grand Prix rider and Daytona race winner. “This latest initiative from ADAC, which starts with the Rookies Cup and progresses all the way through to Grand Prix, is a massive step forward in terms of rider development here in Germany. I hope that this programme will, in the future, propel German riders into the MotoGP World Championship. You never know, in a few years time we might even see one of the current Red Bull Rookies lining up on the MotoGP grid aboard our bike. I certainly hope so.”