Bull Run 2: Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Returns To Laguna Seca For Season Finale Series Championship is on the line, as well as spots in the Red Bull Riders Cup Monterey, Calif. (September 25, 2008) — The inaugural Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup season comes to a rousing conclusion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend with the championship still up for grabs. Benny Solis, Jr., of North Hollywood, Calif., leads Hayden Gillim of Owensboro, Ky., by 14 points with just this weekend’s race remaining. The tenth and final Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race will see the best 13- to 16-year-old racing talent in North and South America return to the beautiful Monterey circuit for the third time this season. The Rookies rode Laguna Seca at their first test of the year, so each rider can track his progress made this year by comparing lap times from earlier visits to those of this weekend. In July’s double-header at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, the Saturday race required a photo finish as Solis edged Leandro Mercado of Argentina by the narrowest of margins – 0.0008 sec. Race two on Sunday saw a three-rider battle for the win as Gillim joined the previous day’s protagonists in a race-long battle for position, with Solis again emerging the winner. Jake Gagne of Ramona, Calif., is the hot rider in the series after two straight wins. Although Jake’s roadracing career began earlier this season at the Rookies Cup race at Barber, he’s come a long way in a short time. Gagne took his first roadracing win at Road Atlanta in August and then backed it up with a spectacular victory at the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix earlier this month. In each contest, Gagne battled with Gillim for the win. “I’ve gotten more and more used to the bike and roadracing and I’ve learned a lot and had a lot of fun this year,” said Gagne. “I’m hoping to finish out the season with a strong finish. It would be great to win three in a row but with Benny, Hayden, and Leandro going fast and trying to get the top three in points settled, we’ll have to see what happens. I want to have another good weekend and I’ll try my best again.” Solis won both the races at Laguna Seca in July and four total in 2008, but this time has the championship as his first goal when the series hits the 2.238-mile circuit this weekend. “If I have a chance to win the race, I’ll try for sure,” said Benny. “I’ll have my eyes on how Hayden is doing in the race, but Leandro always charges hard and there are other strong riders in the field, too. We’ve tested here and had two races. I was quick then and I know the track well, but so do all the other Rookies. I feel pretty confident.” Gillim has charged to second place in points on the basis of his two wins and six straight podium finishes. The Owensboro, Ky., resident might be a long shot to win the series title but is coming off a strong performance in the Red Bull Riders Cup race at Indianapolis. Gillim valiantly fought for the victory against the top racers of his series and those of the European-based Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, but crashed out while challenging for the lead in the closing laps while battling difficult wet conditions. “Benny’s really strong at Laguna and I don’t know if I am close enough in points to beat him, but I am going to try my best,” said Gillim. “If I can’t, then I’ll have tried as hard as I could.” Other challengers this weekend include Mercado, who lies third in series points. The winner at Road America, Leandro finished second by inches to Solis on at the first race held at Laguna Seca in July. Tomas Puerta of Colombia has shown impressive speed this season and holds fifth place in season’s points. Austin DeHaven of Los Angeles, Calif., finished third at Indianapolis. Canada’s Emerson Connor found his form at Virginia International Raceway and has impressively run near the front ever since. Connor won pole at Road Atlanta but poor luck robbed him of podium results at Road Atlanta and Indianapolis. Joey Pascarella of Vacaville, Calif., has a string of top-10 finishes but is looking to close out 2008 with his first podium finish of the season. Also up for grabs are spots in the second Red Bull Riders Cup team race, in Valencia, Spain on October 25, which will go to the top-ten riders in the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup series as they look to reverse the results of the first Riders Cup race against their overseas counterparts. The Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup season finale is scheduled for 11:15 a.m.on Sunday. Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Points (after nine races) 1. 35 Benny Solis, North Hollywood, California 156 points 2. 69 Hayden Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky 142 3. 36 Leandro Mercado, Cordoba, Argentina 131 4. 32 Jake Gagne, Ramona, California 123 5. 12 Tomas Puerta, Medellin, Colombia 86 6. 56 Austin DeHaven, Los Angeles, California 76 7. 25 Joey Pascarella, Vacaville, California 75 8. 50 Emerson Connor, Burlington, Ontario 60 9. 74 Bryce Prince, Bakersfield, California 50 10. 75 Huntley Nash, Marietta, Georgia 42 11. 26 Toriano Wilson, St. Davids, Bermuda 40 12. 66 Jake Morman, Loganville, Georgia 38 13. 34 Corey Rech, Liverpool, New York 37 14. 31 Cameron Gish, Shingle Springs, California 35 15. 13 Jesse Stevens, Lawrenceville, Georgia 31 16. 7 Austin Medrano, Mustang, Oklahoma 31 17. 95 Frankie Lee Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky 28 18. 94 Jacob Cunningham, Kimberly, Wisconsin 28 19. 3 Travis Wyman, Macedon, New York 22 20. 23 Corey Alexander, Ossining, New York 18 21. 11 Luciano Ribodino San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina 6 22. 22 Garet Tomlinson, Aledo, Texas 4 23. 82 Otavio Lucchini, Jundiai, SP, Brazil 1