It all comes down to two races at Brno this coming weekend to decide the 2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. There are still 50 points at stake for a double victory so while the favourites are 16 year old American JD Beach and Spaniard Luis Salom who turned 17 on August 7th it is not just a 2 rider contest. Norwegian 16 year old Sturla Fagerhaug and 14 year old Japanese Daijiro Hiura both have mathematical chances of wining the Cup and will certainly play an important part in the outcome of the two races, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday August 17th. Because the Cup rules have each rider dropping their worst result, Beach, who has scored in every race, will have to discount one and hence goes into the final weekend with just a 7 point advantage over Salom. Salom’s similar consistency was ruined when he was brought off by Fagerhaug in the first corner at the Sachsenring. Making a welcome return to the Cup is 15 year old Scot Deane Brown who last raced at the Portuguese round before breaking his leg in a British Championship event at Brands Hatch. Brown had looked like being one of the stars of this year’s Cup and his results from 3 races still have him 12 in the points standings. With 2 races to go he is certainly out to make it into the top 10 and thus claim a place in the MotoGP Rookies Cup Team that will go to Indianapolis to take on the best of the AMA U.S. Rookies, contesting the Riders Cup for the first time on September 14th. Making the Team to go to the US will be the aim of all the Rookies this coming weekend and with so many points at stake no one can be counted out completely. Of course the top men have their places on the squad already secure and have their eyes fixed firmly on the Riders Cup. Beach likes the circuit. “I had my best result there last year and I am not going to put too much pressure on myself,” claimed the American who has improved beyond recognition from the road racing newcomer who was 8th at Brno last year and only 16th in the standings at the end of the season. Beach has been on the rostrum at most of the races this year but only finally claimed his first victory at the previous round in Germany. Salom, who was 4th in the Cup last year with a win in Assen a 2nd at Jerez and 4th at Brno started this season as though he would dominate it completely with 4 wins from the first 5 races. Inconsistency and a bit of bad luck took the edge off that domination but he remains confident. “I think that I can win, Brno is a good track and I did OK there last year. I know I must win.”