Johann Zarco won the final race of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup after a superb race long battle with arch rival Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier fell trying to make a break for it on the final lap. That handed second place to Scotsman Dean Brown ahead of Cyril Carrillo who made it two Frenchmen on the podium. Seventeen Year old Zarco used the same perfect balance of intelligence and skill that clinched him the Cup championship at the penultimate round in Portugal. “From the start I really wanted to get away because I knew that some of the other guys might be going a little crazy in the last race. I got away but then Cameron came after me. I was happy to race with him.” said Zarco. “It was a really great race. Cameron and I were really enjoying it. He is a great guy to race with and we have had some good battles this year. I knew that it would be very hard at the end. He made a good move and tried to get away but then he crashed. Suddenly I could relax and the last few corners were very easy.” On the podium for the first time was Scotsman Dean Brown who tried to make the best of a great start from the second row. “I just went for it from the start. Then Zarco came past and I tried to go with him as much as I could but then Beaubier came past and they were just too fast. I got caught by the pack and I was not going to let them get away, every time I got passed I just passed them back.” One of those that fourteen year old Brown kept trading places with was seventeen year old Carrillo. “That was such a great race, really hard,” said the Frenchman. “It was just fighting and fighting all the way from the start. We have had quite a few races like that this season. I really enjoyed it. It was very important to me to get on the podium again.” The man that handed him that final rostrum place was fourteen year old Beaubier, naturally frustrated with his mistake at the end of what had been such a great duel for the lead. “Me and Zarco were kind of racing, but really almost playing around, having a good race. Then at the end I tried to put a gap on him on the very last lap. I felt like I was gaining time on him but I crashed, stupid. Through the fast chicane I flicked it and then into the right the back just came around and threw me over the highside.” Almost from the start the race was split into the battle for the lead between Zarco and Beaubier that was clean and measured while well behind them an untidy scrap for third featured Brown and Carrillo fighting for every turn with Spaniard Luis Salom, Briton Matthew Hoyle and Italian Lorenzo Savadori. That scrap for third that became second when Beaubier crashed really was a classic with no one looking to be on the same line twice. That untidiness helped Zarco and Beaubier get clear at the head of the field. Beaubier made a great move to take the lead going inside Zarco at the last corner half way through the race only to run wide and let the Frenchman through again. A couple of laps later with Beaubier in front it was Zarco who made exactly the same move and this time held the advantage down the straight. With both riders having shown the ability to make a last corner overtaking move it made good sense for Beaubier to try and avoid that on the last lap. Beaubier played his ace and tried to get away but it didn’t work. From his fall he remounted to finish fifteenth. Thirteen year old Daijiro Hiura had a fantastic début race as a wild card finishing ninth despite the fact that he had never seen the bike or the track before. Fellow Japanese Yuya Yokoo also thirteen years old was an excellent thirteenth after starting from way back on the grid. 2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Valenica, Spain November 3, 2007 Race Results (all on KTM 125s): 1. Johann ZARCO (FRA), 17 laps, 29:41.122 2. Deane BROWN (GBR), -16.750 seconds 3. Cyril CARRILLO (FRA), -16.889 4. Luis SALOM (SPA), -16.948 5. Matthew HOYLE (GBR), -17.818 6. Lorenzo SAVADORI (ITA), -17.937 7. Sturla FAGERHAUG (NOR), -32.156 8. Kris TURNER (USA), -32.200 9. Daijiro HIURA (JPN), -32.597 10. Lucy GLÖCKNER (GER), -42.815 11. Daniel KARTHEININGER (GER), -43.304 12. Markus REITERBERGER (GER), -43.565 13. Yuga YOKOO (JPN), -43.705 14. Christoph SCHÖNBERG (GER), -43.736 15. Cameron BEAUBIER (USA), -43.827, crash 16. Lukas SEMBERA (CZE), -43.899 17. Adam BLACKLOCK (GBR), -52.082 18. J.D. BEACH (USA), -52.165 19. Jamie MOSSEY (GBR), -65.492 20. Javier CHOLBI (SPA), -84.008 21. Peter SEBESTYEN (HUN), -106.677 22. Stuart MITCHELL (GBR), -1 lap 23. Robert GULL (SWE), -5 laps, DNF 24. Cristian TRABALON (SPA), -16 laps, DNF, crash 25. Kevin SANCHEZ (SPA), -17 laps, DNS 2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Championship Point Standings (After 8 of 8 rounds): 1. Zarco, 159 points 2. Savadori, 102 3. Hoyle, 95 4. TIE, Salom/Carrillo, 80 6. Beaubier, 79 7. Brown, 67 8. Reiterberger, 55 9. Gull, 52 10. Turner, 49 16. Beach, 28 More, from a press release issued by KTM: Zarco rockets home to take final race in Red Bull Rookies Cup Johann Zarco already the champion in the inaugural Red Bull Rookes Cup wrapped up the season for talented young riders with a victory on Saturday on the Valencia MotoGP circuit. The 17-year old French rider therefore finishes the season with three victories and two second places totaling 159 championship points for the eight races. Zarco stormed home ahead of Britain’s Dean Brown and fellow Frenchman Cyril Carrillo who occupied the respective minor podium places. The championship, in which young riders compete on identical KTM RR machines has been a one-off opportunity to ride on some of the world’s most challenging racing circuits and in front of Grand Prix crowds. Going into the final stages of the 17 lap, 68.085 km race it looked like the young American rider Cameron Beaubier may steal Zarco’s victory. The 14-year-old had started on pole and was in the running for a top spot in the championship standings. But for Beaubier it was not to be. He came unstuck in the final minutes and although was able to get back on the bike, only managed to finish back at 15th place for just three championship points and sixth place in the championship. Italian Lorenzo Savadori, who won the opening race in the season before his 14th birthday finished second in the championship lineup with 102 points, while Matthew Hoyle of Britain placed third with 95 points. Lucy Glockner, the young German rider and the only girl in the field was 10th on Saturday for 14th place in the championship out of the 22 competing riders. Results Valencia 1. Johann Zarco, France, KTM 29:41.122 2. Deane Brown, Britain, KTM 29:57.872 3. Cyril Carrillo. France, KTM 29:58.011 4. Luis Salom, Spain, KTM 29:58.070 5. Matthew Hoyle, Britain, KTM 29:58.940 Final Championship standings 1. Johann Zarco, France 2. Lorenzo Savadori, Italy 3. Matthew Hoyle, Britain