South African Scholtz wins Red Bull Rookies race one in Brno

South African Mathew Scholtz put in a superb race one in wet and slippery conditions on the traditional Brno circuit on Saturday to snatch his first win ahead of Red Bull Rookie colleagues Sturla Fagerhaug and Matthew Hoyle.

Scholtz, who has had little wet track experience rode himself into pole position and took control of the race ahead of the more experienced 16-year-old Norwegian Fagerhaug and 17-year-old Briton Hoyle. "It wasn't easy at all out there," said Scholtz. I just tried to go as fast as I could without making any mistakes. I had one really big slide and thought I was going to crash. Then I just had to concentrate again and it's so great to get my first win. For tomorrow I don't know. It will be very hard again but I love the track and I'll enjoy it."

In an action packed race that saw the championship leaders crash, JD Beach assumed the leadership by finishing in eleventh while Luis Salom, who had had the edge on the title race going into the race having to settle for a DNF. Beach went t off in lap five but managed to pick up the bike and get back in the race. Salom was not so lucky. He rode through with the leaders until the last four laps then he found himself on the tarmac and his race was over, handing the championship lead, at least for Saturday, to arch rival.

Salom's fall handed the advantage back to Scholtz as he fought to keep back challenges from Fagerhaug, Hoyle, Brown and Thoeni as they slugged it out for the second place on the podium. It eventually went of Fagerhaug. "Early in the race Mathew was just too fast but towards the end I closed in on him and pulled the others with me. I thought I might be able to win but when Luis crashed we were all in a bunch and that gave Mathew the chance to get away," the Norwegian said."

"Luis is just no good in the rain," Salom commented about himself after the race, pledging to make good in the second Rookies race on Sunday. "Tomorrow we will see. I am just going to do what I can. Hopefully it is going to be dry but whatever it is I will do my best. You know I really thought the win was possible today. Well it was possible, it just didn't happen. The bike was perfect, it was just me," the talents Spanish rider said."

Beach now has a 20 point advantage over Salom going into the final race on Sunday. Riders however can drop their worst result so he will discard the five points he earned on Saturday, which effectively reduces the margin between the two riders to 15 points.

1. Matthew Scholtz, South Africa, 31:56.760

2. Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway, 31:57.918

3. Matthew Hoyle, Britain, 31:58.586

4. Deane Brown, Britain, 31:58.779

5. Nico Thoeni, Austria, 32:40.192

1. JD Beach, USA, 149

2. Luis Salom, Spain, 129

3. Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway, 117

4. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, 100

5. Nelson Major, France, 79

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- KTM-Sportmotorcycles, Mattighofen-