Sturla Fagerhaug won a superb, race long, battle with Matthew Hoyle to win the last race of the 2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and by pushing Luis Salom back to third gave JD Beach the Cup even though the 16 year old American failed to finish due to a mechanical failure.
Norwegian 16 year old Fagerhaug shot away from the line only slightly behind pole sitter Mathew Scholtz and soon swept into the lead. He raced away and made 17 year old Briton Hoyle work hard as the Brno lap record holder gave chase. Salom was coming off the back of the grid having crashed in Saturday's race but was riding superbly and up to 9th by the end of the first lap. A lap later he was third with only Fagerhaug and Hoyle ahead.
Beach also crashed in Saturday's race but remounted to finish 11th and so started from the third row but he was struggling a little and battling for seventh. The Cup would be decided between the two of them and while Beach went into the race with the points advantage he would be in trouble if Salom won.
Beach thought it was all over when his bike stuttered to a halt on lap 4. Now all that Salom needed was second place to take the Cup. Fortunately for Beach, Fagerhaug and Hoyle were just too fast and consistent. As Hoyle closed on Fagerhaug they were racing away from Salom at about 2 seconds a lap.
Beach did not have that overview and thought his Cup hopes died with the bike. "I was mad but I know stuff like that happens. It's not like it was the mechanic's fault but I thought for sure I'd lost the Cup."
Beach understood that the points situation was tight going into the final race. "I knew that if Salom won I had to get fourth, I was trying to think about it but not too much, I didn't want to have my head full of a load of pressure going into the last race. In the race I knew that he was ahead of me and I was trying to get past the guys around me but I also didn't want to crash. The lap before it stopped the bike lost a bit of power but I didn't think too much of it, then it just quit."
While Beach thought he had lost the Cup the leading duo, who were giving it to him, certainly didn't have that on their minds. Hoyle was the fastest man on the track and took the lead on lap 7 of 13. "It wasn't easy to catch Sturla," said Hoyle. "I really had to push for it but I love this track and as it's the last race of the season I didn't want to come away second."
Fagerhaug felt the same way. "When Matt caught me I followed him for a couple of laps and picked up a few lines. I got back in front but I couldn't get away from him. Then I knew it would come down to the last lap. I had the plan to pass him at the end of the front straight going onto the last lap and that is what I did."
Fagerhaug led, but Hoyle was on his tail. "I knew that I was pretty good on the brakes into the last corners, so I was happy to lead," said the Norwegian "He came past me up the inside into the last left hander but then ran wide, I looked over and I knew that I could get him back at the right so I did."
"I just went for it," said Hoyle. "It was my last chance to win one and I just waited for him to brake and went later, too late, but at least I tried."
Salom could not hide his disappointment at losing the Cup by 4 points. "What a weekend, the crash yesterday and then third today. Third should be good but this wasn't good enough. Four wins this season but I wanted the Cup."
Beach couldn't believe his good fortune when he was told the Cup was his. "You what!!! No way!! I did????
When he calmed down a bit he began to enjoy the situation. "It's so great 'cause it's only my second year of road racing. I feel like I've been working hard at it. Even if I'd not won, it was a great year of learning and battling. I had a lot to learn this year. I really struggled through those first races just not being able to brake as well as I needed. The braking has got a lot better but still needs a lot of improvement. I know I've still got a long way to go but the Rookies Cup has made a road racer out of a dirt tracker.
Name:- JD Beach
Date of birth:- Oct. 12, 1991
Age 16, from Valencia on October 25th age 17.
Place of birth:- Washington State, USA.
Now living in:- Washington and Kentucky, USA.
Height:- 1 m 68 cm 5 ft 6 in
Weight:- 54 kg 120 lb
Rookies Cup record 2007: 8th at Brno, finished every race and built on very little road racing experience to finish 16th in the final points standings.
Motorcycle experience
1996 - Dirt Tracking on a 50 in Washington.
1997 - Dirt Tracking on a 50 in Washington. 2nd at the Nationals back east.
1998 - More Dirt Track on a 50 in Washington.
1999 - More Dirt track on a 50.
2000 - Dirt Track on a KX 65. National wins.
2001 - Dirt Track on a KX 65. National wins.
2002 - Dirt Track on a KX 65 and starting to ride a KX 85.
2003 - Dirt Track on a KX 85.
2004 - Started riding a CR85 in dirt track and went to Nationals and won.
2005 - 4th AMA Dirt Track National 250cc. First 250 season. Honda CRF250F.
Still riding a CR85, National wins.
2006 - 1st AMA Dirt Track National 250cc.
3rd at Long Beach Supermoto Nationals. Tried a road racer a few times.
2007 - Dirt Track and Supermoto on a CRF450F.
First road race at Jerez.
Following in his father's footsteps he started dirt tracking and only switched to riding on tarmac seriously last year when he became a Red Bull Rookie. In doing that he follows a well established American tradition like his heroes Nicky Hayden and Chris Carr.
He became close friends with Casey Stoner and watched the Australian make great use of his own dirt track skills to become MotoGP World Champion. "I want to make racing my living and win as many races I can and learn as much as I can and have fun."
- Peter Clifford -
