red-bull-motogp-rookies-cup-le-mans-quentin-jacquet-nelson-major

The fourth race in the 2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be contested at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit on Saturday May 17th with double Jerez winner Luis Salom defending a 3 point championship lead over American JD Beach.

When 16 year old Salom won at his home Grand Prix in Spain he completely dominated the two race weekend but with only a fourth place at the Portuguese round a month ago he allowed 16 year old Beach to close the gap with a string of three second places.

Beach is threatening for the Cup lead but wants to grab it with his first win. "Three second places," he said after the race in Portugal. "That's OK but but I'm going wide open at Le Mans."

It is a new track for most of the Rookies but obviously it offers an advantage to the French riders headed by Nelson Major. The 15 year old lies sixth in the Cup and stands every chance of moving up at his home event. Florian Marino, his 14 year old fellow countryman, is hoping to shake off the effects of early season injury to move up from 10th in the points standings.

They are joined for Le Mans by a third Frenchman, 15 year old Quentin Jacquet who has a wild card entry. He races a KTM 125 in the French Championship and has already finished 10th at Le Mans in a national event this March so has an idea what to expect from the bike and the track.

New to both is the second wild card rider at Le Mans, 16 year old Briton Ben McConnachie. His father Ian won the 1986 80cc British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He also finished 9th in the 80cc French Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1985. Twenty three years later his son will use the French round to get familiar with the bike so that he can enjoy himself fully in his second wild card ride at Donington in June.

The machinery is available for two wild card riders at Le Mans because French law means that the riders must be 14 to compete. Therefore Japanese Daijiro Hiura, winner of the last round in Portugal must miss the event as he is only 13. Also sitting out this round for the same reason are Kevin Calia and Niklas Ajo.

Another man missing from Le Mans is Deane Brown. The 14 year old Scot broke his leg when he crashed during the Sunday morning warm up for a British national event at Brands Hatch last weekend, May 11th. It is the same right femur he broke this time last year at a similar event.

Thanks to excellent co-operation from the FIM it has been decided that, "The worst result of each rider will be deleted for the Cup standing." So while those who miss Le Mans will have that 'worst result' removed from their points total all the other riders must also have their worst result of the year dropped. This is considered the fairest way to mitigate the fact that some riders must miss the race because of their age.

- James Clifford -

Valentino Rossi begins home challenge in Misano sunshine 30.08.08

Valentino Rossi made a strong start to his second home race of the season today, finishing second on the opening day of action at the San Marino Grand Prix. The Misano circuit is just 15km north of the Fiat Yamaha rider's home town of Tavullia on...

Fiat Yamaha team take title challenge home to Misano 26.08.08

The Fiat Yamaha Team contest their second 'home' race of the season this weekend, with the San Marino Grand Prix taking place on Italian soil at the Misano circuit on the Adriatic coast. The trip is a short one for the team, whose base is just...

No rest for Rossi as test commences in Brno 19.08.08

Fresh from his fifth victory of the season yesterday, which took him fifty points clear at the top of the standings, Valentino Rossi was back in action today on the first day of a two-day test at Brno. The Fiat Yamaha Team rider finished the day...

Fifth win of the season takes Valentino Rossi fifty points clear 18.08.08

Valentino Rossi moved two races clear at the top of the championship with his fifth win of the season today, enjoying an easy ride home after his closest rival Casey Stoner crashed out on lap seven. Rossi, starting from second, lost some time...

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Brno Race 2 - Win to Fagerhaug, Cup to Beach 18.08.08

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...

Front row start for Valentino Rossi at wet Brno 17.08.08

Fiat Yamaha team rider Valentino Rossi qualified second in Brno today, despite a soaking wet day at the Czech track as the MotoGP rain curse struck once again. Tomorrow will be the Italian's seventh front-row start of the season and he will once...

South African Scholtz wins Red Bull Rookies race one in Brno 17.08.08

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...

No improvement in 125 cc grid positions Saturday on rainy Brno circuit 17.08.08

Rain on Saturday spoilt the chances of KTM's 125 cc riders of improving their place on the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix at Brno, Czech Republic following dry track training and faster times in the Friday session. Italian Raffaele de Rosa from...

Interview Mika Kallio: "We'll make pressure - every time and everywhere!" 17.08.08

Red Bull KTM star Mika Kallio is fighting an exciting head-to-head battle with Marco Simoncelli for the crown in the 250 cc World Championship. Kallio talks to KTM Racing News about the perspectives for the final part of this year's season -...

Second row for Simon and Kallio for Czech 250 cc GP 17.08.08

KTM riders Julian Simon and Mika Kallio on Saturday qualified in sixth and seventh position in wet and difficult conditions on the traditional racing circuit of Brno ahead of Sunday's 250 cc Czech Grand Prix. Both riders said after the...

RedBull Cup Championship classification after BRNO Race 16.08.08

Brno, Saturday, August 16, 2008 1 BEACH JD USA 149 20 20 20 20 20 11 8 25 5 2 SALOM Luis SPA 129 25 25 13 25 25 7 9 - - 3 FAGERHAUG Sturla NOR 117 9 13 16 10 9 20 20 - 20 4 HIURA Daijiro JPN 100 11 11 25 - 16 - 13 20 4 5 MAJOR Nelson...

Scholtz wins, Beach extends advantage. 16.08.08

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Brno Race 1 - August 16th Mathew Scholtz won his first Rookies race with a superb win over Sturla Fagerhaug and Matthew Hoyle in desperately slippery conditions that saw both JD Beach and Luis Salom crash as...

RedBullCup Automotodrom Brno Race results 16.08.08

Classification after 13 laps = 70.239 km 20 Wet Air: 13° Ground: 15° Humidity: 87% 1 25 20 Mathew SCHOLTZ RSA Red Bull Rookie KTM 31'56.760 131.920 2 20 33 Sturla FAGERHAUG NOR Red Bull Rookie KTM 31'57.918 131.841 1.158 3 16 32 Matthew HOYLE...

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Brno Practice 16.08.08

Scholtz dominates in the rain Mathew Scholtz set a stunning pole time in two soaking wet sessions on Friday afternoon to qualify ahead of lap record holder Matthew Hoyle, Sturla Fagerhaug and Cup leader JD Beach. The 15 year old South African...

Fiat Yamaha Team pick up title gauntlet at Brno 12.08.08

The Fiat Yamaha Team resume their pursuit of the MotoGP World Championship title this weekend after a four-week summer holiday, with Valentino Rossi leading the series into what promises to be a thrilling seven-race climax. The Czech Republic...

Red Bull Cup Sachsenring - Revised results - GP Deutschland 12.08.08

ALICE MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX DEUTSCHLAND RedBullCup Championship Classification 21Sachsenring, Saturday, July 12, 2008 1 BEACH JD USA 144 20 20 20 20 20 11 8 25 2 SALOM Luis SPA 129 25 25 13 25 25 7 9 - 3 FAGERHAUG Sturla NOR 97 9...

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Brno Preview - August 16th & 17th 12.08.08

Last Double Chance 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...

Metatarsal fractures confirmed for Jorge Lorenzo 23.07.08

Jorge Lorenzo will be wearing a cast on his left foot for the next ten days, in order to recover from the clean fractures he sustained to his third, fourth and fifth metatarsal bones last Sunday. The Fiat Yamaha rider was taken directly to the...

Valentino Rossi rules with first American victory 21.07.08

Fiat Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi took his first career win on American soil today, emerging victorious after an epic duel with Casey Stoner at Laguna Seca. The Italian, who signed a new two-year deal with Yamaha this week, has now won four...

Yamaha and Valentino Rossi continue their partnership for two more years 19.07.08

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd is delighted to announce that it has signed a new two-year agreement with Valentino Rossi. The seven-time world champion will continue to race with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team for the 2009 and 2010 MotoGP World...

Rossi makes promising start to American assault 19.07.08

Valentino Rossi made a good start to his US Grand Prix weekend today, finishing the day third fastest in the overall standings at Laguna Seca. His best time of 1'22.679 was set this morning and is just over a tenth of a second off last year's lap...

Red Bull Riders Cup - Series announcement - Laguna Seca July 18th 19.07.08

The Red Bull Riders Cup The top 10 Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies against the top 10 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix - Sunday September 14th Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valencia - Saturday October 25th Many major...

Fiat Yamaha Team lead the way to Laguna Seca 15.07.08

The Fiat Yamaha Team leave behind a two-month road trip across Europe this week as they take flight for America for their final appointment before the midseason break, with Valentino Rossi in fine form and on top of the MotoGP World Championship....

Rossi takes title lead with second place at soacking Sachsenring 14.07.08

Valentino Rossi took the runner-up spot in the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring today and moved back to the top of the championship, after Dani Pedrosa crashed out of the lead on lap five. Rossi's Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was...

Rabat, Marquez and Nieto all score points at Sachsenring 14.07.08

Three KTM riders performed well to finish in the championship points in the 125 ccm class on the Sachsenring on Sunday in the Grand Prix of Germany. Esteve Rabat of the Repsol KTM 125 team finished in ninth place while Spanish GP rookie Marc...

[:: previous ] [ next ::]