After two extremely demanding days at Paul Ricard in the South of France twelve young riders are being invited to join the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2008. It becomes a truly global series with riders from Australia, Africa and Japan joining the challenge to find future World Champions from a total of sixteen nationalities.
“I am sure that we have a group of very talented guys here,” asserted Harald Bartol, KTM's race director. “When we add this group to the riders remaining in the Cup from this year I am sure we will have a closer field and even more exciting racing than we had this season. They were extremely difficult conditions for the guys but as things changed through the weekend and looking back at the early Selection Events it is usually the same guys who show their talent.”
The conditions were very tough indeed especially on the first day. With rain showers sweeping across the Paul Ricard circuit there was no chance for the famous Grand Prix track to dry and the 43 riders had to put up with a wet track and a blustery wind.
For the two Australians and two South Africans it was a long way to come to be tested in such conditions. The Australians with very little rain experience and the South Africans with none at all. “It's still a great track though,” said fourteen year old Steven Odendaal from Glenvista, South Africa. “It would be really fantastic if the sun was shining.”
“It's a great circuit.” confirmed fellow countryman Mathew Scholtz from Durban. “For me though Sachsenring was even better, I liked the hills and drops,” added the fifteen year old. Australian Ryan Dymond said that he was enjoying it tremendously even if the circuit was a challenge. “I just love being here. The track is wide and it takes time to learn how to use it,” said the fourteen year old.
Even those from Europe, well used to bad weather found the conditions testing. “I don't like the cold and the rain,” commented fifteen year old Andrea Touskova from the Czech Republic. “The bike and the track are just perfect though and I am so happy to be here. I just have to try and forget about the weather.”
The weather forecast was for even worse on day two, November 23 but in fact the day dawned a little brighter and the track slowly started to dry as the riders went out on the 3.841km circuit that employed about two thirds of the classic GP track.
With the water steaming off the track in the afternoon the riders were challenged to find the best lines on the drying tarmac. “It's the best track I've ever been,” on said fourteen year old Australian Dylan Mavin. “It's even better in the dry,” he said with a big grin after the afternoon session. “I think the hardest corner was probably the last one, really hard to get the bike stopped and turned so that you could get a good drive out.”
The circuit was new to everyone and the riders really started to have some fun. “I have really enjoyed it, you could say it has become my new favourite track,” said fourteen year old German Tobias Hinze. “It's a fast track and from riding my mini bike I love the fast corners. It also has difficult slow corners and good grip even in the wet.”
Fellow countryman, fourteen year old Kevin Hanus from Nürnberg agreed. “It is a great track with some very interesting corners. The last left hander is very tricky but great when you get it right. It has been a hard two days but I have enjoyed it.”
There were a few, a very few, who did not even mind the weather. “I like racing in the rain,” said twelve year old Nico Thöni from Austria. “The track is great, it's got good grip and I am really enjoying it. I just hope I get into the Cup.”
Fellow Austrian Gustl Auinger, himself a legendary rain racer and now Rookies Rider Coach, was impressed with all that he saw. “The kids really did a great job, it was so cold standing out their watching them I was certainly not wishing I could be on the bike. If you could choose, you wouldn't go out in such conditions. But they did it and did it with a smile. Of course we had some falls, in these conditions it id bound to happen. I think we have found some great riders here.”
At the end of the second day the names of the invited riders were read out, naturally producing very different feelings between those who had made the list and those who had not. “Fantastic,” said fifteen year old Spaniard Daniel Ruiz. “It will be so great to race in the Cup, to learn all those new circuits and meet riders from all over the World. Now that I have the chance to race at the MotoGPs I can hardly believe it.”
The invited riders from the Final Selection Event are: - Dylan Mavin - Australia
- Nico Thöni - Austria
- Jakub Kornfeil - Czech Republic
- Nelson Major - France
- Florian Marino - France
- Kevin Calia - Italy
- Daijiro Hiura - Japan
- Alessio Cappella - Nigeria
- Mathew Scholtz - South Africa
- Daniel Ruiz - Spain
- Joshua Elliott - Ireland
- Harry Stafford - United Kingdom
3 Reserves: - Niklas Ajo - Finland
- Ben McConnachie - United Kingdom
- Valentin Debise – France
Provisional Entry List Rookies Cup 2008: - #3. Daniel Kartheininger - GER - Red Bull Rookie
- #6. Peter Sebestyén - HUN - Red Bull Rookie
- #7. Deane Brown - GBR - Red Bull Rookie
- #19. Daniel Ruiz - ESP - Red Bull Rookie
- #20. Mathew Scholtz - RSA - Red Bull Rookie
- #21. Florian Marino - FRA - Red Bull Rookie
- #22. Cyril Carrillo - FRA - Red Bull Rookie
- #23. Matthew Hoyle - GBR - Red Bull Rookie
- #24. Harry Stafford - GBR - Red Bull Rookie
- #27. Alessio Cappella - NGR - Red Bull Rookie
- #28. Markus Reiterberger - GER - Red Bull Rookie
- #30. Dylan Mavin - AUS - Red Bull Rookie
- #33. Sturla Fagerhaug - NOR - Red Bull Rookie
- #36. Nico Thöni - AUT - Red Bull Rookie
- #39. Luis Salom - SPA - Red Bull Rookie
- #46. Daijiro Hiuro - JPN - Red Bull Rookie
- #52. Adam Blacklock - GBR - Red Bull Rookie
- #69. Nelson Major - FRA - Red Bull Rookie
- #73. JD Beach - USA - Red Bull Rookie
- #74. Kevin Calia - ITA - Red Bull Rookie
- #84. Jakub Kornfeil - CZE - Red Bull Rookie
- #92. Cristian Trabalon - SPA - Red Bull Rookie
- #99. Joshua Elliott - IRL - Red Bull Rookie
Reserves:
- Niklas Ajo - FIN - Reserve
- Ben McConnachie - GBR - Reserve
- Valentine Debise - FRA - Reserve
