2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Red Bull is doing more for two- and four-wheeled motorsport racing than just about anyone else on the planet, and we owe them a great big thank you for that!

The company is a huge supporter of motorcycle racing and Formula 1, two of our favorite race series.

Red Bull sponsors the Scuderia Toro Rosso team in Formula 1 and has brought up one of the first American F1 racers that we've seen in a long time, Scott Speed, teammate of Vitantonio Liuzzi.

Red Bull has a successful program to develop young and upcoming F1 drivers and they were very interested in developing an American to represent the sport. It's amazing that a non-U.S. company did this and the big corporations here continue to ignore both F1 and MotoGP.

Based on the success of their F1 rookies program, Red Bull has created the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies cup in cooperation with KTM Motorcycles. This is their story...

Just imagine if a major U.S. soft drink company like, say, Coca-Cola or Pepsi decided to pour huge sums of money into developing MotoGP and Formula 1 racers by starting at the bottom and creating an entire farm team league from top to bottom, going first class all the way, with custom leathers, motorcycles and mechanics. Incredible? Well, it's happening!

In the spring of 2006, an idea sprung to life -- committed, ambitious and focused on an objective. Dorna, KTM and Red Bull decided on the biggest talent search in international motorcycle racing.

More than 1,100 applications from 60 countries were received within a few weeks -- among them 103 interested young ladies, who were looking to find their way into MotoGP. The following steps lay ahead of these young, 13 to 16 year old talents:

Selection 2006
During the Selection Event at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo from August 28th to 31st 2006, the best twenty riders were selected in the first instance and nominated for the Rookies Cup. In another test in October at the Adria Raceway in Italy, three further rookies were nominated -- under the athletic direction of Spanish motorcycling legend Alberto Puig, KTM’s Race Director Harald Bartol and multiple Grand Prix winner Gustl Auinger from Austria.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007
22 male riders and one young lady from ten nations will contest the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup starting March the 25th. Seven races supporting selected European MotoGP race weekends. From Jerez via Mugello to Donington, then from Assen via Germany’s Sachsenring to Brno, and finally back to the Selection’s point of departure -- Valencia.

In another step of professional training, the cream of the crop will have the opportunity to complete a very special kind of prep program at the Red Bull MotoGP Academy on their way towards MotoGP.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup -- 23 Riders, One Goal
They stood wide-eyed in front of the lap charts in Valencia, some of them with a tear in their eye -- at the Selection Event for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007.

They were able to share their delight with friends, relatives and patrons. For it was certain: They had qualified and would travel across Europe from March to November 2007 -- chauffeured and accompanied by friends, relatives and patrons.

Life has changed significantly for at least 23 families when testing started. Because from now on it’s all about hoping and trembling and competing. Twenty-three talented youngsters between the ages of 13 and 16 need to be accompanied across Europe, on their possible way towards the potential target: MotoGP.

For most of them the motorsports bug runs right within their own families. Most of them (14) name Valentino Rossi as their role model, but reigning world champion Nicky Hayden is very popular as well.

And all of them have only one goal: To compete in a MotoGP race and win it, too. The youngest of the rookies will be celebrating his 13th birthday in May: Péter Sebestyén from Hungary. And the oldest, Johann Zarco from France, has already reached a biblical age, turning 17 in July 2007.

A young lady wants to try her hand as well. Lucy Gloeckner from Germany is the only female participant in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, she not only wants to push the young gentlemen ahead, but also be among the front runners herself, right at the sharp end, mind you.

23 riders from ten nations will push their KTM bikes onto the starting grid for the first time in Jerez. The young riders come from Germany, Italy, Norway, Great Britain, the USA, the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Hungary and Spain.

Great Britain leads the quantitative rankings with five rookies, followed by Spain and Germany with four riders each. The USA are dispatching three talents, while France is sending forward two riders to the cup. The remaining countries (Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Norway and Sweden) are each represented by one rookie.

2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Riders

# 03 -- Daniel Kartheininger (GER)

# 05 -- Johann Zarco (FRA)

# 06 -- Péter Sebestyén (HUN)

# 07 -- Deane Brown (GB)

# 09 -- Lukáš Šembera (CZE)

# 11 -- Jamie Mossey (GB)

# 12 -- Javier Cholbi-Pascual (ESP)

# 16 -- Cameron Beaubier (USA)

# 21 -- Kevin Sánchez Montillo (ESP)

# 22 -- Cyril Carrillo (FRA)

# 23 -- Matthew Hoyle (GB)

# 28 -- Markus Reiterberger (GER)

# 32 -- Lorenzo Savadori (ITA)

# 33 -- Sturla Borch Fagerhaug (NOR)

# 35 -- Christoph Schönberger (GER)

# 36 -- Stuart Mitchell (GB)

# 38 -- Kris Turner (USA)

# 39 -- Luis Jaime Salom (ESP)

# 52 -- Adam Blacklock

# 66 -- Robert Gull (SWE)

# 69 -- Lucy Glöckner (GER)

# 73 -- JD Beach (USA)

# 92 -- Cristian Trabalon (ESP)

American Rookies
Shouldn't we have a reality TV show about these riders? Who knows -- maybe one of them will be the next Valentino Rossi!

# 16 – Cameron Beaubier (USA)
He will arrive in Jerez with a heavy burden for the first race of the 2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. But a very positive burden at that. Cameron Beaubier was the fastest rider at the final test in Jerez, on the very track that will host the first Rookies Cup race. Thus, he has a reputation to live up to.

C.B. is the youngest of a total of three Americans in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and probably one of the best of those. His parents introduced him to motorsports and that was a good thing, because otherwise “I would have probably become a football player”; soccer, you know.

Cameron names the brothers Eric and Ben Bostrom and obviously Nicky Hayden as his personal favorites, which is pretty much self-explanatory. Even if Beaubier would love to win a GP race, he remains humble: Winning a U.S. race would do!

# 73 – JD Beach (USA)
He has a name like a film star. Or maybe a rock star. JD Beach. What does JD stand for? This will probably remain the 15 year old US boy’s secret for the time being.

The young man from Seattle will very likely remain sleepless most of the time in the next couple of weeks. His father, a lightning quick dirt tracker in the States, introduced him to the world of motorsports and that’s where JD chose to stay. JD has won some notable dirt track races himself, which probably explains his skillful bike control.

JD names Americans Eric and Ben Bostrom, as well as Nicky Hayden as his great heroes. Friendship: that’s the most important thing in JD’s life aside from bikes.

# 38 – Kris Turner (USA)
Kris Turner is one of the young and wild Americans. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kris was introduced to motorsports by his father.

Two years ago, he celebrated his first successes, winning the so-called SEMRA GP 85cc Championship 2005 in the States, but he wanted more. As soon as Turner heard of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, his application was in the mail. He easily cleared the next hurdle at Valencia; Kris Turner is ready to race. His big idol is Nicky Hayden, which makes sense.

In the cup he is out to finish on the podium as soon as possible, and judging from the tests, this may become reality in the near future.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Cooperation between Red Bull, KTM and Dorna opens doors for talented young riders and possible future motorcycle champions.

The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is a unique program for fostering motorcycle talent in promising young riders who compete on actual Grand Prix circuits in front of huge crowds, on identical bikes and under identical conditions.

The program is designed to create a level playing field so that the best and the brightest emerge at the top and no young talent is overlooked due to a lack of financial resources or professional backing.

“In the Cup it is important to have eventual: a real passion for racing and that you are fast on the bike,” says KTM Motorsports Manager Pit Beirer. “The KTM RC 125 bikes are all identical and are a very high standard. That means the fastest rider will win.”

With MotoGP enjoying increasing popularity and of ever growing importance in the international motorsports calendar, the Rookies Cup is vital for developing young motorcycle talent aged between 13 -- 16 years. In the final selection process, riders were chosen not only on their results but also according to their personality, racing spirit, team spirit and sense of fair play. The competition is truly international in 2007 with an extended list of 23 riders from 10 nations.

KTM Road Racing Director Harald Bartol underlined that due to the fact that the riders were competing on bikes that were almost the same standard as the 125cc factory rider’s bikes, they were in the best possible position to be able to make the leap from the Rookies Cup into the World Championship competition.

“From the 1,100 applicants we were also able to select the most talented candidates because money did not play the deciding role,” he added, underlining that unlike other similar programs, riders only have to finance their own travel costs while all other costs are covered.

For KTM, the company with the “Ready to Race” philosophy, engagement in the program is essential for discovering potential future factory riders. The rookie element also extends to the technical team -- the 25 mechanics working on the program are all KTM trainees.

KTM and Red Bull cooperate in a range of rookies programs, including the now concluded Red Bull Supermoto Junior Cup, which ran successfully for four years. The Rookies Cup gives the young riders the inimitable experience of competing on GP circuits in front of huge crowds, all riding identical KTM RC 125 machines.

The seven stops on the calendar are all linked to official MotoGP events and guaranteed to immerse the young riders in authentic race atmosphere. Racers compete in Jerez (Spain), Mugello (Italy), Donington (UK) Assen (Netherlands) on Germany’s Sachsenring, at Brno (Czech Republic) and Valencia (Spain).

KTM offers talents the highest technical standards. In the 125cc world championship, this year’s KTM riders are Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), Randy Krummenacher (SUI) and Stevie Bonsey (USA). Mika Kallio (FIN) and Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) will fight for KTM wins and the title in the 250cc world championship.

The rider to earn the overall victory in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be known in Valencia at the latest. But in any event the winner is KTM. The 2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be run on top spec machinery; a KTM RC 125, a specially developed race model for rookies.

The bikes of the young riders will be appropriately powered by 45 HP, and technically supervised by Gustl Auinger, the five time motorcycle GP winner from Austria, and the KTM team -- true to the motto: Ready to race!

Dorna Sports and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
The commercial rights-holders for the MotoGP World Championships, Dorna Sports, continue in their quest to seek out the future stars of MotoGP through projects aimed at youth development. Successful ventures in the past have seen the likes of three-times World Champion Dani Pedrosa emerge onto the world stage, and they continue to provide a platform for young talents to sharpen their motorcycling skills from an early age.

With the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Dorna enters into a partnership with Red Bull, the joint aim being to discover and develop riders from all backgrounds and all corners of the globe.

Whilst Dorna has its own experience within the motorcycling field, Red Bull has been involved in many other youth sports projects across the world, and by uniting these two experienced partners the hope is to create a unique and innovative series of projects which will inspire and encourage young talents to follow a career in MotoGP, the most prestigious motorcycle racing series on the planet.

The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be contested by its 23 riders over a total of seven race weekends this year, on GP weekend Sundays throughout the season, immediately following the top class of MotoGP, thus in front of the same impressive attendance figures. Only in Assen and Mugello the races will be run on a Saturday.

After two free practice sessions of 30 minutes each, qualifying will be held the day before the race itself, also over 30 minutes. The race will always start 30 minutes after the MotoGP race has finished and be run to a time limit of 45 minutes.

The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is designed to promote and foster young talent and to prepare them for future racing in the MotoGP series. It is the second stage of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Program, an international talent scout initiative, created jointly by Red Bull and MotoGP Organizer, Dorna Sports S.L.

The young racers in the Rookies Cup are evaluated on their riding skills, personality and knowledge of motorcycles and the top group is selected for the Red Bull MotoGP Academy, to be groomed as potential MotoGP racers.

Classes
The motorcycles in the Rookies Cup are limited to 80cc up to 125cc, with a maximum of one cylinder

Licenses
Riders with below 15 years of age need to obtain a FIM Junior Cup license at the corresponding national federation. In the U.S.A., that is the United States Grand Prix Racers Union, or USGPRU.

Weights
The minimum weight permitted for the motorcycle plus the rider is 136 kg, or 300 pounds. The motorcycles used are KTM 125's (see below).

Free Practice
Free practices will not be timed for the purpose of qualification or grid positions.

Qualifying Practice
There will always be one qualifying practices of 30 minutes at each event. In order to be admitted to the race, the rider must achieve a time which corresponds to no more than 107% of the time achieved by the fastest in the qualifying.

Grid Positions
Grid positions will be based on the fastest time recorded by the riders in the qualifying session. The grid will be arranged in the 4-4-4-4 configuration “in echelon”. Each line will be offset.

Race
There will be one race of approx. 30 minutes held at each event. The length of a race may only be varied by the Race Direction.

Wet and Dry Races
All races will be categorized as either wet or dry. A board may be displayed on the grid to indicate the status of the race. If no board is shown, the race is automatically dry.

Championship Points and Classification
All riders taking part in the race will be included in the scoring subject to the conditions that they finish at least 75 % of the distance achieved by the winner and that they cross the finishing line. Only riders crossing the finishing line within 5 minutes of the winner will be included in the scoring. On the basis of the official results list, points will be awarded for each round, distributed as follows:

Timetable
This is the schedule of events for each of the Red Bull Rookies Cup races:

Thursday: Arrival and setting up of Teams. 10:00am - 5:00pm Technical and Sporting Checks and other formalities.

Friday: Free practice 1 from 4:00pm - 4:30pm. Free practice 2 from 5:05pm - 5:35pm

The bikes are 125cc KTM RC125's with approximately 45bhp. They are provided to the racers for the Rookies Cup, along with apprentice mechanics who are overseen by KTM senior mechanics. The specifications are listed below:

KTM RC125 Motorcycle Specifications

Engine Type: single cylinder, 2-stroke

Displacement (cc): 125

Bore x Stroke (mm): 54 / 54.5

Performance (approx.): 45 HP / 13.000 rpm

Torque: 30 Nm @ 12,800 rpm

Compression ratio: 9:1

Transmission: 6 gears

Carburetor: Keihin 39

Cooling: Liquid cooled

Lubrication: Mixture lubrication

Ignition: CDI

Frame: Aluminum twin spar frame

Suspension: front / rear WP Suspension

Brakes: front / rear Brembo Steel disk

Rims: front / rear Marchesini

Fuel capacity (approx.): 13 liters

Weight: 136 kg including rider

Race	Track	Country	Date	Track Information
Round 1	Jerez	Spain	25 March 2007	Pole Position: Left. Length:4,423m. Longest Straight: 600m.
Round 2	Mugello	Italy	2 June 2007	Pole Position: Right. Length: 5,245m. Longest Straight:1,141m.
Round 3	Donington Park	UK	23 June 2007	Pole Position: Left. Length: 4,023m. Longest Straight: 564m.
Round 4	Assen	NL	29 June 2007	Pole Position: Left. Length: 4,555m. Longest Straight: 560m.
Round 5	Sachsenring	Germany	14 July 2007	Pole Position: Left. Length: 3,671m. Longest Straight: 7,800m.
Round 6	Brno	Czech Republic	18 August 2007	Pole Position: Left. Length: 5,403m. Longest Straight: 636m.
Round 7	Estoril	Portugal	9 September 2007	N/A
Round 8	Valencia	Spain	3 November 2007	Pole Position: Right. Length: 4,005m. Longest Straight: 876m

Note: June 4, 2007 - An additional race for the rookies added on the Hungaroring. The Assen race will be run on Saturday. An additional race to the 2007 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be run at the already traditional KTM Festival on the Hungaroring, extending the series to eight rounds.

The seventh event of the season will get under way on September 9th in front of enthusiastic KTM fans just outside the Hungarian capital Budapest. Another opportunity for KTM, who supply the Cup machines, and the young protagonists to present themselves in a favorable light.

Note: For informational use only. All material and photographs are Copyright © webWorld International, LLC - 2000-2009. All rights reserved. Read the Terms and Conditions. See the webBikeWorld® Site Info page.