Kris Turner Scores Another Podium Finish!

June 30, 2007 - Kris Turner crossed the line first in Race 4 of the 2007 MotoGP Rookies Cup in Assen, Holland today.

However, Spaniard Luis Salom won the race after an incredible sixteen laps of action, while American Cameron Beaubier was second and Kris Turner was awarded third place after a 5 second penalty was assessed.

All three racers tried for the same piece of road at the chicane and Turner was forced into a short cut that cost him the penalty.

Turner snatched the lead near the final lap, then suddenly Savadori, Zarco and Gull ended up in a heap together half way round the lap, Savadori picked the bike up to finish 11th and Zarco 13th.

Down to the chicane for the finish Turner was left no room as Salom cut up the inside and had to short cut the chicane crossing the line ahead of Salom and Beaubier.

"I had nowhere to go," said a disappointed Turner.  "I didn't mean to cut the track, he was just inside me and I had no choice.  I had just ridden as hard as I could all the way through.  I seemed to be able to get the guys down the back stretch and just made that work for me.  At least I'm on the rostrum."

That gave Salom victory as Turner was relegated to third.  Championship leader Lorenzo Savadori and his arch rival Johann Zarco both fell on the last lap when Sweden's Robert Gull recovered from a mistake and took them out as he lost the front diving inside them at the next corner.  Savadori picked the bike up to finish 11th and Zarco 13th.

In bright, sunny but windy conditions the sixteen lap race got under way with the spectators still packing the grandstands following the thrilling MotoGP race.

Beaubier made a great start from second on the grid but was soon pushed to fourth by Salom, Gull and Frenchman Cyril Carrillo.  Beaubier then got things settled down and was back in the lead by the end of lap one. Carrillo obviously had an exciting lap one as his fairing was flapping in the wind by lap two.

Salom snatched the lead from Beaubier, Turner, Carrillo, Gull, Zarco, Britain's Deane Brown and Spain's Christian Trabalon with Savadori 9th at the end of lap two.  The Italian was the fastest man on the track though.  The leading nine started to open up an advantage over German Daniel Kartheininger in tenth.

At a quarter distance Beaubier and Salom continued to trade the lead between them but anyone of the lead nine could have hit the front at any corner, it was that close.  Turner had a go at the lead but then ran across the dirt at the chicane and dropped to 6th.

There was good speed right the way through the field with Germans Lucy Gloeckner and Markus Reiterberger contesting 13th but lapping quicker than the leaders.  On lap six of the sixteen Beaubier dropped the pace into the 51 second bracket finally getting close to to Zarco's pole time of 1m 51.528.

That split the lead group as only Salom and Gull could go with him.  Turner had fourth ahead of Brown, Zarco, Savadori, Carrillo and Trabalon.  Half distance through the race and the lead trio had a three second advantage over Turner and his pack.

It was all action at the front with Gull and Salom both having a go at the front though Beaubier always seemed to be able to get it back.  The pace of Gloeckner and Kartheininger took the two Germans through the pack and into 10th and 11th by the end of lap nine. They were then seven seconds behind ninth placed Trabalon.

With six laps to go Gull put in an extra effort but Salom responded. They needed to as Zarco was pulling the fourth place group close, now just two seconds separated them. With Zarco was Turner and Savadori.

Brown lay seventh with Trabalon and Carrillo.  Five laps to go and it was a six man battle for the lead again.

The end of lap twelve saw Zarco almost in the dirt but hanging in there fifth ahead of Savadori while Gull just held onto the lead.  Deane Brown lost ground with and off-track excursion dropping himself to a distant ninth.

Three laps to go and Gull dragged Turner and Beaubier away from the other three. The gap was only one second though.  Starting the last lap Beaubier led from Turner and Gull with no advantage now over Zarco, Salom and Savadori.

So had the cutoff been a last lap tactic of Salom?  "No", said the first time winner with a huge grin.  "I just raced as hard as I could all the way through.  When there was a gap or a place to pass I went for it and it was the same on the last lap coming down to the chicane, I saw my chance and I went for it."

Second place man Beaubier also just played the hand he was dealt.  "I had no idea that Salom was there, I though it was down to Kris and I coming into the chicane and suddenly he was up the inside.  It was a great race though and I'm happy to have the points.