Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup – Second test 2008 –
Valencia Spain, February 28th & 29th
It was a full week for the 24 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies. Following
the two days in Jerez on Monday and Tuesday the season preparation
continued with two days in Valencia on Thursday and Friday.
Fastest in Valencia was Spaniard Luis Salom ahead of American
JD Beach and newcomer Mathew Scholtz from South Africa.
It was a great performance from 15 year old Scholtz. In only
his second test on the KTM RC 125 he finished just ahead of
the more experienced Norwegian Sturla Fagerhaug and another
newcomer, 14 year old Nelson Major from France.
“It is great to see all the guys going so well,”
said Rider Coach Gustl Auinger. “We have a wonderful
group of kids here, all working well together and it is already
very competitive. It is going to be a fantastic season.”
After being second fastest at the start of the week in Jerez,
16 year old Salom was happy with the week in all. “Yes
very happy, everything seems to be going well. I was not so
sure during the first day here yesterday, Valencia is not
my favourite track. It's good but I like Jerez more. Here
the surface is a bit of a question, I am not confident in
the grip, especially on a day like yesterday when it is cold
and the day started wet.”
“Today is more fun though, the track temperature is
up and there is a lot more grip and it is more predictable.
I was not pushing too hard though, just being calm and making
sure I didn't make any mistakes.”
American 16 year old JD Beach also had good reason to be
satisfied after moving up from 6th in Jerez to be 2nd in Valencia.
“It's really cool. I am happy because I was out there
on my own and that is when I did my quick laps. I was going
for it because I know what I've got to do this season.”
“Last year I was lucky enough to travel around with
Cameron (Beaubier) and learn from a really fast guy what it
takes to do well. This year I am trying to follow what I learnt
from him. I am sure there is more to come from the bike also
and we have some more stuff to work on at the next test in
Estoril.”
A damp track and overcast sky greeted the teenagers on Thursday
in Valencia but the sun came out and the circuit soon dried
during the first day. Friday was all sunshine and that helped
lift everyone and lower the lap times. “I am enjoying
it a lot more today,” said Scholtz, who hails from Durban
and with a mop of blond hair looks as much a surfer as he
does a road racer. “The track temperature is up and
there is a lot more grip. You've got to be a bit careful though,
it isn't the same everywhere. You've got to watch it braking
into the last corner, the front end wants to slide away. It's
a great track, a lot of fun and the bike is working well.”
He's a charming kid who is as surprised as anyone to be mixing
it with the much more experienced riders. He was fifth fastest
in Jerez and quickest of the newcomers there as well. “It's
a big surprise to be near the front. This year I was only
hoping just to try and get into the top ten by the end of
the season so I could go to the race in US, so this is quite
a surprise. I'm looking forward to the next test in Estoril,
to learn the track but also work on the bike as well, I think
we can get the set up better.”
Though it is all new to him the ex Karate champion should
have no trouble handling the physical side of things. “I've
been keeping fit, riding motocross, running, swimming, working
out at the gym so I think I should be OK fitness wise.”
Another showing his clear intention to be right in the battle
for the 2008 cup was 16 year old Norwegian Sturla Fagerhaug,
fourth fastest both in Jerez and Valencia, a significant step
forward from 2007. “Not bad, a lot better than last
year, fastest yesterday and fourth today. The bike is starting
to work well but I know that we can work on it a bit more.
I wasn't pushing too hard in that last session and I thought
I would try a bit more at the end but then I got stuck behind
another rider for a couple of laps and couldn't do it.”
“I know I just have to keep trying and make sure I
do better than last year. I am looking forward to the next
test in Estoril. It's a great track, just very difficult in
the chicane. I'm going to be pushing in Estoril for sure...
and learning.”
Fifth fastest overall and the second quickest newcomer was
Major. “It's a great track, I am really enjoying it.
There is also a lot to learn. The corners run together and
that makes it difficult. Especially the last corner, the approach
is very tricky and it is hard to judge exactly where to brake,
you come over the hill, round the fast left hander then have
to brake into the last tight left, not easy,” he said
on day one.
“It's going really well today,” he added on Friday.
“I still need to work on my bike set up though. I am
sliding both ends. Coming into the corners the front is moving
a lot and it is hard to make the apexes, then on the gas the
back slides and then suddenly grips so there is more to come
from the bike. I am not pushing too hard, I am sure I can
do better,” he concluded, obviously getting used to
the KTM and improving on his 13th position at the Jerez test.
For some riders things seemed to conspire against them when
they needed a quick lap. “The time isn't what I wanted,
said 15 year old German Daniel Kartheininger who was 7th fastest.
“I was getting into the groove and following Sturla
and Salom, I was setting up for a good time but noticed the
engine temperature was climbing and had to come into the pit
to have some tape taken off the radiator.
Fastest in Jerez was 16 year old Englishman Matthew Hoyle
but he was a little frustrated in Valencia and recorded the
6th best time. “I know that I can get the bike working
better. Last year here at the end of the season the bike was
the best it was all year, really good. We need to look back
at the setting I had then because at the moment it isn't quite
as good.”
“Valencia not my best track, I seem to go faster on
tracks with quicker corners... but I'm learning, I'm getting
better at the tight corners,” Concluded Hoyle and he
was not the only one to be disappointed because they couldn't
match the pace they had at Valencia during the final Cup race
last season. “It's been fun, these tests but the times
are not what they could be,” said Deane Brown.
The 14 year old Scot finished second in that final race of
2007 behind Cup winner Johann Zarco “I think everyone
is down a bit on the race times from last year. I guess we
are not up to speed yet. That must be my problem as well.
That's why I'm not really happy... you are only ever happy
when you are fastest.”
The same reason took the edge off things for 13 year old
Japanese Daijiro Hiura who had scored a superb 9th there in
his only 2007 Rookies race as a wild card. He was 13th quickest
in Valencia after being 19th in Jerez. “I need to work
more on the front suspension, it is still too soft. But the
bike set up is better than at the race last year... so I don't
know,” said the youngster who was just a few hundredths
quicker than fellow countryman 14 year old Sasuke Shinozaki.
Satisfied with their lap times or not the 24 Rookies all
survived the four days of testing without injury though some
tested their luck quite a bit. Austrian Nico Thöni crashed
in both Friday morning sessions in Valencia, the second fall
was dramatic with the bike and rider cart-wheeling into the
gravel trap. “I was on the gas and the back just stepped
out,” said the 12 year old who was very naturally well
shaken by the experience.
Once he got is breath back he was able to explain that he
was still very much enjoying the track. “It's great,
there is a lot to learn and some of it I haven't got quite
right yet, including the first corner but I especially like
the last corner. It is very tricky because you come round
a fast left and downhill to it on the brakes, great fun.”
Another double faller in the same sessions was 13 year old
Italian Kevin Calia, “I was just breaking into the corner
and the front end slid away.” He was a lot more frustrated
when he fell again in the second session. “I think the
steering damper was damaged in the first crash, I just couldn't
steer,” he said and was annoyed to see himself only
11th quickest after his 7th in Jerez.
Just behind him on the Valencia time sheet was Italian Nigerian
Alessio Cappella and the 12 year old didn't mind admitting
that he had been lucky not to crash on day one of the test.
“Wow that was close, I got between gears then clicked
into the gear in the corner and I was almost thrown off. I
wrenched my arm hanging on to the bike.”
Cappella and Calia were just two of the riders to impress
Rider Coach Auinger. “It is so encouraging to see how
well the really young guys are doing even when they have very
little experience. We do the selection events on the Metrakit
bikes and then they come to the race season on the 125 KTMs,
these are GP bikes and there is a big difference. To see how
the youngsters like Calia and Cappella have just stepped onto
these bikes and gone so well is very impressive, not normal
at all.”
“We are going to have a great year. It is already very
competitive with a lot of guys in the same second on lap times.
The fast guys are a real mix from last year and this and all
the guys are working so well together and that is great to
see.”
“Of the guys from last year it is especially encouraging
to see how JD Beach and Sturla Fagerhaug have improved. They
are both really good talents and they are intelligently using
what they learnt last year.”
“It is interesting that the newcomers are coming straight
to me for advice, last year it seemed that many would go to
their parents first and only later come to me but this has
changed. It makes for an easier time for everyone and a good
working atmosphere. Of course they will also want to talk
to their parents about what is going on but the co-operation
and feeling we have this year is a real step forward I think.”
There will be another two day test at Estoril on March 22nd
and 23rd before the Cup season starts alongside the Spanish
MotoGP round at Jerez on March 29th and 30th with two Rookies
Cup races.
Combined times from Thursday and Friday at Valencia.
1 39 Luis Salom SPA 1:45.783
2 59 JD Beach USA 1:45.956
3 20 Mathew Scholtz RSA 1:46.084
4 33 Sturla Fagerhaug NOR 1:46.250
5 69 Nelson Major FRA 1:46.290
6 32 Matthew Hoyle GBR 1:46.306
7 3 Daniel Kartheininger GER 1:46.670
8 92 Cristian Trabalon SPA 1:46.846
9 7 Deane Brown GBR 1:47.059
10 84 Jakub Kornfeil CZE 1:47.072
11 74 Kevin Calia ITA 1:47.246
12 27 Alessio Cappella NGR 1:47.357
13 46 Daijiro Hiura JPN 1:47.385
14 68 Sasuke Shinozaki JPN 1:47.429
15 30 Dylan Mavin AUS 1:47.626
16 28 Markus Reiterberger GER 1:47.760
17 52 Adam Blacklock GBR 1:47.781
18 6 Peter Sebestyen HUN 1:47.820
19 11 Niklas Ajo FIN 1:47.892
20 22 Daniel Ruiz SPA 1:48.139
21 36 Nico Thöni AUT 1:48.182
22 21 Florian Marino FRA 1:49.028
23 99 Joshua Elliot IRL 1:49.543
24 24 Harry Stafford GBR 1:50.738
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