Red Bull press release:

Danny Kent bettered Sturla Fagerhaug to win a superb and thankfully slightly less dramatic 2nd Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race at Jerez on Sunday. The blustery Spanish wind still contributed to a number of falls but this time Daijiro Hiura learnt from Saturday’s error and came home third ahead of Florian Marino.

Kent, the 15 year old Briton, explained how the wind effected him; “Every time I got in front the wind just pushed me back, it was so much easier to stay in the slipstream. There was no real way to break away. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake as yesterday so I kept counting down the laps as I crossed the line and went for it on the last lap, it wasn’t an easy move, I was determined, it was ‘win it or bin it.'”

Passed by Kent in the classic Jerez last-corner braking move Fagerhaug tried still to win. “I wasn’t surprised that Danny came past there, I thought I could pull it back on the inside and drive past on the way out but I was just a bit too close and had to back off slightly or hit his back wheel … that was it. Still a win and a second is not too bad from the weekend, it could have been a lot worse.”

Hiura did not make a great start from pole position and was back in 5th at the end of the first lap. Though the 15 year old Japanese was always in the lead pack he just wasn’t close enough over the last few laps to challenge Fagerhaug and Kent when it counted. “It was very windy again, difficult, a lot of riders all trying to pass all the time. I am happy to get some points but I want to win in Mugello.”

Fourth man home was 15 year old Frenchman Marino and not happy to have missed out on the podium. His was a fantastic performance though, having been at the hospital at midnight before the race following his Saturday crash. Seemingly unhurt in the fall he had later felt sick and was only cleared to race after a precautionary hospital check. “I really should have been able to be in the first three at least but some of the other guys are just not clever in the way they overtake, too many times they came inside almost out of control and we’d both go wide, you lose too much time like that, it doesn’t make sense.”

7th place finisher Mathew Scholtz, the 16 year old South African, echoed Marino’s feelings. “I wanted to get away with Sturla and Danny but then Daijiro came passed and then Pardo who just pushed me wide, it was a bit crazy and I went from 3rd to 7th in a couple of laps. I’ve got a gouge in my knee slider from someone’s front wheel, that’s a bit too close.”

Not all the heroes of the race finished, yet could still be satisfied with their first weekend as Red Bull Rookies. Following his excellent 4th place finish on Saturday, Alex Kristiansson, the 15 year old Swede, stormed through to lead the first lap on Sunday. He was solidly in the battle for a place on the rostrum until he slid off on lap 5. “The wind just got under the bike and I couldn’t catch it. I was just going the same speed, doing the same thing as I did the lap before but it caught me out. I think also the rubber from the MotoGP race might have made the track a little more slippery in some places.”

Someone with even less experience on a road racer is 13 year old Australian speedway rider Arthur Sissis. He was in the thick of the hard fighting front group when he slid off going for sixth place on lap 11. “I braked late to get past one of the Italians (Pardo) and just lost the front. I was enjoying it up to then. My knee wasn’t causing me any trouble but then I tore the stitches I had after yesterday’s crash and it was bleeding quite a bit, but that’s OK.”

Thankfully the injury list was not lengthened by Sunday’s falls and everyone was buoyed by the good news from Harry Stafford. The 15 year old Briton was knocked unconscious in Saturday’s nasty crash but quite soon after the doctors became optimistic as he steadily improved. Taken to Cadiz hospital for a complete scan he fully regained consciousness and the doctors are confident he will make a complete recovery. He is due to be released from hospital on Wednesday or Thursday and will have a medical flight back to Britain where he should complete his recovery at home. He also broke his right collarbone. Considering his serious concussion he is not expected to race again for a couple of months.

Classification Race 2

1. Danny Kent (GBR) 28 minutes 39.881 seconds
2. Sturla Fagerhaug (NOR) +0.060
3. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) + 0.849
4. Florian Marino (FRA) +3.650
5. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) +3.781
6. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE) +3.830
7. Mathew Scholtz (RSA) +4.113
8. Kevin Calia (ITA) +17.624
9. Jacob Gagne (USA) +21.130
10. Brad Binder (RSA) +32.417
11. Xavier Figueras (ESP) +33.673
12. Dylan Mavin (AUS) +34.621
13. Robin Barbosa (FRA) +34.644
14. Taylor Mackenzie (GBR) +34.927
15. Juan Perello (ESP) +34.949
16. Nico Thöni (AUT) +36.734
17. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) +36.851
18. Arthur Sissis (AUS) +1’05.629

Not Classified
Fraser Rogers (GBR) +1 lap
Benny Solis (USA) +2 laps
Joshua Hook (AUS) +9 laps
Alexander Kristiansson (SWE) +11 laps
Nelson Major (FRA) +11 laps

Not starting
Alessio Cappella (ITA)
Hayden Gillim (USA)

Points Standings

1. Sturla Fagerhaug (NOR) 45 points
2. Danny Kent (GBR) 41
3. Mathew Scholtz (RSA) 29
4. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) 21
5. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE) 18
6. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) 16
7. Florian Marino (FRA) 13
8. Alexander Kristiansson (SWE) 13
9. Kevin Calia (ITA) 12
10. Jacob Gagne (USA) 12
11. Joshua Hook (AUS) 11
12. Nelson Major (FRA) 9
13. Brad Binder (RSA) 9
14. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) 7
15. Xavier Figueras (ESP) 7
16. Hayden Gillim (USA) 6
17. Dylan Mavin (AUS) 4
18. Robin Barbosa (FRA) 3
19. Taylor Mackenzie (GBR) 2
20. Juan Perello (ESP) 2