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Red Bull Rookies Cup

RECAP | Danny Kent wins a stunning season opener in Jerez

Daijiro Hiura and Daniel Ruiz complete the podium of the first kicking off the 2010 season
Written by Peter Clifford | Layout: Oliver Schran
3 min readUpdated on
Danny Kent won a stunning season opener from Daijiro Hiura and Daniel Ruiz. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup podium was only decided at the last corner as 9 riders had started the last lap with a chance of winning.
Kent, the 16 year old Briton who also won at Jerez last year, just managed to deny pole man Hiura, the 15 year old Japanese and Spanish 18 year old Ruiz, the chance to pass him at the final turn.
Quotation
I just pushed as hard I could through the last half a lap and was absolutely as late on the brakes as I could be at the last corner because I knew they would be right on me
#52 DANNY KENT

REPLAY Red Bull Rookies Cup Jerez 2010 - Race 1

50 min

REPLAY Red Bull Rookies Cup Jerez 2010 - Race 1

Watch the Replay of Race 1 from Spain

Lead changes at almost every corner

After 16 laps where the lead changed at almost every corner and sometimes several times within a few metres, where there were 11 teenagers all with a chance of victory for much of the race it was Kent’s cool head that gave him the win. A race so hard to win but very easy to lose with riders frequently clashing fairings and elbows.
Unluckiest was Harry Stafford, the 16 year old Briton who was right in the midst of the battle for the lead until he and Mathew Scholtz bumped with 5 laps to go and Stafford ended up in the gravel. “It was just one of those racing things,” said Stafford.
Quotation
I went inside and he didn’t see me, half my fault and half his.
#24 HARRY STAFFORD
“The pace wasn’t fast though, you would try to be smooth and get away but the others would just push past and slow us down.”
Start of Race 1 Rookies Cup Jerez 2010

Start of Race 1 Rookies Cup Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Mathew Scholtz leading Race 1 ahead of Daniel Ruiz in Jerez 2010

Mathew Scholtz leading Race 1 ahead of Daniel Ruiz in Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Daniel Ruiz ahead of Hiura and Scholtz - Race 1 Jerez 2010

Daniel Ruiz ahead of Hiura and Scholtz - Race 1 Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Mathew Scholtz in battle with Kent and Pardo - Race 1 Jerez 2010

Mathew Scholtz in battle with Kent and Pardo - Race 1 Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Danny Kent on his way to victory in Jerez 2010 - Race 1

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Tomas Vavrous crashing during Race 1 in Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Daniel Ruiz followed by Pardo and Gagne in Jerez 2010 - Race 1

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Alan Techer followed by Calia and Sissis during Race 1 - Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Jacob Gagne leading the Rookies train in Jerez 2010 - Race 1

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Top 3 Race 1 - Daijiro Hiura | Danny Kent | Daniel Ruiz - Jerez 2010

© GEPA /Red Bull Content Pool

Hiura clear at the front

The only man who ever looked like getting truly clear at the front was Hiura. Mid race he managed to get an advantage of 6 tenths of a second but that all disappeared with one mistake. “I also made a mistake at the end when I was trying to win, just small mistakes but that was enough,” said the 2nd place finisher.
Ruiz was happy to be third having been pushed from lead trio back to 11th in one of the mid race clashes. “I thought it was going to be hard then. I just settled down and started to push forward, I didn’t know how far I would get but on the last lap I was trying to win! That wasn’t possible but I think tomorrow I can do it.”
It was 17 year old Scholtz who led more than anyone else only to finally cross the line 8th. “It was pretty mad, I got ‘T’-boned at least three times. On the last lap I got bumped and lost a lot of places, then going into the last corner I out-braked 3 people but then got pushed wide again.”
Quotation
At least I know I can run the pace so the second race should be better.
#20 MATHEW SCHOLTZ

Brad Binder had a great race

Fellow South African Brad Binder had a great race and finished 4th. “That was a lot of fun, it was tough, the guys were all riding hard, I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for tomorrow’s race,” said the 14 year old now starting his 2nd Rookies season.
Just behind Binder in 5th was Jake Gagne, the 16 year old Californian who suffered in practice because he had missed most of the pre season Valencia test after crashing and wrenching his ankle on the first day. “That wasn’t bad considering starting from 12th on the grid.”
Quotation
The bike still needs work, on the brakes the forks were bottomed out so I hope we can fix that for tomorrow and get a bit higher up.
#32 JACOB GAGNE

Red Bull Rookies Cup 2010 - RESULT JEREZ RACE 1

POS

#

NAME

NAT

TIME

KM/H

GAP

🥇

52

Danny KENT

GBR

30'25.205

139.581

🥈

46

Daijiro HIURA

JPN

30'25.361

139.569

0.156

🥉

22

Daniel RUIZ

SPA

30'25.499

139.558

0.294

4

41

Brad BINDER

RSA

30'25.954

139.524

0.749

5

32

Jacob GAGNE

USA

30'26.176

139.507

0.971

6

66

Florian ALT

GER

30'26.379

139.491

1.174

7

23

Niccolo ANTONELLI

ITA

30'28.094

139.360

2.889

8

20

Mathew SCHOLTZ

RSA

30'28.111

139.359

2.906

9

98

Alan TECHER

FRA

30'31.609

139.093

6.404

10

74

Kevin CALIA

ITA

30'33.233

138.970

8.028

11

47

Tomas VAVROUS

CZE

30'42.938

138.238

17.733

12

61

Arthur SISSIS

AUS

30'43.384

138.204

18.179

13

17

Antonio CHIARI

SPA

30'43.731

138.178

18.526

14

27

Alessio CAPPELLA

ITA

30'46.935

137.939

21.730

15

77

Taylor MACKENZIE

GBR

30'47.038

137.931

21.833

16

5

Phillip OETTL

GER

30'47.073

137.928

21.868

17

34

Xavier PINSACH

SPA

30'47.663

137.884

22.458

18

3

Deni CUDIC

AUT

31'05.564

136.561

40.359

19

72

Alexander KRISTIANSSON

SWE

31'12.955

136.022

47.750

DNF

18

James FLITCROFT

GBR

23'19.775

136.503

4 laps

DNF

24

Harry STAFFORD

GBR

19'04.467

139.128

6 laps

DNF

7

Alejandro PARDO

ITA

17'12.383

138.810

7 laps

DNF

16

Joshua HOOK

AUS

15'19.661

138.510

8 laps

DNF

57

Brody NOWLAN

AUS

11'47.155

135.100

10 laps

Complete Race 1 Data - CLICK HERE

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