Third race win for Norway's Sturla Fagerhaug in Red Bull Rookies Cup

2009-06-27 08:44
Seventeen-year-old Norwegian Sturla Fagerhaug rode a masterly race on the Assen Circuit in the Netherlands on Saturday to take his third race win in the Red Bull Rookies Cup 2009 and have a significant lead in the championship.

The minor podium places went to Japanese rider Daijiro Hiura and American Jacob Gagne.

Fagerhaug cool and calculating
Fagerhaug, who has already secured several wild card rides with the Red Bull KTM Moto Sport factory team in 125 cc GP this season, got away to a solid start and after some early mistakes settled in with a group of four riders at the front of the pack. He stayed cool and collected, waiting for his opportunity to make the break, which came with just three laps to go in the 16-lap race in what is one of motorcycle racing's most tradition-rich circuits. Then the young Norwegian played his ace card, slipped away from the pack of leading riders and settled down to extend his winning margin. The riders in the following group were then left to fight it out for the minor podium places while Fagerhaug sailed across the finish line with a 2.720 seconds winning margin.

Sturla Fagerhaug:"I got an okay start this time. I made some mistakes in the first laps but then I got into a good rhythm. The others tried to follow but I managed to get a gap towards the end. I am just happy I didn't have to make some late braking in the last corner.

Solid second for Hiura
Hiura did not get away well from his eighth grid position but he soon began to move up the order to join the leaders and quickly put his own stamp on the race as a major player in the seven-man battle for the lead.

Daijo Hiura: "That was great fun, a very good race. I pushed as hard as I could then Sturla got away from us but I knew we were fighting for the podium. We were all pushing hard into the last corner then Marino went on the grass and I got through."

Gagne impressive on first trip to Assen
The 15-year old Californian Gagne was also impressive on his first visit to the Assen circuit. "I love the track, I was really enjoying myself, things were sliding around quite a bit towards the end but we were all having fun. I didn't want to leave it to a big out-braking effort at the last corner so I tried to get away but they past me out the back on the last lap and it was all on into the last corner."

At the half way mark of the season, Sturla now leads the championship with 95 points with the 14-year-old Hiura in second place with 52 points with Britain's Danny Kent close behind in third place with 50 points. All riders in this tightly fought junior competition are onboard KTM racing bikes.

Results
1. Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway, KTM, 29:39.971
2. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, KTM, 29:42.691
3. Jacob Gagne, USA, KTM, 29:42.989
4 Florian Marino, France, KTM, 29:43.210
5. Jakob Kornfiel, Czech Republic, KTM, 29:43.300

Championship standings
1. Sturla Fagerhaug, Norway, KTM, 95 points
2. Daijiro Hiura, Japan, KTM, 52
3. Danny Kent, Britain, KTM 50
4. Jakob Kornfiel, Czech Republic, KTM, 49
5. Florian Marino, France, KTM, 39

Source: KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG

Click here to visit our forums to discuss this story