Red Bull Rookies begins final run-in

With seven races completed the 2010 points race is led by 16 year-old Californian Jake Gagne who with 117 points is 14 ahead of 16 year-old Briton Danny Kent, and another 10 clear of 18 year-old Spaniard Daniel Ruiz. It was Kent and Ruiz that started the year fighting for the points lead with a win each at the opening double race weekend in Jerez, Spain.

The first third of the season was not so pleasing for Gagne as he finished fifth, sixth and eighth after missing most of the pre-season test thanks to a badly twisted ankle. He turned his year round with a win in the first race at Assen and seized the Cup lead in the most dramatic fashion with double victories at Sachsenring.

Gagne is certainly the man on form and he is being chased hard by South African Brad Binder, who turns 15 just before the Brno races. Binder shadowed Gagne across the line in Germany and that moved him to fifth in the points table, 30 adrift of Gagne but only two behind Daijiro Hiura, the Japanese rider who has just turned 16. Hiura has also led the points this year after his win in Mugello but before tough weekends in Assen and Germany.

With 75 points still at stake in the final three races the Cup is still completely open to any of the top five. Many more are well capable of featuring in the battle for race wins and rostrum places. Nine different riders have finished on the podium so far this season and one of those, Mathew Scholtz, makes a very welcome return to racing in Brno having missed four races since his Assen practice crash resulted in a badly torn toe.

The 17 year-old South African is more than ready to get back to racing at the track where he won in 2008. “Although I realise I have not been anywhere near a bike in seven weeks I have continued to watch my diet and trained as much as possible. It has really been a struggle not racing every weekend and watching your friends race on live timing and on the Red Bull site. That is really hard to do,” he said.

Back after an even longer enforced separation is 15 year-old Frenchman Alan Techer who broke his arm badly when he crashed at the last corner in Jerez. “I can't wait to go racing again, it's been a long time. I am coming to Brno and I just hope I get the clearance from the doctor, it should be okay,” he stated.

Unfortunately as two riders come off the injury list Alex Kristiansson has gone onto it having broken his collarbone racing in the German Championship round at Schleiz. "It was a fast downhill section and another rider who was trying to pass me hit me. My collarbone feels better and better every day. Two weeks is a short time to ride again but I will go to Brno and get advice from Dr. Costa,” explained the Swede.

Both races at the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic can be watched live on www.redbull.com.