Can Öncü took the second win of the weekend in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, beating Race 1 winner and twin brother Deniz to the top step to extend his points lead in the series after the two disappeared at the front of the field. The podium was completed by Filip Salac of the Czech Republic as he beat Adrián Carrasco, Xavier Artigas and Ryusei Yamanaka in a drag to the line to take third.
Can Öncü got the holeshot from pole, taking the lead as Carrasco swept through on Deniz Öncü to take second. But by the end of Lap 1 the Turk struck back, into second and trying to close down the sizeable gap made by brother Can as the Salac vs Carrasco vs Yamanaka vs Artigas fight raged behind.
Deniz was able to make some early inroads and Yamanaka escaped the pack in the early laps to chase down the Turks, and by 10 to go Deniz had caught and passed his brother to take over in the lead. But Can passed him back down the Start-Finish straight, and Deniz was left with all the work to do again.
The two Turks remained locked together at the front as the chasing trio of Salac, Carrasco and Artigas began to close in on Yamanaka and by four laps to go, Salac and Carrasco were past the Japanese rider as Deniz was once again right behind his brother in the lead.
By the last lap there was nothing in it in either battle, but Can was just able to keep it to cross the line for the win ahead of Deniz, with third decided by a four-way drag to the line taken by Salac. Carrasco and Artigas completed the top five, with Yamanaka left with some disappointment after his earlier pace and the Japanese rider taking sixth.
Carlos Tatay took seventh ahead of Sean Kelly, with Steward Garcia, Adrian Huertas and Barry Baltus completing another incredible drag to the line to decide the standings down to P11. Peetu Paavilainen and Dan Jones crossed the line close in P12 and P13, with another duel seeing Sasha de Vits just beating Gerry Salim to 14th.
That’s it from the Sachsenring and it’s advantage Can Öncü on the road to Austria, with the Rookies preparing to share the stage with MotoGP™ once again at the Red Bull Ring. The younger twin leads brother Deniz by 52 points but with another 50 on the table next time out, anything can happen!