Red Bull AMA Rookies Cup Tests At Indy
Press Release | July 3, 2008
From a press release… SPEEDING IN THE RAIN: RED BULL AMA U.S. ROOKIES CUP RIDERS TAKE TO FAMED INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY FOR MID-SEASON TEST Indianapolis, IN (July 3, 2008) – The Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup riders tested at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, in advance of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race, September 12-14. The race weekend will feature the Red Bull Riders Cup. The special match race will pit the top-ten Red Bull AMA Rookies against the top-ten Red Bull MotoGP Rookies. The young racers were able familiarize themselves with the circuit despite wet conditions at the recently completed 2.62-mile road course. Twenty two of the Rookies took part in the one-day test, with Luciano Ribodino out because of an arm injury due to his Infineon Raceway crash earlier this season. “It’s really cool being here,” said Cameron Gish, from Shingle Springs, Calif. “I wanted to go over there and kiss the bricks on the front straight. There’s been a lot of history made at this track and we all feel fortunate to have a race here. For me, it was tough getting used to the track in the wet this morning. I haven’t ridden a lot in the wet but you can tell the layout of the track is really going to be fun. I can’t wait to come back here and race in the dry.” “I am looking at it as something special,” said Jesse Stevens of Lawrenceville. Georgia. “Only a select few ever get to race at Indy so I was glad we got the opportunity to test and then we have the race here in September. The track is cool but it’s a very new track. It’s what I would call a technical circuit and very challenging.” Colombian Tomas Puerta has some local ties to Indianapolis. Puerta has trained in the Indianapolis area this season during his time in America. “It’s very nice here and I really like the area. I came here to the Indy 500 last May and we had a great time at the race and at the museum, too,” he said. “Today I found the road course challenging but fun. It was difficult riding in the rain today but I was happy with my progress. I am excited and hoping to do well at our race here in September.” Under the tutelage of 1993 World Champion and Rider Coach Kevin Schwantz, the Rookies did not concentrate on setting quick lap times but familiarized themselves with the circuit and riding in the rain. “I thought the guys did a great job out there. We had a couple of tipovers, but only one bike that wasn’t running again by the end of the day,” said Schwantz. “It’s tough riding any course in the wet, but some of the best learning about a circuit I ever did was in the rain because it really points out the spots where you lack grip. It was a team effort with the mechanics keeping everything running so the Rookies could make the most of the track time we did get. The circuit itself is first-class. On our bikes, it will be a blast for the guys to ride. We all knew the approach the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would take for motorcycle racing, and they have done a fantastic job.”
