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08/01/2008 - 09:29 AM
Lexington, OH
Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup (Photo: Brian J Nelson) ยป More Photos
The sixth Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race of 2008 takes place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Oh., on Sunday. The series for the hottest 13-to-16-year old motorcycle racers in North and South America and the Caribbean has delivered close and exciting racing so far in its inaugural season. Four of the first five races ended with the winner less than one second in front of his nearest competitors, and two of the races required the AMA's photo finish camera to determine the winner. The only race not decided by less than one second (at Infineon Raceway) saw a three rider pack fight for the lead before a crash took out two of the leading protagonists.
So far, the highlight of the year has been the battle between Benny Solis, Jr., of North Hollywood, Calif., and Leandro Mercado of Argentina. Solis leads the points race by 25 and has won four of the first five events, but each of his wins came after thrilling racing with Mercado.
Although the last laps have not always turned out the way he wished, Leandro has shown remarkable speed this year. The 16-year-old has challenged for the victory in each event,
"It's been a very good season for me so far. I'll work even harder in the second half to keep improving my skills," said Mercado. "In the races, I'll keep using my head so I can keep doing well. I have been consistently fast and this is the area where I have fought the most, to keep my performance level high with as few drop-offs as possible. My goal is to win and I would have liked to come out on top in more of the last lap battles we've had this year, but it hasn't bothered me or gotten me down. It just made me want to work even harder. The race always goes the way it wants to go and as a rider you can only train more and get better."
Another factor at the Mid-Ohio Rookies Cup race will be the battle for the Red Bull Riders Cup. The Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup's top ten will take on their counterparts in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at Indianapolis and Valencia later this year. The time is now for the Rookies to earn their way into the Riders Cup.
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