First Test For Red Bull AMA Rookies Cup Competitors
Underway At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

From a press release issued by Red Bull:

Monterey, California -- The Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup began its inaugural season with a test at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Tuesday. It was a special day for the 23 young racers participating in the program as they received their gear from Alpinestars, got the first look at their brand new KTM RC125 race bikes, and then rode the circuit with 1993 500cc World Champion and official series Rider Coach Kevin Schwantz.

For many competitors, the anticipation for today was much like Christmas morning. Tuesday was the first time the racers were on track for an official Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup event since the selection event at Barber Motorsports Park last fall. The competitors were issued their safety equipment (leathers, gloves and boots) and shown their machines for the first time.

Toriano Wilson of Bermuda was one of the young men anticipating the first testing day. "I was very, very, very excited. When we finally saw my bike, I was speechless. I was thinking about how fast it looked and how the season was going to go for me," he said.

After taking some solo reconnaissance laps to get a feel for the circuit and help KTM engineers set the proper jetting for the bikes, Schwantz and the competitors met at pit wall and held a briefing. The racers (from six countries plus seven different American states) were able to ask the Grand Prix racing legend questions and Schwantz shared advice about riding technique on the circuit that is the home of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.

After two on-track stints in the morning, the racers broke for lunch before another learning session with Schwantz. That was followed by another two sessions in the afternoon as the young racers became acclimated with their brand new bikes and the Laguna Seca course. The emphasis was on learning rather than outright speed as Schwantz rode with the Rookies Cup competitors and worked with them on improving their line and technique.

"It took me a little while to get up to speed, but it was a lot of fun," said Austin Medrano of Mustang, Oklahoma. "Kevin Schwantz really helped me out in turn three. He told me I was going in too hard. I did what he said and then I dropped two seconds off my times."

"For me, the track was faster than I am used to and the motorcycle is definitely a lot faster than anything I'd ever ridden," said Tomas Puerta of Colombia. "I'm really enjoying myself and I'm trilled to be here. It's been a great day for me. I liked following Schwantz and watching him ride was very useful for getting used to the track."

"It all came together and we've got a day under our belts with nothing but positives," said Schwantz. "I didn't know all the kids well at the beginning, but here we are at the end of the day sitting around talking racing like we've all known each other for a long time. I feel like they've taken to me a little bit and we're communicating well. The questions started coming as the day went onward. If it's just a little bit of advice I can offer, that's great. We have a bunch of kids with big hearts and a lot of determination. If we can just keep the reigns on them until we go racing, it will be good."

The test will conclude on Wednesday.

For more information on the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup, please visit
www.redbullrookiescup.com and www.redbullusa.com/rookiescup.