August 17 - Hayden Gillim wins second in a row
Gutsy Ride As Hayden Gillim Wins Second Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Race In A Row
Hayden Gillim of Owensboro, Ky., won the Virginia International Raceway Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup race on Sunday, taking a narrow victory in a race featuring a four-rider pack fighting for the win. Gillim's margin of victory was a slim 0.091 seconds, falling in with the other highly competitive Rookies Cup contests of 2008. Benny Solis, Jr., of North Hollywood, California led on the final lap but could not hold off Gillim's move exiting the final turn. Bryce Prince of Bakersfield, Calif., bested Emerson Connor for the final podium position in the race stopped twice for red flags.
Gillim won the race despite having surgery to repair his left collarbone last week.
"It hurt, but the adrenaline started flowing and I felt a lot better as the race went on," said Gillim. "We were going back and forth and I was looking to make a strong push at the end of the race. I got a better drive than Benny (Solis) did and I was able to get the win. It feels really good to get two in a row and it was a lot of fun for me to get to race with these guys. It was a lot harder (than Mid-Ohio). Battling with people is really fun. You don't know when they're going to pass you or when you're going to pass them."
Solis, the winner of four races this year, led on the final lap but could not hold off Gillim. "I rushed the last corner," said Solis. "I went wide when I went through the double corner and I didn't have enough power to get back to the line first. I tried my best and ended up second. I'm pretty happy with my lead in the championship but the next couple of races I will try to get more podiums or wins." Benny now leads the championship by 32 points on the strength of four wins and a pair of second place finishes.
Bryce Prince earned his first podium finish of the year with a charge through the field. The Bakersfield, Calif., racer moved from seventh on the first lap to the top three at the checkered flag. "With the two red flags, I felt I had to get a good start. After that, I had a good battle with Huntley Nash for a couple of laps. By about halfway, I was able to catch up with the lead pack and trade positions a little bit. I almost highsided on the last lap and I thought 'There goes my shot at a win.' I really enjoyed the race today and would like to thank all my sponsors for helping me. Everything was overall just amazing "
Emerson Connor from Burlington, Ontario, Can., was in the top three for virtually the entire race but ended up fourth in what was a fantastic weekend for him. Connor showed consistent speed in Virginia and was just 1.256 seconds back of the winner. "I rode strong and the KTM RC 125 was great. I was fourth today and I wanted to be a little higher but it was a good race and a lot of fun. All of the guys at the front rode really well today. I feel good about the result and I want to thank everyone that helps us race."
Leandro Mercado had an eventful race. The Argentine started on the backup bike after his machine developed an issue on the sighting lap, but still managed fifth place. He remains second in Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup points. "I got a terrible restart," said Leandro, who said the different settings of the bikes slowed him somewhat in the last leg of the race. "It's okay because I ended up fifth and I am happy for the points and the championship."
Jake Gagne of Ramona, Calif., was sixth on Sunday, ahead of Huntley Nash of Marietta, Ga. Austin DeHaven of Los Angeles, Calif., qualified 19th but rose eleven spots to earn eighth place. Cory Rech of Liverpool, N.Y., won a battle of New York riders when he beat Travis Wyman (Macedon, N.Y.) by less than a second for tenth spot.
Polesitter Tomas Puerta of Colombia led the race at one point but crashed. He remounted and finished 14th.
The race was delayed until the end of the day, necessitated by a red flag due to an incident involving Toriano Wilson of Bermuda, Luciano Ribodino of Argentina and Garet Tomlinson of Aledo, Texas. Wilson and Ribodino were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment.
Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Race Results From Virginia International Raceway
1. 69 Hayden Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky
2. 35 Benny Solis, North Hollywood, California
3. 74 Bryce Prince, Bakersfield, California
4. 50 Emerson Connor, Burlington, Ontario
5. 36 Leandro Mercado, Cordoba, Argentina
6. 32 Jake Gagne, Ramona, California
7. 75 Huntley Nash, Marietta, Georgia
8. 56 Austin DeHaven, Los Angeles, California
9. 94 Jacob Cunningham, Kimberly, Wisconsin
10. 34 Corey Rech, Liverpool, New York
11. 3 Travis Wyman, Macedon, New York
12. 13 Jesse Stevens, Lawrenceville, Georgia
13. 95 Frankie Lee Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky
14. 12 Tomas Puerta, Medellin, Colombia 1:34.981
15. 25 Joey Pascarella, Vacaville, California
16. 82 Otavio Lucchini, Jundiai, SP, Brazil
17. 23 Corey Alexander, Ossining, New York
18. 31 Cameron Gish, Shingle Springs, California
19. 7 Austin Medrano, Mustang, Oklahoma
20. 26 Toriano Wilson, St. Davids, Bermuda
21. 11 Luciano Ribodino San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina
22. 22 Garet Tomlinson, Aledo, Texas
Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Points (after seven races)
1. 35 Benny Solis, North Hollywood, California 140 points
2. 36 Leandro Mercado, Cordoba, Argentina 108
3. 69 Hayden Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky 102
4. 32 Jake Gagne, Ramona, California 74
5. 12 Tomas Puerta, Medellin, Colombia 63
6. 56 Austin DeHaven, Los Angeles, California 61
7. 25 Joey Pascarella, Vacaville, California 56
8. 50 Emerson Connor, Burlington, Ontario 52
9. 74 Bryce Prince, Bakersfield, California 43
10. 26 Toriano Wilson, St. Davids, Bermuda 40
11. 34 Corey Rech, Liverpool, New York 40
12. 75 Huntley Nash, Marietta, Georgia 31
13. 13 Jesse Stevens, Lawrenceville, Georgia 28
14. 31 Cameron Gish, Shingle Springs, California 27
15. 95 Frankie Lee Gillim, Owensboro, Kentucky 25
16. 7 Austin Medrano, Mustang, Oklahoma 24
17. 66 Jake Morman, Loganville, Georgia 22
18. 94 Jacob Cunningham, Kimberly, Wisconsin 17
19. 3 Travis Wyman, Macedon, New York 13
20. 23 Corey Alexander, Ossining, New York 12
21. 11 Luciano Ribodino San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina 6
22. 22 Garet Tomlinson, Aledo, Texas 4
23. 82 Otavio Lucchini, Jundiai, SP, Brazil 1
For more information on the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup, please visit www.redbullrookiescup.com and www.redbullusa.com/rookiescup.