The Red Bull Rookies Cup is almost at its end, and with Jake Gagne leading by only 14 points, the pressure begins to mount as we begin these crucial races at BRNO.
7 races have been completed by the Red Bull Rookies, and two of the final three races will take place this weekend in the Czech Republic. The top five riders all have a chance at the podium, but for the moment, Jake Gagne is the man to beat.
Gagne started the season off slow, but he has been hot as of late. Gagne has won three of the last four races, including both races at Sachsenring. But Gagne is not in a safe position yet. There are still 75 points to be had in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, and there are many riders capable of taking them.
Danny Kent is closest with 103 points. Kent is coming off of his worst finish of the year so far (excluding his one DNF) and should be standing on the podium at the end of the weekend.
The battle for third is where things get really interesting. Daniel Ruiz, Daijiro Hiura, and Brad Binder are all within 6 points of one another. Any one of these riders could find themselves at the top of the leader board after BRNO.
The first half of the season didn't go well for Binder, who had a series of DNF's and double digit finishes. But in the second half of the season, Binder has showed his skill. He followed Kent to second place during both races at Sachsenring, and is capable of taking the top spot at BRNO.
Hiura and Kent both have multiple DNF's and double digit finishes. But they also have race wins and a few podiums. If these two can keep the bikes on the track, they will be near the top this weekend.
Red Bull Rookies Cup - Overall Standings Before BRNO
| 1 | 32 | Jacob GAGNE | USA | 117 | |
| 2 | 52 | Danny KENT | GBR | 103 | |
| 3 | 22 | Daniel RUIZ | ESP | 93 | |
| 4 | 46 | Daijiro HIURA | JPN | 89 | |
| 5 | 41 | Brad BINDER | RSA | 87 | |
| 6 | 74 | Kevin CALIA | ITA | 59 | |
| 7 | 72 | Alexander KRISTIANSSON | SWE | 49 | |
| 8 | 20 | Mathew SCHOLTZ | RSA | 41 | |
| 9 | 24 | Harry STAFFORD | GBR | 40 | |
| 10 | 61 | Arthur SISSIS | AUS | 36 | |
| 11 | 27 | Alessio CAPPELLA | NGR | 34 | |
| 12 | 23 | Niccolo ANTONELLI | ITA | 34 | |
| 13 | 16 | Joshua HOOK | AUS | 33 | |
| 14 | 66 | Florian ALT | GER | 31 | |
| 15 | 7 | Alejandro PARDO | ITA | 30 | |
| 16 | 77 | Taylor MACKENZIE | GBR | 28 | |
| 17 | 47 | Tomas VAVROUS | CZE | 26 | |
| 18 | 5 | Philipp OETTL | GER | 18 | |
| 19 | 34 | Xavier PINSACH | ESP | 11 | |
| 20 | 98 | Alan TECHER | FRA | 7 | |
| 21 | 17 | Antonio CHIARI | BRA | 5 | |
| 22 | 18 | James FLITCROFT | GBR | 4 | |
| 23 | 95 | Xavier FIGUERAS | ESP | 4 | |
| 24 | 3 | Deni CUDIC | AUT | 1 |
