Only Gagne and Kent can win the Cup and the 17 year old Californian holds an 11 point advantage going into the final 17 laps so needs to at least finish 3rd if he is to stop Kent snatching the Cup by winning the race. Just 3 tenths slower than Kent is 16 year old Australian Josh Hook who was in a front row spot towards the end of the session then got a tow from Kent in the final laps to grab 2nd position on the grid.

Unusually for a Rookies Cup race the 3rd fastest, Kevin Calia is almost 8 tenths slower with his time from the 1st Qualifying session and Daijiro Hiura is a full second slower and completes the front row.

Kent is looking forward to the race in the most determined fashion. “I can’t be beaten for second in the Cup so I’ve just got to go out, put my head down and go for the win, nothing else will do and I’ve got to hope that a couple of other guys can also beat Jake.” So is it a case of ‘win or crash’? “Something like that,” Kent answered with his trademark grin. “The bike’s great and I am enjoying the track, I’ve never ridden here before, it’s a bit bumpy, like British tracks so I’m feeling at home here.”

Gagne may be down in 10th but he has already won 4 races this year and previously also made a nonsense of his qualifying position. “We had a bit of trouble in practice, in the first session the engine just got slower and slower then stopped. So for the second they put me out on a spare bike but that felt completely different to mine, so we’ve struggled a bit to get it to work for me. I like the track though, it’s got a good mixture of slow and fast corners so I’m sure the race will be fine, I’ve just got to get a good start, get with the front guys and check out where Danny is I guess.”

Hook is obviously one of those likely to get in middle of the battle that decides the Cup and was thrilled with his superb qualifying. “The first timed session wasn’t good at all, I was pushing too hard, making mistakes and down in 12th place. I was cool for the second session, just did my own thing and was 4th fastest. I would have been happy to be on the front row so stopped at the pits, thought about it a bit and went out again. Danny was just ahead so that was a good mark for me to aim at and I got the time right there at the end of the session.”

Calia was happy with 3rd even if not with the 2nd qualifying session. “I don’t know why but I just could make a good lap time like I did in the 1st session but the bike is great, I enjoy the track. I have not been here that much it’s just my 4th race here and I think it will be a very hard and close race, just like the Sachsenring and a lot of our other races.”

There are plenty of other riders with thoughts of getting on the podium and even winning the race and Hiura is one of them. “I came here determined to win so even though I am 4th on the grid I am not happy because I am 1 second slower than Danny. The bike is fine, it is down to me to improve, I don’t know where I can find a second, that is what I have got to think about.”

Cappella heads the second row and even though he might be considered to have a home track advantage in fact he has never raced or even tested at the track before. He was a little frustrated not to have been quicker as he finished the session in the pits. “I pulled in to change the rear suspension because it was moving around a lot on the gas. Then I found there was only a minute to go so it was too late. I don’t know if I will change it for the race, I will have to think about it but I am having fun here, it’s a great track.”

Saturday’s final race of the Cup season can be seen live either on TV stations or on www.redbull.com/tv starting at 16.30 CET.

Official Qualifying Classification

1. Danny Kent (GBR) 1 minute 47.532 seconds (187.2 kph)
2. Joshua Hook (AUS) +0.305
3. Kevin Calia (ITA) +0.772
4. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) +1.073
5. Alessio Cappella (ITA) +1.338
6. Xavier Figueras (ESP) +1.404
7. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) +1.428
8. Brad Binder (RSA) +1.437
9. Xavier Pinsach (ESP) +1.583
10. Jake Gagne (USA) +1.763

Kent has a fine record this season as he backed up victory in the first race of the year at Jerez with 3 2nd places and 2 3rds. Gagne started slower and did not win until race 4 at Assen but he has been on the podium 4 times in total and only on the top spot. Gagne needs 3rd in Misano to take the Cup if Kent wins.

It is the first Rookies race at Misano so a new experience for most of the riders and both Gagne and Kent know very well that it is not just a battle between the pair of them. Already there have been 5 different winners in the 9 races so far contested with Daniel Ruiz, Daijiro Hiura and Kevin Calia well capable of adding another win to their tally in Italy.

There have been 9 different riders on the podium and of those, Brad Binder the 15 year old South African and 16 year old Briton Harry Stafford probably have the greatest frustration in have victory so far elude them. Both have said they are determined to put that right in Misano. Binder scored a 3rd in Mugello and two close 2nds behind Gagne at the Sachsenring.

Mugello winner Hiura is the most frustrated rider of all this year after suffering a mechanical failure in Assen and being brought down in race 2 in Brno after finishing 2nd on the Saturday. Hiura, Binder, Ruiz and Calia are all fighting over 3rd place in the Cup standings, with that place at the moment a tie between Hiura and Binder.

Stafford is back in 7th ahead of Alex Kristiansson who should be a lot fitter after the three week break since Brno when he tried to return too quickly from his broken collarbone. Unfortunately Mathew Scholtz who also tried unsuccessfully to ride in Brno will not be able to try again in Misano as his doctor at home in South Africa has warned that riding will do too much damage to the nasty injury to his big toe he sustained in the Assen practice crash.

Good luck Danny from all at MotoGPBrits.com!

While next year’s hopefuls enter online through the Rookies website, where they can also see themselves and their opposition featured in mini bios and the ‘Leading on the Road’ section, the leaders of this year’s Cup concentrate on the extremely demanding sweeping curves of Mugello.
From the Jerez race results two things are clear; experience helps but no one should ignore the talented newcomers. Three teens dominated the two rostrums in Spain; Danny Kent, the 16 year old Briton heads the Cup points with a 1st and a 2nd chased by 18 year old Spaniard Daniel Ruiz who had a 3rd and a 1st then Daijiro Hiura, the 15 year old Japanese who was 2nd and 3rd.

The newcomers who are already shaking up the established order include 14 year old Italian Niccolo Antonelli who scored two superb 7ths in Spain and was in the lead battles in both races. Another star of those intense fights at the head of the field was Florian Alt who only turned 14 on the eve of the Jerez event yet recorded a 6th and a 9th.
Antonelli and Alt will have learnt from their battles with the best Rookies in Spain and go to Italy with sights set on the podium. They have a few other riders to deal with though including Californian 16 year old Jake Gagne who was frustrated by his 5th and 6th in Spain.

Another man to watch is of course Mathew Scholtz, the 17 year old South African who was 8th and 4th, and fellow countryman Brad Binder, the 14 year old who was 4th in the first race and retired in the second with a mechanical problem.
Harry Stafford, the 16 year old Briton, crashed in the opening Jerez race while battling for the lead but took 5th in the second and should feature strongly in Italy as long as the left wrist he injured in a practice crash at Cadwell Park in Britain on May 22nd has recovered.

Of the two Rookies injured at Jerez only 14 year old Spaniard Xavier Figueras stands a chance of racing in Italy as the injured ring finger of his right hand is mending well and his participation depends on a late medical check. Alan Techer, the 15 year old Frenchman who broke his arm in Jerez will be a spectator as the screwed bone continues to mend.

“Jerez free practice started off real good considering the tyres had already done 15 laps at the Valencia Test. I ended up the fastest in the free practice, only being 1.4 seconds off the lap record which was great. I tried to find a good set-up which I was struggling with due to the tyres.

Qualifying 1 was all about getting a good set-up as I had new tyres, I was struggling to find a good set-up and my times were off the pace, my best time was a 1.53.915 which put me in 9th place. But on the positive side I didn’t crash.

Qualifying 2; my aim was to try and improve on my time and to get the bike handling. I managed to go slightly faster with a time of 1.53.493 which put me in 7th; I was disappointed with the times and the set-up with the bike but once again I didn’t crash and to start on the 2nd row I knew I had a good chance in both races.
After 2nd qualifying I was speaking to Rob and Carlos about the handling with the bike and Rob (WP) found a problem with the front suspension as a rubber O ring in the front fork had broken and was leaking fluid very slightly. Rob replaced it for the race and it boosted my confidence.

Race 1; I felt very confident and I knew it was going to be a good close race between the top 10.
Off the line I managed to get up to 3rd into the first corner, my aim was to be in the top group and to not let anyone pull away, as I knew Daijiro, Harry Stafford and Dani Ruiz had a good consistent pace from qualifying.
Throughout the race I was battling for the lead, the aim was to be in the top 3 for the last lap as I felt very confident in myself and the bike.
Half way through the last lap I took the lead and knuckled down and tried to pull a gap as I knew Daijiro and Dani Ruiz would try and make a pass into the last corner. I used my head and covered my lines, braked as late as I could and crossed the line in 1st position with Daijiro in 2nd and Dani Ruiz in 3rd.
To be on the podium in the first race was great but I knew it was going to be another hard race in race 2.

Race 2: I started in 7th again, my aim was to be in the top 3 by the end of the first lap. As in race 1 the times were down because of the top 7 were always battling and causing us to bunch up, I was in the top 3 by the first corner again which was great, i knew i was going to have to battle all the way to the end as Daijiro, Dani and Harry were fast in race 1.
In the race itself, Daijiro and Dani had pulled a slight gap but then we started changing places which meant our times were getting slightly slower and allowed Harry and Mathew and some others to catch us up.
As in race 1 I needed to be in the top 3 going into the last lap to have a chance of getting on the podium. Going into the last corner I was in 3rd and was hoping to pass them on the inside but Daijiro and Dani were already on the line I needed. I had to go on the outside and got a good drive out and ended up in 2nd place, passing Daijiro out of the last corner.

It was great to be on the podium again and collected another 20 points, it was a great weekend to come away with 2 podiums totalling 45 points. I am now leading the championship by 4 points with Dani Ruiz in 2nd and Daijiro in 3rd. I know it’s early in the season and there’s a long way to go but all the goals I have set myself I have achieved so far.
My aim is to be consistent through out the season but I know there are 25 other riders who can put a stop to it.

I’d like to say a well done to Dani and Daijiro and I’d like to say well done to Harry Stafford as he rode excellent all weekend and this year he has got through Jerez and will be riding at Mugello,
I’d like to thank Niki, Peter, Michaela, and all the mechanics especially David for doing a great job, and also I’d like to say a big thank you to all the Red Bull hospitality staff for doing an excellent job with the new set-up, the food was excellent as was the service.”

The 10 race Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup kicks off its 2010 season in Jerez this weekend as part of the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez. With practice on Friday and a race both on Saturday May 1st and on Sunday May 2nd it is a crucial double header for all 25 of the sport’s fastest racing teenagers.
It is certainly a baptism of fire for those who are first timers as with more than 100,000 spectators packing the Jerez grandstands the atmosphere created is that of a soccer cup final. It is a huge leap for those first time Rookies who previously may have been watched mainly by family and friends.

The pressure of the situation gives the advantage to the ‘old hands’ like Daniel Ruiz who has just turned 18. As the senior Rookie in his 3rd season he is determined to claim his first race win. From Pamplona in north eastern Spain Ruiz was a very good performer last season and crossed the line 2nd in the British round in Donington in 2009 but just could not claim the top podium step or the consistency that would see him a threat for the Cup overall.
Ruiz will doubtless make the best of this season, he is intelligent enough to have learnt well from the last two years and was thrilled to find himself truly comfortable in the wet at the pre-season Valencia test, something that has been a problem in the past. Overall he was 3rd fastest at the end of the 3 days.

Fastest man in Valencia was Japanese 15 year old Daijiro Hiura. He goes into his 3rd Rookie season as one of the strong favourites, he was 3rd in the Cup last year thanks to finishing on the podium in half of the 8 races but he failed to match the win he recorded in Portugal back in 2008. To take this year’s Cup he will need to regain that winning secret and avoid the first race crash he suffered in Jerez last year after setting off from pole.

Second fastest at the test and the winner of race 2 at Jerez last year was Danny Kent (pictured). The 16 year old Briton was 4th in last year’s Cup and another very strong favourite for success this season. He knows that to take the Cup he will need more than that single race victory and having shown the ability to score pole times in practice last year will now have to convert them into wins.

Hiura, Kent and Ruiz are the experienced trio that headed the Valencia test and must be favourites for Jerez success but there is another name that should be put with them and that is Jake Gagne. The 16 year old Californian crashed on day one of the test, not a dramatic accident but when his ankle got caught between the swing arm and rear wheel it got wrenched so badly that the swelling prevented any further riding for the week.
With nothing broken he will be fit enough for Jerez and in a great position to step up from the string of podium finishes he scored in the 2nd half of last season; gaining him 6th in the 2009 Cup. His learning curve through ’09 was certainly impressive and a direct continuation of his 2008 progress in the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup. There he went from motocrosser and complete road race novice to race winner in a single season.

So Gagne makes it 4 obvious favourites to watch out for. There are another 21 Rookies that are determined to upset that form book. The best of those at the Valencia test was 4th placed Brad Binder. The 14 year old South African goes into his 2nd Rookies season fired up; not least because he has grown enough to be racing without the weight ballast that he so hated last year.
Fellow countryman, 17 year old Mathew Scholtz is starting his 3rd Rookies year and after winning a race in his debut season was a little frustrated with 2009. Two 2nd places were his best results and he just could not turn his very obvious speed into consistent results. Last year’s opening race in Jerez saw the Springbok charge away from the start at a pace that made it look as though he was in a race of his own. An off track excursion put him back in the pack, he ended the weekend with a 2nd and a 7th, a variation that became the theme of his year.

Scholtz was not thrilled to be only 8th fastest at the Valencia test and should in no way be counted out for this year’s Cup. Less than a tenth faster at the test was 1st year Rookie Alan Techer. The 15 year old Frenchman could well get amongst the established Rookies right from the start this year even though he has never raced at Jerez before.
Techer is unfazed by the situation but will have to contend with the likes of 14 year old Spaniard Xavier Figueras and 16 year old Briton Harry Stafford who were 5th and 6th fastest in Valencia, Xavier heads into his 2nd Rookies season and Harry his 3rd.

With the 4th Rookies Cup season starting the action throughout the race weekend can be followed on Twitter with more detailed stories and background info on the main Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup website at www.redbullrookiescup.com

Hiura was on the pace all through the test. “It’s been a good three days for me. I was happy on the bike right from the start. I was particularly happy with Tuesday because I got a good feeling for riding in the wet. Last year it was taking me too long to get up to speed in the rain so I am a lot happier after the way Tuesday went. Then for the last day today we hardened up the suspension a bit front and rear and I think we’ve got a good setting. I’m really looking forward to Jerez, it’s a track I enjoy and I think I am ready for it.”

Kent was not to upset to be second, 0.35 behind. He was quick in every session and that was his intention. “That was what I was looking for, I wanted to be consistently fast. That was my goal for each session and it will be my goal for the season, consistency. That is what was missing last year. I knew that Daijiro was likely to put in a quick lap in that last session, it’s what he did at last year’s test.”

Ruiz was enjoying his birthday and 0.52 slower than Hiura. “The race simulation at the end of today was fun. I thought that Daijiro was going to get away, I made a bit of a mistake on the first lap but then I settled in and went quite well, I could keep up OK. We’ve done some good work on the bike through the test, changed the compression damping on the rear and the sliding that I had early on is gone so I think it is working well now. Jerez is my favourite track of the season so I can’t wait for the first race.”

Heading into his second Rookies season 14 year old South African Brad Binder was 4th fastest and quite clear about what was making his life easier. “I’ve grown since last year, I was only 37kg last year, now I’m 50 so I am not carrying any weight penalty and that makes it so much easier for me to ride the bike. I am enjoying it more and really looking forward to the first race.”

Of the newcomers, French 15 year old Alan Techer was the quickest and 7th fastest overall. “I had the chance to spend a day on a KTM before I came here so I had an idea what to expect, it is quite different to the other bikes I have ridden but after 3 days I am very happy with it. We changed the rear suspension slightly on day one but apart from that I have just been riding it and enjoying it. I am very happy and looking forward to the first race, Jerez is a new track for me so I have to learn but I’m happy with the bike already so that’s a great start.”

Another quick newcomer was 13 year old German Florian Alt, 9th overall. “It’s been so much fun but even harder than I expected. We worked a bit on the bike and now I am happy with it and looking forward very much to the first race in Jerez. I have never been there and I know that it will be tough to get into the top 15 but that is what I am aiming for.”

Antonio Chiari, the 14 year old Brazilian, also a newcomer, was right on the pace in 11th and happy with the three days. ‘I’ve been here before but only on a PreGP bike and it is very different. We changed the rear suspension a bit early in the test but really the bike is great, it is me that has to improve. That is what I am thinking about looking forward to Jerez, another track I have ridden on with the PreGP bike, I have to work on my preparation.”

The test opened on Monday with a dry track though the clouds were already threatening. Kent dominated the first day and the Briton ended the four sessions 6 tenths faster than Japan’s Daijiro Hiura with South African Brad Binder 3rd ahead of Spaniard Daniel Ruiz.

The cold track and fresh breeze didn’t catch out many with Mathew Scholtz and Jake Gagne being the only crashers. South African Scholtz escaped with an injured finger in his right hand and could ride in the final session but Gagne was sitting it out with a bandage on his right ankle.

Though not broken, Gagne’s ankle, which had been jammed between the rear wheel and swing arm and bent both when he fall, was swollen so badly that he could not ride again during the test. The fact that it was not broken is testament to the protection provided by the Alpinestars boots that all the Rookies wear.

A cold and wet second day of testing on Tuesday saw no improvement in times of course but Daijiro Hiura headed the timing sheets at the end of 3 Sessions. The Japanese was 3 hundredths faster than Britain’s Danny Kent with South African Mathew Scholtz a further 1.6 seconds adrift in 3rd.

Australia’s Josh Hook was 4th fastest ahead of Spain’s Daniel Ruiz and Italy’s Alejandro Pardo. Quickest of the first year Rookies in the very tricky conditions was fellow Italian Niccolo Antonelli in 7th and 2 places behind was Tomas Vavrous in 9th even though the Czech had a small crash during the day without serious damage to himself or the bike. He headed a group of other newcomers, Alan Techer, Xavier Pinsach and Deni Cudic.

The conditions were treacherous but there were few fallers; though Austrian Cudic managed 2 falls in one lap early in the day. German Phillip Öttl also slid off but there were no injuries.

After the rest day on Wednesday the track was dry for Thursday and again there were few fallers, James Flitcroft, Alejandro Pardo and Taylor Mackenzie being amongst the exceptions but with no injuries.

Racing starts at the Grand Prix in Jerez on May 1st and 2nd and the blow by blow story can be followed on Twitter once practice gets under way on April 30th.

Overall best times from 3 days:

1. Daijiro Hiura (JPN) 1minute 43.903 seconds
2. Danny Kent (GBR) +0.348
3. Daniel Ruiz (ESP) + 0.517
4. Brad Binder (RSA) +0.692
5. Xavier Figueras (ESP) +1.305
6. Harry Stafford (GBR) +1.424
7. Alan Techer (FRA) +1.546
8. Mathew Scholtz (RSA) +1.626
9. Florian Alt (GER) +1.700
10. Alejandro Pardo (ITA) +1.999

As the level of the Rookies Cup has got higher and higher the organisers have had to make the selection process ever more stringent. The competition to get into the Rookies Cup has become as intense as the Cup itself so they are now giving it a well deserved title: “Road to Rookies Cup”.
The Road starts with the online application through the website at www.redbullrookiescup.com

Applicants will fill in a good deal of information about themselves and their motorcycle experience. Once accepted onto the Road they will send in their competition results through the 2010 season to further inform the Selection Panel about their progress during the year. The top performers on the Road to Rookies Cup will be featured in a special section on the Rookies Cup website so that everyone can see who is likely to be invited to the Selection Event, planned for early October.

The very best of the riders who take the Road to Rookies Cup will be invited to that crucially important Selection Event and this year the Selection Panel will have more information than ever before about the prospective Rookies to make sure that the future World Champions get a chance to prove themselves in the 2011 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

So if you have your heart set on Grand Prix stardom – or of course if you know someone who could be ideal material for this championship, then get on the case now…

One thing is going to be a growing series of downloads, such as desktop wallpapers and icon sets for Mac OSX and Windows to spruce up your PC or Mac environment.
And that’s what we’re kicking off with today…

However, to prove that we’re broader than just a couple of top riders we’re starting not with Scott Redding, Bradley Smith, Danny Webb – or indeed James Toseland – though we’ll certainly return to these – but with Red Bull Rookie star Danny Kent.
Kent, who turned sixteen recently, came a highly creditable fourth in the 2009 Red Bull Rookies Cup and has been invited to return to the series next year.

We’ll be following his progress of course, and bringing you news here on MotoGP Brits – but here for now is a very cool widescreen wallpaper, available in 3 high quality sizes…

Click here for the 1920×1200 version

Click here for the 1680×1050 version

Click here for the 1440×900 version

We hope you enjoy this first of many MotoGP Brits desktop downloads, and hope you’ll be back for more as the off-season continues. Hopefully we can get through this together and it’ll be the 2010 Cup soon!

There are more double race weekends so that the Rookies will perform both on the same day as the MotoGP race in Jerez, Assen, Sachsenring and Brno and on the preceding day of MotoGP qualifying in Jerez, Mugello, Assen, Sachsenring, Brno and Misano.
With an ever increasing fan base and TV coverage the series goes from strength to strength. The 2009 Cup winner Jakub Kornfeil received his FIM award from the Federation President Mr. Vito Ippolito at the final MotoGP round in Valencia where he was racing in the 125GP class and the 16 year old Czech is due to start next season as a full time Grand Prix rider.

“It is what I have been working for. I knew that winning the Rookies Cup would be my best chance of having a full time Grand Prix ride. So now I have a very good opportunity in Grand Prix as a Red Bull athlete and I know that I still have a lot of learning to do but I want to be racing in the top twenty and get some points if I can,” said Kornfeil.

The Cup winner is not the only one to be launched into a professional career from this year’s Rookie Cup; runner-up 17 year old Norwegian Sturla Fagerhaug is also hoping to compete in the 125 GP class. Third placed Florian Marino, the 16 year old Frenchman, steps across to the European 600 Superstock Series as a full time member of the prestigious Ten Kate Team.
“I have a great chance in a great team and I have to thank everyone in the Rookies Cup for helping me so much to progress as a rider, especially Gustl who taught me how to win,” said Marino recalling Rider Coach Gustl Auinger’s words to him in Donington after a string of top 6 finishes. Three weeks later he won in Brno.

With those men added to the list of the Rookies Alumni already in GP racing like 2007 Cup winner Johann Zarco, and the runners-up from 2007 and 2008; Lorenzo Savadori and Luis Salom, it is easy to see how well the Cup has proved itself the development ground for teenagers with great ambitions.

Next season the Cup will again be broadcast live on the Rookies Cup Website and can be viewed on and increasing number of TV stations around the world. With the men in front of him having graduated the way is clear for 16 year old Californian Jake Gagne, 4th in 2009, to complete is incredible transformation from motocrosser to winning international road racer in just 3 seasons by taking the 2010 Rookies Cup. He will be fiercely opposed by another 14 riders who remain in the Cup from this season and the 10 Rookies brought in new from this year’s Selection Process.

The Selection Process for the 2011 Rookies Cup will be opened in the Spring of 2010 and the Cup starts with race one in Jerez on May 1st. With the standard of riding in the Cup improving from year to year the Selection Committee will be looking for riders who are very successful in their national championships around the world to be invited to the Selection Event.

Provisional entry list

3 Deni Cudic Austria
5 Philipp Oettl Germany
7 Alejandro Pardo Italy
16 Joshua Hook Australia
17 Antonio Chiari Brazil
18 James Flitcroft England
20 Mathew Scholtz South Africa
22 Daniel Ruiz Spain
23 Niccolo Antonelli Italy
24 Harry Stafford England
27 Alessio Cappella Italy / Nigeria
32 Jacob Gagne United States
34 Xavier Pinsach Spain
41 Brad Binder South Africa
46 Daijiro Hiura Japan
47 Tomas Vavrous Czech Republic
52 Danny Kent England
57 Brody Nowlan Australia
61 Arthur Sissis Australia
66 Florian Alt Germany
72 Alexander Kristiansson Sweden
74 Kevin Calia Italy
77 Taylor Mackenzie Scotland
95 Xavier Figueras Spain
98 Alan Techer France

Provisional calendar

Pre Season Test April 12, 13 & 15 Valencia – Spain
Races 1 & 2 May 1-2 Jerez – Spain
Race 3 June 5 Mugello – Italy
Races 4 & 5 June 25-26 Assen – Netherlands
Races 6 & 7 July 17-18 Sachsenring – Germany
Races 8 & 9 August 14-15 Brno – Czech Republic
Race 10 September 4 Misano – Republic of San Marino

According to the official site, an extremely high level of ability was represented from as far afield as New Zealand, Poland, Argentina, the Russian Federation, the USA and Brazil. Judges Gustl Auinger, Harald Bartol, Raul Jara and Peter Clifford made their selection and the results were announced to the riders before they left the circuit.

As well as Danny, the other British riders invited to continue next year are Harry Stafford (15th in the 2009 standings), Taylor Mackenzie (20th), Deane Brown (21st) and Fraser Rogers (26th).

The newly invited riders are:
Florian Alt, Germany
Niccolo Antonelli, Italy
Antonio Chiari, Brazil
Deni Cudic, Austria
Brody Nowlan, Australia
Xavier Pinsach, Spain
Alan Techer, France
Philipp Öttl, Germany, Reserve 1
James Flitcroft, England, Reserve 2
Tomas Vavrous, Czech Republic, Reserve 3

Those Rookies invited from the 2009 Cup are:
Brad Binder, South Africa
Kevin Calia, Italy
Alessio Cappella, Nigeria
Xavier Figueras, Spain
Jake Gagne, USA
Daijiro Hiura, Japan
Joshua Hook, Australia
Danny Kent, England
Alex Kristiansson, Sweden
Taylor Mackenzie, Scotland
Florian Marino, France
Alejandro Pardo, Italy
Fraser Rogers, England
Daniel Ruiz, Spain
Mathew Scholtz, South Africa
Arthur Sissis, Australia
Benny Solis, USA
Harry Stafford, England