Damage limitation in Germany for O’Gorman in Red Bull Rookies Cup

BY GILES SPENCER
giles@slpmedia.co.uk

Erith motorcycle racer Casey O’Gorman had to settle for damage limitation last weekend in round four of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup with two hard fought top ten rides at the Sachsenring in Germany.

The 14 year old on his first visit to the circuit, started the weekend off well only four tenths off the time set by fastest man and championship leader Jose Rueda in practice but more woes were to come in qualifying as O’Gorman crashed on his out lap, relegating him to the back of the grid in 25th place for the weekends two races.

O’Gorman got a perfect launch off the lights in race one to climb up to 17th after the first of 19 laps.

Six laps to go and O’Gorman had moved up to sixth place and although Rueda had checked out to the tune of nine seconds at the front, he was in with a shout for the podium.

Entering the final lap O’Gorman had dropped to ninth in the podium fight when two riders clashed ahead promoting him to fifth in the mele which he managed to hold to the line only to be demoted to sixth for exceeding track limits on the final lap.

Rueda won the race by 10.770 seconds.

Starting again from the back of the grid for Sunday’s race held in 36 degree conditions, O’Gorman was determined to go better than Saturday, crossing the line for the first time of nineteen laps in 21st place.

Only five laps down and the youngster was heading the second pack in 11th but the group ahead lead by Rueda had already opened up a gap stretching it to four seconds by lap six.

With the leading ten riders going a second a lap quicker than on Saturday, O’Gorman faced a mammoth task to get into the fight for the higher places, especially with the riders he was battling with trying to ruin his flow at every corner.

Five laps to go and the gap to the front pack had proved too much to overcome with O’Gorman being forced to accept the best he could get would be five points for 11th.

Last lap and O’Gorman gave it everything he had to head Lorenz Luciano across the line in 11th, then picked up a bonus place for 10th after Kiwi, Cormac Buchanan crashed out in the dying moments.

Angel Piqueras took the win in dramatic fashion in a seven rider fight for the win with long time race leader Rueda in fourth.

Picking up 15 points from a possible 50 has dropped O’Gorman to sixth in the championship.

The riders now have a break before racing resumes on 17-18th September at Aragon in Spain.

Photos: Red Bull Content Pool