Canadian quartet heads for Barber

By John Hopkins

Four young Canadian road racers will travel to Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama this weekend in a bid to be selected for the 2009 Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup.

Raphael Archambault of St-Colomban, QC, Jodi Christie from Keene, ON, Steven Nickerson of Hamilton, ON and Collingwood, ON's Ben Young will be among the 132 racers trying to earn a spot in next year's series. Last year 23 riders were chosen for the program.

The Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup is a program designed to develop up and coming road racing talent. The riders selected from this weekend's camp will take part in the nine-round series in 2009, all competing on KTM RC 125 bikes. The races will run alongside events in the AMA Superbike Championship.

Archambault won this year's inaugural Honda CBR125R Challenge on the Parts Canada Superbike tour, sweeping all five race wins along the way. Christie claimed the Armour Bodies Amateur 600 Sport Bike National Championship, and also snatched RACE SuperSeries regional titles in Amateur Superbike and Amateur 600. Nickerson picked up the RACE Amateur 125 title and finished second in AM 250 points, while Young was first in the Can-Am 125 GP and Pro 125 GP classes in the RACE series.

Nickerson will be traveling to Alabama despite fracturing a bone in his hand and suffering a concussion in last weekend's final RACE SuperSeries event at Shannonville Motorsport Park. According to his mentor Ross Millson, Nickerson lost the rear of his bike as he exited the chicane on a drying track.

Based on the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in Europe, the U.S. program is open to riders from North and South America between 13 and 17 years of age. Racers aren't evaluated solely on talent -- personality, racing spirit, team spirit and fair play also play a role in selection to the series.

American Benny Solis won this year's inaugural U.S. Rookies Cup. Emerson Connor of Burlington, ON, the lone Canadian in the series, placed eighth.

This weekend's aspirants will be divided into two groups, one riding Saturday and the other on Sunday. The top contenders from there will take to the track one last time on Monday.

The line-up for the 2009 Rookies Cup will be announced about a week after the Barber evaluation.