Pint-sized Bay speedster to fly flag in Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
What do SA’s famous Binder brothers and a teenager from Gqeberha have in common?
All three represent the twowheeled dreams of African motorcycle enthusiasts as they compete in some of the world’s elite motorsport competitions.
Ruché Moodley’s recent selection to compete in the international Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will result in the pint-sized 14-year-old from Gqeberha racing on eight European circuits in 2022 as the curtain raiser event for the MotoGP series.
Moodley is one of only 12 new youngsters worldwide selected to compete against 25 of the planet’s best racers between the ages of 13 and 18 for the title of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookie of the year.
Having Arushen Moodley, a former SA and United Arab Emirates superbike championship winner, as a father encouraged the young speedster to climb onto his first bike at the age of seven.
He never looked back and has been racking up the titles in various junior SA championships.
Ruché started competing in the fiercely competitive European Talent Cup about two years ago.
Proud dad and owner of Dynamic Express Services, Arushen said Ruché’s move to international competition forced them to move between SA and Spain to train — and at one point during the hard lockdown they even had to take a repatriation flight.
Though Ruché had always shown promise in his motorsport career, the announcement of his selection last week came as a surprise to the family.
“This is a major stepping stone for him, as this [Red Bull Rookies] is essentially the feeder platform for the various tiers of the MotoGP,” Arushen said.
“We realised Ruché needed to train in Europe against the best in his division as when you’re out in SA and you think you are training hard and doing well, you soon realise the level of competition when you attend these international events.
“Spain affords him the opportunity to truly train with the best and learn from them.
“Motorsport is in their culture and competition is fierce — if your kid isn’t performing there is always another looking to take their place,” he said.
Though Ruché always makes his presence felt in races, the youngster said the “nerves never really fade”.
“Before the race, there is always nerves. I do a lot of meditation as well.
“But once the race starts I push them back and focus on what needs to be done,” he said.
Ruché said concentration was key because little differentiates the riders in the Rookie Cup, aside from skill and experience.
All the championship hopefuls compete on 250cc KTM bikes — weighted according to their rider — to keep the field even.
“I have put in a lot of training. I was also coached by the Binders [Darryn and Brad] and
lots of other prominent people, but my favourite would have to be Pedro Acosta — I learnt a lot from him.”
He said he spent his down time cycling, going to gym and on outdoor activities which kept him prepared for the next session.
Despite having once broken his femur during a race, the teen is not fazed by the prospect of broken bones.
And though his mother Chanelle might be nervous about her boy hitting speeds of up 220km/h on the track, she and his 11-year-old sister Miha will support him when he starts training in Spain in January ahead of the first race in April.
According to the Red Bull Rookies website, almost 50% of Rookies have graduated to the World Championship.
Eight have won World Championships and last year’s Cup winner, Pedro Acosta, heads this season’s Moto3 title chase while ex-Rookie Raul Fernandez is second in Moto2 and Joan Mir is third in MotoGP, having won the title last season.
So far, a total of 211 riders representing 36 countries have competed in the Cup.
The addition of Mexico next season brings that to 37 nations and a total of 223 riders.
Ruché is the only competitor from Africa who will be participating in the series.
Arushen Moodley took the checkered flag in the SA Superbike Championship in 2007.
He also won the United Arab Emirates Superbike Championship in 2010.