AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Race Victory to Young, Championship to Hayes
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 4, 2011) - In one of the most incredible AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike battles on record, the 2011 championship came down to an epic 23-lap contest that saw the crown change hands nearly a dozen times -- twice on the final lap alone -- before again being bestowed upon Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's defending champion, Josh Hayes. Far from a one-on-one contest, Hayes and Rockstar Makita Suzuki challenger Blake Young faced off not only against each other but against a handful of other riders fast enough to change the fortunes of all.
Off the line, Hayes immediately laid claim to Tommy Hayden's holeshot while the rest of today's major players declared themselves almost as quickly, Roger Hayden (National Guard Jordan Suzuki), Ben Bostrom (Jordan Suzuki), Steve Rapp (Cycle World Attack Performance Kawasaki), and Young joining a lead pack that railed through corners in seven- and eight-rider iterations. With the race barely underway, the first of several game-changers was delivered via a red flag (following a crash by Canadian Brett McCormick) that mandated a full restart.
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Blake Young #79 leads Roger Hayden #54, Ben Bostrom #23 and Josh Hayes #1 during AMA Superbike Championship Series race 2 action at NJMP, the 2011 season finale. AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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When the flag dropped on the second start, it was a whole new race for a suddenly resurgent Young, who charged into second behind Tommy Hayden while Hayes was left to claw his way up from fifth. Hayes proceeded to do just that, dispatching Bostrom and Rapp before pulling three-wide on the front straight with Young and Tommy and putting a pass on the duo that carried him into the lead with Young right behind. When Young took over the frontrunner position with thirteen laps to go, it kicked off a furious sprint to the finish that had race watchers adding and subtracting points as Hayes and Young -- along with both Haydens, Bostrom, Rapp, and others -- slammed through corners in a constant state of flux.
When the white flag flew, Young -- who'd lost a vital buffer when Tommy Hayden crashed out with seven to go -- was again back in business, Roger Hayden and Bostrom having gotten past Hayes just before the penultimate lap. But when Bostrom ran off-track with only corners to go, Hayes jumped forward to sail past Roger Hayden and drag race Young to the line. Young took the race victory by .005 of a second, but the title went to Hayes by 5 precious points.
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Josh Hayes celebrates on the podium at NJMP after winning his second AMA Superbike Championship on Sunday, September 4. AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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"I got myself into second and got set for a run up to flag," said Hayes, "and it was a heck of a run, but I didn't have enough to get by him. Man, what an exhale [I let out] once we crossed the line and it was over and done with -- Blake made me race my tail off for that last one, and it was great. He rode like a champ this year; he's won seven races and I've only won three, but my bad days weren't as bad as his. He's still learning and he's young, and I'm sure next year's going to be the same thing all over again. He rode a fantastic year, and what a final day. He really pulled it together, and man, rode like a SuperBike racer."
"It was tough, tough weekend for me, for sure," said a disappointed Young. "Today, I don't think it was skill or anything but mainly just heart. I just wanted to show what my team was capable of and what they've been doing all year long. I wanted to end the season like that, and I did; I wanted to bring the win home for them because they deserve it. I definitely was confident today to let it all hang out -- I didn't really worry where Josh was, I just wanted to win. I'm happy I've had the season that I've had, but I'm kind of sad that it's over -- I'd like to go at it a little bit more. I have go back and try harder; I didn't get it done this year. But you'll see me back next year, a little bit stronger."
"With ten to go," said Roger Hayden, "I figured I had to make a push. It was a crazy race -- people crashing, guys all over the place -- but I got lucky a few times and on the last lap I closed up on Blake ... and tried to get up the inside of him a little bit. But he was able to block me, like you're supposed to do on the last lap, so I ended up third. It was a pretty good race for me and a good way to end the season strong for me and the team -- give us something to build on. Hopefully [next year] I can challenge these guys again."
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
For additional information contact:
AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Josh Hayes Collects Victory and Precious Points in New Jersey National Guard SuperBike Race 1
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 3, 2011) - Twenty-three intense laps around New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Raceway didn't decide the hotly contested 2011 AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Championship, but they did hand points-leader and reigning champ Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) a distinct advantage heading into tomorrow's contest. Though hounded by Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom throughout the race, the so-called "Mississippi Madman" put together a highly methodical string of laps that delivered him to a comfortable victory and an eleven-point overall lead.
"I've been a little inconsistent on starts this year," said Hayes, who entered the round with a five-point deficit, "and today was definitely one of my better ones. I had a pretty good feel for how to approach Turn 1, so it worked out good for me. The whole time, I didn't know if it was just Ben behind me or Ben and five more guys, so I wasn't going to lose any time to anyone. I just tried to keep my nerve and ride smooth."
Bostrom kept the pressure on Hayes so consistent that Hayes admitted to temporarily losing focus and beginning to make mistakes halfway through the contest. "It wasn't so much of a fight," said Bostrom, who got the holeshot off the line. "Josh made a great pass on first lap and set an incredible pace, and he was fighting for points, so there was no need to fight with him. "
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Josh Hayes shows off his hardware after winning race 1 of the AMA Superbike Championship Series event at NJMP. AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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Hayes' championship rival, Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Blake Young, was significantly less pleased with his Saturday after coming out on the downside of a three-way battle with teammate Tommy Hayden and National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden. Anyone who suspected that Suzuki "team orders" might be in effect this weekend got a lesson in alternatives from Tommy Hayden, who showed zero inclination to give his teammate an inch.
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Josh Hayes #1 leads Ben Bostrom #23 during race 1 action at NJMP in the AMA Superbike Championship Series on Saturday, September 3. AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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"I felt like I had a pretty good jump [off the start]," said Hayden, "but these other two got an even better jump, so from there it was kind of a long race. By the time I got to third they already had about five seconds on me. Maybe I had the speed to run with 'em, but I for sure didn't have the pace to track them down from there. [Roger and Blake] kept me honest the whole way ... besides that, the race went fairly smooth. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get a better start and put up a better fight."
Behind Young, Steve Rapp (Cycle World Attack Performance Kawasaki), Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing), Martin Cardenas (M4 Suzuki), Chris Clark (Y.E.S./Pat Clark/Graves Yamaha), and new Canadian Superbike champion Brett McCormick rounded out the top ten.
| AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com |
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