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AMA Pro Superbike
AMA SBK: Pivotal Year - Josh Herrin
Josh Herrin enjoyed a successful rookie Superbike campaign but will be expected to take his game up to another level in 2013.
Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Herrin (Photo: Evan Williams)
Like Ben Spies in MotoGP, another rider facing a pivotal season is AMA Superbike sophomore Josh Herrin. Herrin, 22, enjoyed a largely successful rookie Superbike season last year for Monster Energy Graves Yamaha and will return in the same capacity this season.
Herrin burst onto the AMA Pro scene in 2006 at just 16 years of age, earning a podium at Miller Motorsports Park before most people even knew his name. The Georgian has been one of top young talents in the series ever since.
He’s had considerable success, becoming the second-youngest Daytona 200 winner in 2010 among other triumphs. He’s also faced controversy at times, but he’s responded to those incidents well as he’s matured.
2013 is a pivotal year for Herrin largely due to the circumstances in which he finds himself. Herrin turned down a Moto2 ride with the Marc VDS team to return as Josh Hayes' teammate at for a second season. Bypassing his shot to race in Europe puts additional pressure on Herrin, given the stakes. Moto2 rides don’t come around every day, so Herrin might never get another chance again to get closer to his MotoGP dream.
Also, the sound you hear near the Yamaha trailer is the whirlwind of Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier had a breakthrough season in Daytona SportBike and appears to be a top line talent. A Superbike ride for Beaubier seems inevitable and some think he should have one already.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that Yamaha will look to put Beaubier on a Superbike in 2014. Herrin’s season will determine if that’s any easy choice or a more complicated one.
It’s a painfully short walk from running up front to looking for a ride these days in AMA Pro. Ask recent Superbike series runner-ups and multi-time race winners Tommy Hayden and Blake Young about that.
Herrin earned the box 10 times in 2012 and finished fourth in points -- which could have been third if he hadn’t missed the season-ending rounds due to injury. That’s a positive, highlighted by third place finishes at Road Atlanta, second at Miller, and showing the ability to hang with Josh Hayes for a time at Barber.
However, if there's a negative, it’s that his learning curve was a little flat. Given that he started out strong, it would have been nice for Herrin to claim a win late in the year to really drive home his success.
The second Yamaha seat is a heckuva ride, but it also sets up comparisons to the racing dynamo named Josh Hayes.
Is it unfair to expect a guy 21 years old when the season started to be ready to whip Josh Hayes after a few races on a Superbike? Sure, but we’re in a “dazzle me with brilliance” era.
That doesn’t mean Herrin didn’t come a long way in 2012. He was fast in testing but found the bike a handful over long runs. At Daytona, he had a protracted battle with Roger Hayden. Herrin was fast on the straight and looked to have a quicker bike but couldn’t make it happen. He was good on the starts and became much more comfortable dicing on the big bike as the season went on.
If Herrin can come through and continue his improvement, it’s all a moot point.
Herrin burst onto the AMA Pro scene in 2006 at just 16 years of age, earning a podium at Miller Motorsports Park before most people even knew his name. The Georgian has been one of top young talents in the series ever since.
He’s had considerable success, becoming the second-youngest Daytona 200 winner in 2010 among other triumphs. He’s also faced controversy at times, but he’s responded to those incidents well as he’s matured.
2013 is a pivotal year for Herrin largely due to the circumstances in which he finds himself. Herrin turned down a Moto2 ride with the Marc VDS team to return as Josh Hayes' teammate at for a second season. Bypassing his shot to race in Europe puts additional pressure on Herrin, given the stakes. Moto2 rides don’t come around every day, so Herrin might never get another chance again to get closer to his MotoGP dream.
Also, the sound you hear near the Yamaha trailer is the whirlwind of Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier had a breakthrough season in Daytona SportBike and appears to be a top line talent. A Superbike ride for Beaubier seems inevitable and some think he should have one already.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that Yamaha will look to put Beaubier on a Superbike in 2014. Herrin’s season will determine if that’s any easy choice or a more complicated one.
It’s a painfully short walk from running up front to looking for a ride these days in AMA Pro. Ask recent Superbike series runner-ups and multi-time race winners Tommy Hayden and Blake Young about that.
Herrin earned the box 10 times in 2012 and finished fourth in points -- which could have been third if he hadn’t missed the season-ending rounds due to injury. That’s a positive, highlighted by third place finishes at Road Atlanta, second at Miller, and showing the ability to hang with Josh Hayes for a time at Barber.
However, if there's a negative, it’s that his learning curve was a little flat. Given that he started out strong, it would have been nice for Herrin to claim a win late in the year to really drive home his success.
The second Yamaha seat is a heckuva ride, but it also sets up comparisons to the racing dynamo named Josh Hayes.
Is it unfair to expect a guy 21 years old when the season started to be ready to whip Josh Hayes after a few races on a Superbike? Sure, but we’re in a “dazzle me with brilliance” era.
That doesn’t mean Herrin didn’t come a long way in 2012. He was fast in testing but found the bike a handful over long runs. At Daytona, he had a protracted battle with Roger Hayden. Herrin was fast on the straight and looked to have a quicker bike but couldn’t make it happen. He was good on the starts and became much more comfortable dicing on the big bike as the season went on.
If Herrin can come through and continue his improvement, it’s all a moot point.
AMA SBK Miller Motorsports Park
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