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AMA Pro Superbike
AMA SBK: Power Shift
What looked to be a dead-even AMA Pro Superbike championship battle has slanted heavily in Josh Hayes' favor as of late.
Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes (Photo: Evan Williams)
A lot can change in seven days. It sure did in the AMA Pro Superbike championship.
Blake Young actually led the points going into Utah. He was up by four and now he’s down by 20. Josh Hayes won the Monday race in Utah and then both Road America races, and none of them were even close.
Things had looked pretty even. They’d split the three 2012 wins prior to the back-to-back Utah/Wisconsin rounds.
But that’s not the way it is. Both of these guys are very good, but Hayes is better, at least for right now.
At Sonoma, both riders thought they’d have the advantage for the subsequent stretch. Hayes led most of the 2011 race at Utah and took one win in Wisconsin. Young won Utah and one of the Elkhart Lake contests last year at his home race. He’s an emotional rider and the boost from racing in front of his raucous fans is worth something.
Young is a huge talent on the rise. Hayes is a veteran in his late 30s. At some point, you have to figure their career arcs will cross and the younger rider will gain the upper hand like happened with Ben Spies and Mat Mladin.
It wouldn’t have been crazy to think that maybe it already had. Young won seven races to Hayes’ three last year. Hayes won the championship from earning bonus points and coming up strong late in the year.
It's not the case, though. Hayes has Young covered for the moment.
Blake Young actually led the points going into Utah. He was up by four and now he’s down by 20. Josh Hayes won the Monday race in Utah and then both Road America races, and none of them were even close.
Things had looked pretty even. They’d split the three 2012 wins prior to the back-to-back Utah/Wisconsin rounds.
But that’s not the way it is. Both of these guys are very good, but Hayes is better, at least for right now.
At Sonoma, both riders thought they’d have the advantage for the subsequent stretch. Hayes led most of the 2011 race at Utah and took one win in Wisconsin. Young won Utah and one of the Elkhart Lake contests last year at his home race. He’s an emotional rider and the boost from racing in front of his raucous fans is worth something.
Young is a huge talent on the rise. Hayes is a veteran in his late 30s. At some point, you have to figure their career arcs will cross and the younger rider will gain the upper hand like happened with Ben Spies and Mat Mladin.
It wouldn’t have been crazy to think that maybe it already had. Young won seven races to Hayes’ three last year. Hayes won the championship from earning bonus points and coming up strong late in the year.
It's not the case, though. Hayes has Young covered for the moment.
AMA SBK Miller Motorsports Park
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