Monster Energy Graves Yamaha

It was a day filled with podium finishes for the Yamaha U.S. Road Racing Teams in AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike and AMA Pro GoPro Daytona Sportbike.

Reigning two-time Superbike champion and Road Atlanta polesitter Josh Hayes finished second on his Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R1® in the hotly contested Superbike Race 1. His teammate Josh Herrin, who lives in nearby Dublin, GA, earned his first podium in only the third Superbike race of his career. Josh got the holeshot twice and led from the start in both legs of the race, which was red-flagged when race winner Blake Young took a spill on lap 14 of the 20-lap event. Blake, Josh Hayes, and Josh Herrin all battled for the win, and Blake ultimately notched the victory.

Along with the bonus point that he earned for qualifying in pole position, Josh Hayes also earned an additional bonus point for leading the most laps (13 of the 20) in the race. Josh and Blake are now tied for the lead in the championship.

After the race, Josh Hayes said, “Big congrats to Blake on the win. It was a hero ride for him, and my hat’s off to him. My team gave me a good, competitive bike today, and we led the most laps…but unfortunately not the final lap. So, we’ll look at things tonight to see what we can do to move up a position in tomorrow’s race.”

Josh Herrin said, “When the red flag came out, it gave me a second chance, and I gave it everything I had. I wanted to get on the podium here at my home race in front of my fans. So, I’m happy, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”