Yamaha USA's Josh Hayes (Photo: Brian J Nelson) ยป More Photos
Another AMA Pro American Superbike race, another blowout race victory. Ho-hum, right? Wrong.
Saturday's lopsided win at Infineon Raceway was scored by one Josh Hayes, not Mat Mladin, the Mississippian repaying Yamaha USA for finally providing him with a legitimate shot in the premier class with that long-awaited triumph.
Not only was the win the first of Hayes' AMA Superbike career, it also ended Mat Mladin's perfect start to the American Superbike era and finally closed the book on Yoshimura's ridiculously lengthy multi-season fifty-something AMA Superbike win streak (the last non Yosh win going to Jake Zemke on the American Honda CBR1000RR way back in '96 at Miller Motorsports Park).
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Mladin tore off with the holeshot at the opening of the race but was quickly overhauled by Hayes' teammate, Ben Bostrom, at the start of lap two. However, the Californian missed out on a golden opportunity on this day, losing the front in Turn 11 on that same lap, handing the lead back to Mladin.
Hayes stepped in where his teammate faltered, swooping his long-bang R1 under the Australian's developing '09 GSX-R1000 on the following lap in Turn 6. Once through he pulled 'a Mladin' -- stretching out an advantage almost immediately and going into escape mode while the rest of the contenders got caught up behind the clearly struggling, but still late-on-the-brakes six-time champ.
