National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden (Photo: Evan Williams)

If this season is going to develop into anything more than a two-man show, clearly the challenge is going to have to come from Hayes' rookie teammate, Josh Herrin, and/or National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden.

Herrin is about where he should have been expected to be at this point considering his natural talent and top-flight equipment and support. Two podiums are a nice reward for what's been a relatively speedy transition to Superbike racing, but the much bigger challenge will be actually threatening Hayes and Young for race wins. Herrin admits that he needs to increase his upper body strength to throw the bigger, more powerful R1 around and his new Superbike competitors say Herrin is still riding the big bike too much like a 600 -- which is pretty much all he knows after years on the undercard. It will take a bit of time to learn the nuances of getting the most out of a 1000 for full race distance.

(It's interesting to look at things in reverse as well. Former 600 champ Tommy Hayden is only just remembering some of his old middleweight tactics as evidenced by his SportBike runner-up on Sunday. Road Atlanta DSB double winner, Martin Cardenas, meanwhile, looks like he took any time off the 600. The difference is that Hayden worked extremely hard for several years to transform himself into a Superbike pilot and had only recently just become a race winner and serious title threat in the premier class after years in the trying. Cardenas, however, only raced Superbike for one year and, as any of his rivals would tell you to their consternation, rode the thing like a 600. While the Colombian scored a rare rookie win and flashed the lead pace on occasion, he also took his lumps as a result. Herrin seems to be on a similar track, although it's still early days and the Yamaha man understands the difficult changes that must be made.)

Hayden has taken two thirds and two fourths in 2012. That's not good enough. If you don't believe me, ask Roger yourself. He worked all throughout the 2011 season to finally close the gap to Hayes, Young, and brother Tommy and challenge for race wins.

His goal was to start 2012 at that same level, but now he's back to trying to find a way to narrow the gap once again. As anyone on the fence will tell you, Hayden was riding as hard as any Superbike rider at Road Atlanta, but he's just missing that tenth or two required to become the new fixture in a '12-version of the Hayes/Young/Hayden trio.

At this point Hayden seems to have a regular new sparring partner in Herrin. But unless Herrin becomes an overnight threat for victory, Rog won't be satisfied with scrapping for the final spot on the box.