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AMA Pro Superbike
AMA SBK: Time To Wake Up And Take Notice
The remarkable AMA Superbike season finale was the perfect way to close out a bar-raising season and set the stage for an even bigger things to come. Were you watching?
AMA Pro Superbike title rivals Blake Young and Josh Hayes (Photo: Brian J Nelson)
Sunday's epic AMA Pro Superbike finale -- one that saw Blake Young will his way to a series-leading seventh victory in a race he should have had no hope of stealing and Josh Hayes strike on the final lap to secure a second consecutive crown by just five points -- was the '11 season's exclamation point.
That spectacular, drama-filled, intense, and unpredictable melee provided something for fans of all varieties -- a reward for the faithful, and invitation to the prospective, and a demand to the lapsed that it's time to put aside their differences and come back, begging for forgiveness on both knees if need be.
Race fans can no longer ignore AMA Superbike. The disillusioned that walked away and pine for a return to the good old days need to wake up. Today's on-track product is leagues better than anything previously served up. The path to this point was difficult and not always pretty, and the foundation still a bit wobbly, but whether by plan or by happenstance, AMA Superbike is currently the world's most exciting form of motorcycle roadracing.
Ten of 14 races this season were decided on the final lap with an average margin of victory of 0.277s between them. The other four were largely competitive until a late escape sealed the deal in one rider's favor. 50% of the season's races had three or more riders in with a shot at victory on the race's final lap.
And it goes well beyond the numbers. The contests were significantly more heated than the timesheets imply, with unexpected and unforgiving passing the order of the season -- Josh Hayes chasing bonus points, Blake Young out to win every apex and corral Hayes in behind him, Tommy Hayden employing constantly evolving tactics, Roger Hayden becoming a regular wild card in the mix, and Martin Cardenas learning on the job and providing everyone (himself included) with plenty of scares along the way.
The most intriguing AMA Pro Superbike campaign on record could have easily gone out with a whimper. In fact, it seemed likely considering how out of sorts Young had been all weekend long. His hugely disappointing fifth place put Hayes in position to claim the title with just a Sunday cruise to third -- normally a relatively easy feat for the ultra-reliable Mississippian.
Instead, the series witnessed the most remarkable two-wheel brawl offered up anywhere on the globe this year, the perfect culmination of an awe-inspiring season.
Considering the gravity of what was at stake, the individual and group battles featured, the obvious desperation of everyone involved, and how it ultimately played out… I'm starting to feel like a caricature of Bill Walton and his cartoonish platitudes, but even if his former employer down the dial has a copyright on the phrase 'Instant Classic,' this race certainly lived up that billing.
In a championship already held up for its abundance of vicious passing, ruthless overtaking was taken to a whole new level on Sunday. In almost any other situation, riders would have been cursing each other and perhaps even throwing punches after the race as a result, but they all understood these special circumstances called for 'no-holds-barred' rules. Specific maneuvers were later singled out as "dirty" by more than one rider, but then again, more than one rider also added, "but I would have done the exact same thing."
Championship bids were on the line, career-first wins were on the line, future manufacturer participation was on the line, and livelihoods were on the line. Every rider in the eight (crashed down to five)-rider pack was racing desperately and without regard for anyone but himself.
And it was glorious.
That spectacular, drama-filled, intense, and unpredictable melee provided something for fans of all varieties -- a reward for the faithful, and invitation to the prospective, and a demand to the lapsed that it's time to put aside their differences and come back, begging for forgiveness on both knees if need be.
Race fans can no longer ignore AMA Superbike. The disillusioned that walked away and pine for a return to the good old days need to wake up. Today's on-track product is leagues better than anything previously served up. The path to this point was difficult and not always pretty, and the foundation still a bit wobbly, but whether by plan or by happenstance, AMA Superbike is currently the world's most exciting form of motorcycle roadracing.
Ten of 14 races this season were decided on the final lap with an average margin of victory of 0.277s between them. The other four were largely competitive until a late escape sealed the deal in one rider's favor. 50% of the season's races had three or more riders in with a shot at victory on the race's final lap.
And it goes well beyond the numbers. The contests were significantly more heated than the timesheets imply, with unexpected and unforgiving passing the order of the season -- Josh Hayes chasing bonus points, Blake Young out to win every apex and corral Hayes in behind him, Tommy Hayden employing constantly evolving tactics, Roger Hayden becoming a regular wild card in the mix, and Martin Cardenas learning on the job and providing everyone (himself included) with plenty of scares along the way.
The most intriguing AMA Pro Superbike campaign on record could have easily gone out with a whimper. In fact, it seemed likely considering how out of sorts Young had been all weekend long. His hugely disappointing fifth place put Hayes in position to claim the title with just a Sunday cruise to third -- normally a relatively easy feat for the ultra-reliable Mississippian.
Instead, the series witnessed the most remarkable two-wheel brawl offered up anywhere on the globe this year, the perfect culmination of an awe-inspiring season.
Considering the gravity of what was at stake, the individual and group battles featured, the obvious desperation of everyone involved, and how it ultimately played out… I'm starting to feel like a caricature of Bill Walton and his cartoonish platitudes, but even if his former employer down the dial has a copyright on the phrase 'Instant Classic,' this race certainly lived up that billing.
In a championship already held up for its abundance of vicious passing, ruthless overtaking was taken to a whole new level on Sunday. In almost any other situation, riders would have been cursing each other and perhaps even throwing punches after the race as a result, but they all understood these special circumstances called for 'no-holds-barred' rules. Specific maneuvers were later singled out as "dirty" by more than one rider, but then again, more than one rider also added, "but I would have done the exact same thing."
Championship bids were on the line, career-first wins were on the line, future manufacturer participation was on the line, and livelihoods were on the line. Every rider in the eight (crashed down to five)-rider pack was racing desperately and without regard for anyone but himself.
And it was glorious.
AMA SBK Miller Motorsports Park
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