2012 Daytona 200 winner Joey Pascarella (Photo: Brian J Nelson)

5. Daytona, AMA Pro Superbike, Race 2

Blake Young bounced back from a drubbing in the season opener the day before by sticking with rival Josh Hayes at Daytona before acing him on the final lap, à la 2011 -- this time by a meager 0.002 seconds.

4. Daytona 200

The most prestigious race on the slate lived up to its billing in 2012, as Joey Pascarella scored an underdog win in a thrilling scrap that had four riders in contention as they streaked to the checkered flag. Pascarella narrowly fended off Jason DiSalvo, who made a heroic charge up through the pack on his Gary Nixon-liveried Triumph after suffering from early-race mechanical issues. Meanwhile, Cameron Beaubier and Martin Cardenas finished alongside, just a tenth of a second behind in third and fourth, respectively.

3. AMA Pro Superbike Finale, NOLA

In many ways, the final race of the season was simply another showcase of exactly how much better Josh Hayes and his works R1 were than the rest of the field in 2012. But it was also a fitting finish for the most convincing single-season effort the sport has seen and was accomplished in front of Hayes' friends and family, many of whom were watching their homegrown hero operate for the first time.

2. Homestead-Miami Speedway, AMA Pro Superbike, Race 1

Roger Hayden finally earned his long-awaited maiden AMA Pro Superbike victory, racing to the checkered flag from pole. Hayden's impressive early pace forced a mistake from the usually unflappable Josh Hayes and that was pretty much it. It was a feel-good moment for the hard-working Kentuckian, whose future in the sport seemed in doubt just a few short years ago.

1. Road Atlanta, AMA Pro Superbike, Race 1

Coming off last year's routine drama, early in 2012 the season seemed likely to be a repeat of the weekly Blake Young-Josh Hayes wars. Even if it didn't ultimately play out that way, the two traded wins through the season's first six races. And none were as dramatic as the opening race at Road Atlanta, which ranks as among the most improbable in AMA Pro Superbike history. Hayes and Young settled in for yet another haymaker-trading affair until the two tangled while cresting the hill, leaving Young laying on the tarmac with the red flag flying. Young's Yosh crew quickly repaired his machine and got the charger back on the grid, albeit forced to line up from the very back. Powered by emotion and adrenaline, Young made an unthinkable charge from last to first, where he beat Hayes off the final corner to steal the checkered flag. It was nothing short of a hero ride.

SPEED.com Motorcycle Racing Editor Chris Martin saw Eddie Lawson win aboard a Kawasaki the first time he attended an AMA Superbike race and witnessed Ben Bostrom win a World Superbike race aboard a V&H Ducati the first time he worked one. He has written about AMA SBK, WSBK, and MotoGP for SPEED.com since 2003. Chris is now on Twitter.