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AMA Pro Superbike
AMA SBK: Trading Places At Mid-Ohio
There's been a change in fortunes for AMA Superbike title rivals Josh Hayes and Blake Young compared with last year's stop at Mid-Ohio.
Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes (Photo: Evan Williams)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The AMA Pro Road Racing action from Mid-Ohio will air on SPEED Saturday, July 14th and Sunday, July 15th starting at 11:00pm ET.
Two-time defending AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes enters the Mid-Ohio weekend showcasing perhaps the most formidable form of his decorated career.
Having already logged eight victories in '12 and with the all-time single season mark firmly in his sights, the Mississippian is far removed from the beat-down racer who suffered through his worst weekend of the season at Mid-O a year ago.
A proven Mid-Ohio master with the double win in '09 and another victory in '10, Hayes was searching for a response to Blake Young's emergence at the time. Rather than find a safe haven in Ohio, however, the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace missed pole position for the only time all year long, was beat to the checkered flag by Young (again) on Saturday, and relegated off the podium altogether a day later.
But rather than fear a return, Hayes appears to be relishing yet another opportunity for revenge while he steamrolls through the 2012 slate. Josh has already righted a number of personal wrongs this season, scoring his first career Superbike wins at Daytona, Atlanta, Miller, and Barber, while also getting some payback at Young's home track, Road America, for good measure.
Hayes actually views Young as mired in the same down mental state he was stuck in at Mid-Ohio a year ago. He explained, "I think last year when I showed up here I was in maybe a little bit of a place that Blake is now, coming from the last couple weekend's he's had. It was the same deal for me; I was fast every weekend but I was just getting beat, and getting beat, and getting beat. I had a million people in my ear telling me how to fix it and here was kind of rock bottom for me a little bit. This is a track I was really good at, and I still rode fairly well, but I just ran out of some fight at the end. In the second race I didn't even get on the podium… It's funny to hear myself say that. It just doesn't sound right. I fought so hard just to get to the podium for so long.
"Performance-wise on the racetrack I went home pretty disappointed. I even had an opportunity to get on the podium but I just didn't have the fight. I didn't take advantage of it, and I was pretty upset with myself for letting that one get away.
"This year it's kind of been the other way around. I've been going well. This is still a good racetrack for me. I have three Superbike race wins here. This weekend I'm going to just try to do my routine, go through the motions, the same thing I've done the last seven race weekends. I think if I do that, I'll be racing for the win and that's important."
Two-time defending AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes enters the Mid-Ohio weekend showcasing perhaps the most formidable form of his decorated career.
Having already logged eight victories in '12 and with the all-time single season mark firmly in his sights, the Mississippian is far removed from the beat-down racer who suffered through his worst weekend of the season at Mid-O a year ago.
A proven Mid-Ohio master with the double win in '09 and another victory in '10, Hayes was searching for a response to Blake Young's emergence at the time. Rather than find a safe haven in Ohio, however, the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace missed pole position for the only time all year long, was beat to the checkered flag by Young (again) on Saturday, and relegated off the podium altogether a day later.
But rather than fear a return, Hayes appears to be relishing yet another opportunity for revenge while he steamrolls through the 2012 slate. Josh has already righted a number of personal wrongs this season, scoring his first career Superbike wins at Daytona, Atlanta, Miller, and Barber, while also getting some payback at Young's home track, Road America, for good measure.
Hayes actually views Young as mired in the same down mental state he was stuck in at Mid-Ohio a year ago. He explained, "I think last year when I showed up here I was in maybe a little bit of a place that Blake is now, coming from the last couple weekend's he's had. It was the same deal for me; I was fast every weekend but I was just getting beat, and getting beat, and getting beat. I had a million people in my ear telling me how to fix it and here was kind of rock bottom for me a little bit. This is a track I was really good at, and I still rode fairly well, but I just ran out of some fight at the end. In the second race I didn't even get on the podium… It's funny to hear myself say that. It just doesn't sound right. I fought so hard just to get to the podium for so long.
"Performance-wise on the racetrack I went home pretty disappointed. I even had an opportunity to get on the podium but I just didn't have the fight. I didn't take advantage of it, and I was pretty upset with myself for letting that one get away.
"This year it's kind of been the other way around. I've been going well. This is still a good racetrack for me. I have three Superbike race wins here. This weekend I'm going to just try to do my routine, go through the motions, the same thing I've done the last seven race weekends. I think if I do that, I'll be racing for the win and that's important."
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