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AMA Pro Superbike
MOTO: 2012 Rider Of The Year - Josh Hayes
Josh Hayes assembled the most dominant season in AMA Superbike history in '12 and earned himself the title SPEED.com Rider of the Year in the process.
Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes (Photo: Evan Williams)
Whether it was in the fight for races wins, championships, records, or post-season awards, Josh Hayes simply would not be denied in 2012.
With all due respect to megastars Jorge Lorenzo, Max Biaggi, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey, no rider was so brilliant in his own particular arena as the 37-year-old Mississippian this past season.
Hayes registered a season the likes of which had never been seen in AMA Pro Superbike history. In reflection, Hayes' epic '12 will be defined by the awe-inspiring numbers, the imposition of his will, his merciless approach, and the gradual acceptance of his rivals that they were beaten before the weekend even began.
The Numbers
In just his fourth season as a works AMA Superbike pilot, Hayes' statistics already insist he's among the greatest riders in the three-decade-plus history of the series.
In 2012 he established new series records for most wins in a season (16), most wins in succession (10), and equaled the record most poles in a season (10).
His career achievements are staggering as well, as he is now tied for second all-time in Superbike titles at three, and stands second all-time in total Superbike wins with 33.
Not bad for a guy that… well, we'll get to that next…
The Mindset
Don't look for Hayes to ease up on his competition now. He likes to joke that he's just 'greedy,' but it might be more accurate to say that he simply remembers -- remembers the fact that he was passed over for top rides time and again and realistically in danger of never getting an honest shot in the premier class as he approached his mid-30s a few years back.
These days Hayes is simply making up for lost time and he's going to continue getting while the getting is good.
A small degree of residual desperation and the lasting imprint of an underdog mentality still drive Hayes to work like he may be out of a job tomorrow. The man rides like he needs to prove himself every single time he throws his leg over a Superbike.
The Approach
Hayes may have won his second Superbike title in 2011 but with just three wins to his credit, it came the hardest way imaginable. The Yamaha ace didn't have a bike that matched up well with the Yoshimura Suzukis of Blake Young and Tommy Hayden in tight quarters, and as a result, he was routinely beaten in last-lap showdowns. While endlessly frustrated by that fact, Hayes also realized he could still win the title by maximizing every single opportunity -- going hard from the first lap of practice, pressing in qualifying for the single point it offered, and controlling races from the front -- even races he was destined to lose -- in order to lock down those bonus points. The scrappy strategy fueled his 2010 title breakthrough and made all the difference in 2011.
In 2012, Hayes came back more motivated and fit than ever before, and his once seemingly long-in-the-tooth R1 showed renewed fire as well. Finally boasting something in the realm of mechanical parity (and maybe even an advantage), the Mississippian clung onto his 'every lap counts' approach, which wore down and demoralized his foes who could not match his relentless pace or intensity.
The Aura
A couple years back, Hayes would regularly open Friday practices with a massive (as in 1.5-2.5 second) timesheet advantage. Had Mat Mladin done the same during the height of his reign, his rivals would have quickly raised the white flag and shifted their focus to second place. However, since this huge advantage now belonged to perennial undercard underdog Hayes, those same riders somehow found a way to work their way forward and were frequently ready to fight for the win by the time the green light shone.
Not any longer. Hayes' constant presence on top -- on top of the charts, on top of the standings, and on top of the podium -- saw him gradually build a Mat-like aura of his own. In the second half of the '12nseason, riders started talking about the battle for second place, which in a sense, marked an unofficial recognition that we had entered 'Hayes era.'
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.
With all due respect to megastars Jorge Lorenzo, Max Biaggi, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey, no rider was so brilliant in his own particular arena as the 37-year-old Mississippian this past season.
Hayes registered a season the likes of which had never been seen in AMA Pro Superbike history. In reflection, Hayes' epic '12 will be defined by the awe-inspiring numbers, the imposition of his will, his merciless approach, and the gradual acceptance of his rivals that they were beaten before the weekend even began.
The Numbers
In just his fourth season as a works AMA Superbike pilot, Hayes' statistics already insist he's among the greatest riders in the three-decade-plus history of the series.
In 2012 he established new series records for most wins in a season (16), most wins in succession (10), and equaled the record most poles in a season (10).
His career achievements are staggering as well, as he is now tied for second all-time in Superbike titles at three, and stands second all-time in total Superbike wins with 33.
Not bad for a guy that… well, we'll get to that next…
The Mindset
Don't look for Hayes to ease up on his competition now. He likes to joke that he's just 'greedy,' but it might be more accurate to say that he simply remembers -- remembers the fact that he was passed over for top rides time and again and realistically in danger of never getting an honest shot in the premier class as he approached his mid-30s a few years back.
These days Hayes is simply making up for lost time and he's going to continue getting while the getting is good.
A small degree of residual desperation and the lasting imprint of an underdog mentality still drive Hayes to work like he may be out of a job tomorrow. The man rides like he needs to prove himself every single time he throws his leg over a Superbike.
The Approach
Hayes may have won his second Superbike title in 2011 but with just three wins to his credit, it came the hardest way imaginable. The Yamaha ace didn't have a bike that matched up well with the Yoshimura Suzukis of Blake Young and Tommy Hayden in tight quarters, and as a result, he was routinely beaten in last-lap showdowns. While endlessly frustrated by that fact, Hayes also realized he could still win the title by maximizing every single opportunity -- going hard from the first lap of practice, pressing in qualifying for the single point it offered, and controlling races from the front -- even races he was destined to lose -- in order to lock down those bonus points. The scrappy strategy fueled his 2010 title breakthrough and made all the difference in 2011.
In 2012, Hayes came back more motivated and fit than ever before, and his once seemingly long-in-the-tooth R1 showed renewed fire as well. Finally boasting something in the realm of mechanical parity (and maybe even an advantage), the Mississippian clung onto his 'every lap counts' approach, which wore down and demoralized his foes who could not match his relentless pace or intensity.
The Aura
A couple years back, Hayes would regularly open Friday practices with a massive (as in 1.5-2.5 second) timesheet advantage. Had Mat Mladin done the same during the height of his reign, his rivals would have quickly raised the white flag and shifted their focus to second place. However, since this huge advantage now belonged to perennial undercard underdog Hayes, those same riders somehow found a way to work their way forward and were frequently ready to fight for the win by the time the green light shone.
Not any longer. Hayes' constant presence on top -- on top of the charts, on top of the standings, and on top of the podium -- saw him gradually build a Mat-like aura of his own. In the second half of the '12nseason, riders started talking about the battle for second place, which in a sense, marked an unofficial recognition that we had entered 'Hayes era.'
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.
AMA SBK Homestead-Miami
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