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AMA Pro Superbike
AMA SBK: Hayes Edges Hayden In Mid-O Thriller
Roger Hayden provided a serious challenge but in the end Josh Hayes racked up his seventh consecutive AMA Superbike win.
Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes and National Guard Jordan Suzuki's Roger Hayden (Photo: AMA Pro Racing/Brian J Nelson)
Two-time AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champ Josh Hayes accomplished the goal he set for himself a year ago by claiming his tenth victory of the 2012 season on Sunday at Mid-Ohio, but it was far from the romp that many expected.
Hayes fell well short of the feat in 2011, taking just three wins en route to his second consecutive title. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace has been in peak form in '12, however, notching up ten wins already with several races remaining, but he was pushed to the brink to double at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire by the resurgent Roger Hayden on the National Guard Jordan Suzuki.
Hayes found himself embroiled in an early dogfight with Hayden and Yamaha teammate Josh Herrin, who actually led in the race's early stages. The trio became a duo on lap 7 of 21 when Herrin ran wide on the brakes at the end of the back straight. Once he lost the rear wheel of Hayes to measure off of, Herrin had no chance to run the lead pace and quickly drifted back into the clutches of a charging Blake Young.
The battle for third didn't rage long though -- Young crashed out of the fight on lap 9, losing the front of his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the keyhole as his faltering title campaign suffered a huge hit.
The scrap at the front remained heated until the end, however. The Kentuckian spent the majority of the race tucked a tenth or two behind the champion, but also took control of the race for a couple of brief moments.
Hayden swung by on lap 16 before Hayes powered by on the straight and then made what he hoped to be a decisive assault on the race's final lap, diving by deep on the brakes at the end of the back straight.
Hayden miraculously held his line relatively tight considering his rapid approach but Hayes still had a counterpunch to deliver, slotting his R1 right back in front into the following corner.
At that point, Hayes successfully defended the position and claimed his seventh consecutive victory, equaling the single-season record, previously accomplished by both Ben Spies and Mat Mladin.
Hayden was just 0.224 seconds back in second, his most impressive SuperBike ride to date.
The win was Hayes' 27th SuperBike triumph, just one behind Spies for third all-time.
"I was pretty sure (Hayden) would try on the last lap at the end of the back straight. I was pretty slow in the middle of the Keyhole to make sure I didn't spin up and make a mistake on the exit. I felt like I got out of their pretty good, but probably because I was slow in the middle, it allowed him to do the same thing behind me. When he came by he was moving pretty quick; I was actually surprised he got it stopped as well as he did. Whenever I came back up the other side of him I didn't know if I was going to be able to get him. I wasn't trying to bump him but I was trying to crowd him a little bit. All I needed was an instant for him to get off the throttle to get in there. It worked out and at that point it was just ride around the inside line of the racetrack to the finish line.
"I'm really glad I was able to pull it off. It's fun. It was exciting racing and I'm glad to come out on top of one of those."
Speaking on his ten '12 victories, Hayes said, "No SuperBike win is easy and to get ten at this point of the season is huge. I'm glad I could win one by less than a second whenever it came down to the barnburner at the end; I'm really excited about that. I'm greedy -- I want them all. (Wife) Melissa (Paris) keeps telling me now I need to win seven more to make up for last year. I think that's a bit to ask for but I'm sure going to try."
Hayden, who actually set the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:25.278 during the race, said, "It was a good race for me. I got a really good start. This morning we put a heat cycle in the tire which really helped me. It allowed it to come in early so I could go with these two guys. I felt pretty good in the beginning and then Josh Herrin made a mistake and I got by, and I thought, this is my chance to run with Josh. I just put my head down and put it all out there. Once I got to the back of him I felt pretty comfortable. I was counting down the laps because I was pretty sure if I passed him I wouldn't be able to hold him off. I really wanted to pass him coming out of Turn 1 because that's my best place on the track but I went through the Keyhole really good and got a good drive. It wasn't like 'win or crash' but I was going to go past him and just pray that I got it stopped. I didn't and I wasn't going to force it by him and knock us both down or anything crazy like that.
"I'm definitely happy. Both Joshes have kicked our butts pretty bad the last couple races, so I think it's good for me and good for the team. We have to build on this and not make it a one time thing."
Herrin cruised to a lonely third, finishing 13.674 seconds off the win. He said, "It's nice to get up here after yesterday's fall. It's been a really steep climb since I started at the beginning of the year. I've made really hard charges to get better on this bike. I've gotten to the point where I can do the times Josh is doing but I just can't do them consistent the entire race. It's just going to take more hard work. Every time I get on the track I'm learning."
Attack Performance Kawasaki's Steve Rapp equaled yesterday's effort with another fine fourth-place run.
Team Amsoil/Hero EBR's Geoff May rounded out the top five, taking advantage of a technical issue for Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom, who earlier battled for position with Rapp before falling off the chase.
Local hero Larry Pegram won a tight fight for sixth, putting his Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing BMW S1000RR just in front of Danny Eslick's Team Hero EBR 1190RS and Taylor Knapp's Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Yoshimura Suzuki's Chris Clark came home in ninth with M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki's Chris Ulrich rounding out the top ten.
Hayes now leads by a mammoth 67 points over Young, 383-316.
Hayes fell well short of the feat in 2011, taking just three wins en route to his second consecutive title. The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace has been in peak form in '12, however, notching up ten wins already with several races remaining, but he was pushed to the brink to double at the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire by the resurgent Roger Hayden on the National Guard Jordan Suzuki.
Hayes found himself embroiled in an early dogfight with Hayden and Yamaha teammate Josh Herrin, who actually led in the race's early stages. The trio became a duo on lap 7 of 21 when Herrin ran wide on the brakes at the end of the back straight. Once he lost the rear wheel of Hayes to measure off of, Herrin had no chance to run the lead pace and quickly drifted back into the clutches of a charging Blake Young.
The battle for third didn't rage long though -- Young crashed out of the fight on lap 9, losing the front of his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the keyhole as his faltering title campaign suffered a huge hit.
The scrap at the front remained heated until the end, however. The Kentuckian spent the majority of the race tucked a tenth or two behind the champion, but also took control of the race for a couple of brief moments.
Hayden swung by on lap 16 before Hayes powered by on the straight and then made what he hoped to be a decisive assault on the race's final lap, diving by deep on the brakes at the end of the back straight.
Hayden miraculously held his line relatively tight considering his rapid approach but Hayes still had a counterpunch to deliver, slotting his R1 right back in front into the following corner.
At that point, Hayes successfully defended the position and claimed his seventh consecutive victory, equaling the single-season record, previously accomplished by both Ben Spies and Mat Mladin.
Hayden was just 0.224 seconds back in second, his most impressive SuperBike ride to date.
The win was Hayes' 27th SuperBike triumph, just one behind Spies for third all-time.
"I was pretty sure (Hayden) would try on the last lap at the end of the back straight. I was pretty slow in the middle of the Keyhole to make sure I didn't spin up and make a mistake on the exit. I felt like I got out of their pretty good, but probably because I was slow in the middle, it allowed him to do the same thing behind me. When he came by he was moving pretty quick; I was actually surprised he got it stopped as well as he did. Whenever I came back up the other side of him I didn't know if I was going to be able to get him. I wasn't trying to bump him but I was trying to crowd him a little bit. All I needed was an instant for him to get off the throttle to get in there. It worked out and at that point it was just ride around the inside line of the racetrack to the finish line.
"I'm really glad I was able to pull it off. It's fun. It was exciting racing and I'm glad to come out on top of one of those."
Speaking on his ten '12 victories, Hayes said, "No SuperBike win is easy and to get ten at this point of the season is huge. I'm glad I could win one by less than a second whenever it came down to the barnburner at the end; I'm really excited about that. I'm greedy -- I want them all. (Wife) Melissa (Paris) keeps telling me now I need to win seven more to make up for last year. I think that's a bit to ask for but I'm sure going to try."
Hayden, who actually set the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:25.278 during the race, said, "It was a good race for me. I got a really good start. This morning we put a heat cycle in the tire which really helped me. It allowed it to come in early so I could go with these two guys. I felt pretty good in the beginning and then Josh Herrin made a mistake and I got by, and I thought, this is my chance to run with Josh. I just put my head down and put it all out there. Once I got to the back of him I felt pretty comfortable. I was counting down the laps because I was pretty sure if I passed him I wouldn't be able to hold him off. I really wanted to pass him coming out of Turn 1 because that's my best place on the track but I went through the Keyhole really good and got a good drive. It wasn't like 'win or crash' but I was going to go past him and just pray that I got it stopped. I didn't and I wasn't going to force it by him and knock us both down or anything crazy like that.
"I'm definitely happy. Both Joshes have kicked our butts pretty bad the last couple races, so I think it's good for me and good for the team. We have to build on this and not make it a one time thing."
Herrin cruised to a lonely third, finishing 13.674 seconds off the win. He said, "It's nice to get up here after yesterday's fall. It's been a really steep climb since I started at the beginning of the year. I've made really hard charges to get better on this bike. I've gotten to the point where I can do the times Josh is doing but I just can't do them consistent the entire race. It's just going to take more hard work. Every time I get on the track I'm learning."
Attack Performance Kawasaki's Steve Rapp equaled yesterday's effort with another fine fourth-place run.
Team Amsoil/Hero EBR's Geoff May rounded out the top five, taking advantage of a technical issue for Jordan Suzuki's Ben Bostrom, who earlier battled for position with Rapp before falling off the chase.
Local hero Larry Pegram won a tight fight for sixth, putting his Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing BMW S1000RR just in front of Danny Eslick's Team Hero EBR 1190RS and Taylor Knapp's Riders Discount Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Yoshimura Suzuki's Chris Clark came home in ninth with M4 Broaster Chicken Suzuki's Chris Ulrich rounding out the top ten.
Hayes now leads by a mammoth 67 points over Young, 383-316.
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