AMA SBK
Since New Jersey Motorsports Park began hosting AMA Pro Racing last year, one rider has won every AMA Superbike race there: Josh Hayes.
In 2009, the Team Graves Yamaha rider swept both races, and he did the same again this weekend for Round 11 of the 2010 AMA Superbike Championship. And it was his rival Tommy Hayden who would be his biggest challenge.
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Hayden and Hayes would swap the lead multiple times on Sunday, but it was Hayes’ R1 that would outrun the GSX-R1000.
Hayes took the win by 0.324 of a second over Hayden. Joining Hayes and Hayden on the podium was M4 Suzuki rider John Hopkins.
Hopkins would take the final podium spot from the other Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Blake Young on the final lap.
During race 1 on Saturday, Hayes got a gift when the race was red flagged on the final lap. During that race, Hayes was passed by Hayden going into turn one on the last lap, but Jordan Suzuki rider Brett McCormick went down, bringing out the red flag. Due to this, the order the riders finished on the previous lap created the final results. Hayes got the win (and McCormick got seventh although he crashed out).
But Hayes also said he benefited from the red flag that came out on lap five during Sunday’s race after Ben Bostrom went down on the Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha R1. Hayes said he was able to “regroup” due the stopped race, and this proved to be significant, giving Hayes the mindset to fend off Hayden for the win.
As these two battled up front, there was much action for the final-podium spot between Jordan Suzuki rider Jake Zemke, Young, Hopkins and McCormick.
As the basketball star Michael Jordan watched his riders Zemke and McCormick, the battle was a tough one, but Hopkins would hold off Zemke by 0.015 of a second.
Going into NJMP, Hayes had an 11-point lead over Hayden. After this weekend’s race, the Mississippian now has 426 points, and leads Hayden by 22 points. The final round of AMA Pro Racing occurs Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on Sept. 24-26.
AMA American Superbike Race 2 Results:
1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha)
2. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) +0.324
3. John Hopkins (Suzuki)
4. Blake Young (Suzuki)
5. Brett McCormick (Suzuki)
6. Jake Zemke (Suzuki)
7. Geoff May (Buell)
8. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)
9. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
10. Shane Narbonne (Suzuki)
AMA Superbike Championship Standings (after 11 of 12 rounds):
1. Josh Hayes, 426
2. Tommy Hayden, 404
3. Jake Zemke, 316
4. Ben Bostroim, 295
5. Larry Pegram, 276
6. Blake Young, 233
7. Taylor Knapp, 198
8. Chris Ulrich, 188
9. Brett McCormick, 169
10. Chris Clark, 121
