SBK Report
It was a victorious weekend for Yoshimura and riders Tommy Hayden and Blake Young, who finished first and third on their Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000s on Sunday at the AMA Pro SuperBike doubleheader at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Hayden put together a spectacular race effort on Sunday, despite hot temperatures and a sixth-place finish on Saturday, to win the first SuperBike class race of his career.
Hayden moved his way up to second place by the midway point of the race and then carefully selected the perfect time to make his move. Hayden took over first with three laps remaining in the 21-laps race, and stayed out front through the checkered flag.
Tommy Hayden
"It feels good to finally get that weight off my shoulders," Tommy said of his first win in the SuperBike class. "Fortunately for me the race was really good. On Saturday, I was really disappointed the way the race went. I feel like I raced poorly and I was bummed out. I had a long talk with myself and I came back today and definitely redeemed myself."
With his 2-2 finishes in Daytona at Round 1, Hayden is in control of second-place overall in points for the season so far.
Blake Young also had his season-best results on Sunday in Fontana with his third-place podium finish. Young also clocked the fastest lap time of the race with a 1:24.428. On Saturday, Young battled high winds and the competition for a fifth-place finish. With his GSX-R1000, Young is now poised in fifth-place overall in points for 2010 and is looking to improve upon that.
Blake Young
"I would’ve liked to win," Blake said after the race. "But it’s good to get on the podium. Especially here in California at the Auto Club Speedway, which is not what I would call one of my strongest tracks. I’ll get out of here with some points, and I have to thank the guys on my team for that. They work really hard for me, not only at the track but also in the shop."
The AMA Pro SuperBike series moves to Road Atlanta on April 16-18, and the Yoshimura expects Hayden and Young to carry their momentum to that track.