Superbike Results
Veteran rider Ben Bostrom won both the pole and the race at the seventh round of the 2010 AMA Superbike season at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California on Sunday, July 25.
In front of a huge MotoGP crowd, the popular Californian set fast time to win the pole on his Pat Clark Motorsports YZF-R1 on Saturday, then chased Team Graves’ Josh Hayes aboard another R1 for most of the race on Sunday.
Reminiscent of his past World Superbike win-steak racing form, Bostrom captured the lead for good on the 15th of 23 laps, before he and Hayes pulled away for a fantastic 1-2 finish, the first Superbike win for Yamaha at Laguna Seca and Bostrom’s first Superbike win since 2004.
Bostrom is no stranger to pressure-cooker competition or to Laguna Seca, the undulating track with its famous Corkscrew freefall that Yamaha helps support.
Variable weather patterns – foggy mornings and sunny afternoons – meant getting chassis setups right was crucial, and Bostrom and crew chief Robbie Petersen nailed it for Saturday qualifying, with B Boz posting a time nearly quick enough to put his R1 on the MotoGP grid, with Hayes just 0.2 sec. behind.
Then things got crazy at the start of Sunday’s Superbike race, with Bostrom hot-shoeing it into Turn 2 alongside Hayes, emerging with the lead, and then dropping back a few positions after running wide in the Corkscrew and motocrossing through the dirt.
The consummate moment for BBoz came in Turn 5 on lap 15, when he got underneath Hayes for the lead – and then defended it beautifully with a handful of blistering laps before the flag.
Ben Bostrom says: “Every time I ride into this track, it reminds me of home,” he grinned afterwards. “I love the fog and when I can ride up here and see the blue sky start to break through, it makes me happy – and a happy rider rides well.”
Tom Halverson (Yamaha road race team manager) says: “It was a nice closing for Yamaha to follow up the MotoGP win with a Superbike win, especially since Yamaha has committed to sponsor this event for the next few years.”
