AMA Superbike
Yoshimura’s Tommy Hayden had two podium finishes, including a spectacular victory on Saturday at VIR for Round 8 of the 2010 AMA Superbike Championship.
Tommy followed that up with a third-place finish on Sunday during the race in Alton, Va. Hayden is currently second in points in the championship chase, and with four races left in the series and only 11 points behind, Hayden has put himself in a position to battle for the trophy.
Hayden qualified third on Saturday morning, and under clouds and thick humidity, he lined up for the first race of the weekend on the front row. At the start of Saturday’s race, Hayden shot to the front of the pack and led for the first laps.
Hayden, the brother of MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden and World Superbike rider Roger Lee Hayden, found himself in second and third throughout the 23-lap battle, but as the race wound down he used the power of his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R1000 to contend for the lead.
As the finish line approached, Hayden rolled on the power and pushed his way from second to first just as the checkered flag waved. The win is his fourth of the season.
On Sunday, Hayden again moved to the front of the pack at the start of the race but was then pushed back into second. Throughout the race, he contended with competitors and the back tire of his motorcycle. Eventually Hayden was forced into third place, but managed to stay there for a podium finish.
Hayden is looking forward to Round 9 of the series in Millville, New Jersey, to earn more points toward the 2010 championship.
It has been a breakthrough season for Hayden and he’s hoping to end it on a high note. His teammate Blake Young, who has missed the past three rounds of racing due to an injury sustained in early June, will make his return to racing in New Jersey on September 3-5 and is excited to get back on track.