AMA Pro Racing
SunTrust Banks, the official bank of the AMA Pro Road Racing motorcycle series, rewarded the riders in three different road racing classes this year with their SunTrust Solid Performer Award.
The Award honors the riders that were able to lead the most laps in their respective classes over the course of the 2010 season. SunTrust provided valuable financial support in the form of $5,000 checks for the lap leaders in the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike and Daytona Sportbike presented by AMSOIL classes and $1,000 for the lap leader in the Supersport class.
This year’s competition in all three classes was closer than ever and new champions were crowned in all three. In the National Guard Superbike class, there were six different winners, in Daytona Sportbike, four different winners and in AMA Supersport, there were six different riders who won races during the 2010 season.
With so many different winners, it would seem like there was no dominating rider this year but when it was all added up, there were three clear winners of the coveted Sun Trust Solid Performer Awards.
Josh Hayes took this year’s AMA National Guard SuperBike championship at the very last race of the year. On the way to his first AMA SuperBike championship, Hayes led an astounding 211 laps to take the Sun Trust Solid Performer Award for 2010.
The next closest rider was Blake Young with 56 laps led, and his teammate, Tommy Hayden followed Blake closely with 52 laps led. Hayes had three races where he led every lap on his way to victory.
In AMA Daytona SportBike, the 2010 season provided some of the most exciting racing with a deserving Martin Cardenas taking nine wins on his way to his first AMA Pro Daytona SportBike championship.
Sportbike riders Josh Herrin, Bobby Fong and Danny Eslick also won races in Daytona SportBike but it was Eslick who convincingly won the SunTrust Solid Performer Award by leading 132 laps during the course of the season. Martin Cardenas wound up second in laps led with 95. Ten riders led laps this year in a Daytona SportBike battle that also was only settled on the final day of the season.
In SuperSport, East Division Young Gun Champion J.D. Beach not only won eight races, he also won the SunTrust Solid Performer Award by leading 96 laps in the twelve races he competed in. Just behind J.D. was West Division Young Gun Champion Joey Pascarella with 77 laps led. In total, nine SuperSport riders led races this year in a historic season for the 16 to 21 year old Young Gun riders.
SunTrust Banks, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.
All three SunTrust Solid Performer Award winners were presented with their checks at the season-ending AMA Pro Road Racing banquet at the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. SunTrust Bank executive David Pijot was on hand to hand over the $5,000.00 checks to Josh Hayes and Danny Eslick and the $1,000.00 check to J.D. Beach.
