After Saturday morning’s exciting qualifying session that saw Blake Young really put a tremendous couple of quick laps together to take the pole position from overnight pole winner Jake Zemke, the AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike race looked all set to be another thrilling race.
Young, riding his Rockstar Makita Suzuki, lined up next to Daytona double winner Zemke on his National Guard Jordan Suzuki. Team Graves Yamaha rider Josh Hayes was next up with Auto Club Speedway winner Tommy Hayden on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki completing the front row. The fireworks started early as Josh Hayes started rolling slightly before the start and was deemed to have gained a competitive advantage by leading into turn one. Hayden had a great start and was second going up the hill into turn one, followed by Young, Zemke, Larry Pegram on his Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing Ducati and an impressive Tray Batey, making his return to AMA Pro Racing on his Vesrah Suzuki.
The first four quickly broke away but it was determined that Hayes and also fifth starting Taylor Knapp on his RidersDiscount.com Suzuki had violated the jump start rule and were to be assessed a penalty. Hayes came into pit lane for his penalty and unfortunately, the fast running Batey suffered a fall at the turn six area of the track. Batey was in a dangerous situation and the red flag was immediately shown to the competitors.
Unfortunately, Hayes was in the process of serving his penalty and Knapp hadn’t made his way to pit lane to serve his ride through penalty. Batey was transported to the infield care center and then airlifted to Gwinnett Medical Center for further evaluation.
After a delay, the field resumed racing with 17 laps remaining. At the restart, Hayes lined up in his previous position and he, Young, Hayden and Zemke resumed their intense battle at the front of the field. Young, really riding well this weekend, took the lead and as his teammate dropped back, it looked like Young was going to follow Hayden’s example from the last round and take his first AMA Pro American SuperBike win. But both Hayes and Zemke were going to do all they could to prevent this from happening.
Hayes looked like he had the measure of Young, but then it was Zemke that was putting on a charge and he rode up to second place. Behind this battle, it was a somewhat lonely Ben Bostrom on his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha ahead of a very solid John Hopkins riding his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki ahead of his teammate, Chris Ulrich on his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki, who continues to run very nicely in 2010.
The sidelined Aaron Yates watched from the Jordan Team pit as young Brett McCormick rode Yates’ regular Jordan Suzuki, but misfortune struck McCormick as he fell off at turn six on lap eight. Zemke had a slight bobble and Hayes was by in an instant, now pressuring Young as the race wound down.
Hayden had made a late charge and he was now attacking Zemke and at the finish, Hayden did end up third. But it was Josh Hayes who made a strong pass into the turn ten complex and held the lead to the line to take the win on the track. Young had given it his all and he was a disappointed second, his first win almost in his grasp.
After the race, two separate protests were filed with AMA Pro Racing officials and after careful deliberation and detailed information from Timing and Scoring, it was determined that Hayes hadn’t actually completed his penalty prior to the red flag period and he was given a time penalty of 21.4 seconds which dropped him down to sixth place. This gave the win to Young and Hayden was now second with Zemke third and Bostrom fourth followed by Hopkins in fifth.
Hayes was the aforementioned sixth ahead of Ulrich in seventh, the first rider’s standing that was unaffected by the penalty. Taylor Knapp recovered from his completed ride through penalty to finish eighth ahead of Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha rider Chris Clark and Barrett Long flew the flag for Ducati on his Longevity Racing Ducati, finishing tenth after Larry Pegram suffered mechanical issues which forced him to make a pit stop early and finish 14th.
Part II – Recap from Sunday, April 18, 2010
BRASELTON, GA (April 18, 2010) -In what could be termed as destiny, Blake Young on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki took an extremely hard fought and popular win in race two of the Suzuki SuperBike Showdown at Road Atlanta on Sunday. Josh Hayes on the Team Graves Yamaha passed Young’s Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Tommy Hayden on lap four and Young and Hayes put on a display of clean, hard fought motorcycle racing of the highest possible quality all the way to the end of the 20 lap AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike race.
After the difficult situation surrounding Saturday’s AMA Pro American SuperBike race where AMA Pro officials made an error enforcing a penalty to Hayes for a jumped start, it was determined after a thorough examination of various factors and information that a time penalty was given to Hayes, which moved him from first place in Saturday’s race to sixth. Young was declared the winner, his first in AMA Pro American SuperBike competition but everyone, fans and participants would have liked to have seen Young take the checkers outright for his first victory.
On Sunday, both Young and Hayes set out to give the fans another great race and this time each wanted to win it in style. The two did not disappoint, once Hayes got past Hayden, he put on a demonstration of why he is a champion as he fought every inch of the way in battling only inches behind Young lap after lap. Those two just plain disappeared into the distance and only Hayden could even keep in touch with the battling duo.
Jake Zemke riding his National Guard Jordan Suzuki tried hard to stay with the first three but he and the others behind had nothing for the very determined first two riders. Larry Pegram on his Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing Ducati fought hard all day with first Taylor Knapp on his RidersDiscount.com Suzuki and then also a rejuvenated John Hopkins on his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki.
Hopkins’s M4 Monster Energy Suzuki teammate Chris Ulrich also had another strong ride and he fought the good fight with Hopkins. Ben Bostrom had a tough day on his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha and he pitted early to check for a mechanical problem and then, after rejoining, showed his class by moving over smartly for the leaders before pulling back in to the pits for good to end his day.
It really was just a two man show and Hayes tried everything he could, even falling back just slightly for a few laps but then as the race wound down, he made another valiant charge to get by Young. Hayes had the slightest wobble coming out of turn seven on the last lap and that was all Young needed as he dove down into the turn ten complex for the final time, Hayes just wasn’t close enough to try a pass.
Coming out from under the bridge down to the last corner, Young braked as late as he could, the Yoshimura Suzuki twitching under the strain of his later than late braking but he held it together nicely and took the flag for what is officially his second AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike win. But today he celebrated it in style with a high five from Daytona SportBike rider Danny Eslick on his way into Victory Lane and with a smoky burnout once he arrived.
AMA Pro Racing long time official starter Bobby Lemming presented Young with the traditional honor of the actual race checkered flag to commemorate the well deserved win. Hayes was a classy second and is now back at the pace that brought him seven wins in 2009. Hayden took third, completing a strong weekend for him and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team. Zemke took fourth ahead of Hopkins (fifth), Pegram (sixth) Knapp was seventh with Ulrich eighth. Chris Clark on the second Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha was ninth and Barret Long on the Longevity Racing Ducati finished tenth.
As the afternoon sun shone on the beautiful Road Atlanta road course, the second of two AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL took to the track to see if they could improve on what was a spectacular show on Saturday. For the many fans in attendance, the field of 31 Daytona SportBikes did not disappoint. And at the end of another spellbinding race it was yesterday’s winner, Martin Cardenas, who took the win on his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki.
At the start, it was Steve Rapp on his Team Latus Motorsports Ducati that shot into the lead, but it was hard to tell as the pack behind scrambled for any opening they could find on the opening lap. In a blink of an eye, Cardenas was by Rapp into first but Rapp repaid the favor on lap two. Behind Rapp and Cardenas was a complete line of 10 to 15 motorcycles, literally on a string running up and down the hills of the 2.56-mile natural road course.
Over the next ten laps, Cardenas and Rapp traded the lead with any number of riders behind them, poised to make a move as well. Team Graves Yamaha teammates Josh Herrin and Tommy Aquino took up station behind the first two and Danny Eslick riding his GEICO Powersports Suzuki, Vesrah Suzuki rider Cory West, again showing excellent form, and Project 1 Atlanta Yamaha teammates Clinton Seller and Dane Westby were all part of the action. A number of riders took turns leading, Herrin was up front for a lap, and then, in the move of the race, Cory West made a dive through the pack as they flared out for the turn ten complex and went from sixth to the lead.
Prior to that incredible move, lap after lap, the riders would go three and four wide down into the first part of turn ten, how they all made it work is a testament to the skill of the riders one and all. Things really started to heat up as the perennial charger Eslick now put himself in contention for the win by moving up from running outside of the top five to fourth position with three laps to go. In a big move up to second with one lap to go, it looked like Eslick could challenge for the win, but it wasn’t to be and he slipped to fourth at the flag.
A big shuffle occurred as the group came down to the wire and Herrin was forced wide in turn twelve with three laps to go but he fought back to take another well deserved second place to keep his lead in the overall points standings. West slipped back to third but he wasn’t disappointed with his second podium finish of the weekend and Eslick was fourth.
Pole position winner Aquino on his Team Graves Yamaha was fifth ahead of the early leader Rapp on his Team Latus Motorsports Ducati with Seller seventh on the Project 1 Atlanta Yamaha. Chris Fillmore took eighth on the other Vesrah Suzuki, Jake Holden was ninth on the Ducshop Racing Ducati and rounding out the top ten was Bobby Fong, who was the victim Saturday of a freak mishap when he actually fell after riding over a wayward hat on the track, which caused considerable damage to his DNA Energy Drink CNR Motorsports Ducati.
It is hard to pick which of the three AMA Pro Road Racing series provides the most excitement, but this talented, interesting and fun group of riders are doing their best to win the award! Visit www.amaproracing.com for full results and points.
After the dramatic action in yesterday’s AMA Pro SuperSport race, it seemed that there was no way these talented group of young riders could possibly top it, but once again, J.D. Beach and his Rockwall Yamaha teammate Cameron Beaubier put on a display of skill and finesse that thrilled the sun baked crowds around the 2.56-mile Road Atlanta road course during the Suzuki SuperBike Showdown weekend.
Beach, in winning his second race in two days and taking home an extra $3,000.00 from ProRacing Sports Marketing for accumulating the most points over the course of both Road Atlanta races, stamped his mark on the series that so far has been dominated by LTD Yamaha Racing’s star rider, Joey Pascarella. Unfortunately for Pascarella, he sustained an injury to his right shoulder in yesterday’s race warm-up and wasn’t able to compete in today’s final. Fortunately, however, he is registered to accumulate points in the Western Division of the Young Guns category and therefore didn’t lose any overall points in his quest for the divisional championship.
Huntley Nash and Tomas Puerta, Pascarella’s LTD Yamaha teammates, carried the flag today in Pascarella’s absence and Nash continues to shine as he took another podium finish, one better than yesterday, in second. Beaubier took third ahead of Puerta.
Today’s race began under clear blue skies and at the start, Elena Myers on her Richie Morris Racing Roadracingworld.com Suzuki, still sore from her unfortunate problem in yesterday’s warm-up, made a perfect launch and led into and up the hill in turn one. Beach, Nash and Beaubier were all right behind Myers and by the time the group got to the turn two-three section, they had all swept by her in a big group draft. Beaubier was all over the back of Nash’s Yamaha and he swept by and took up station right behind Beach.
The young riders then put on a display of riding that was almost poetic in nature as they rode in perfect synchronization, banking left and right for each corner but all the while riding as if it was the last lap of qualifying. Nash gamely tried to hang, and slightly back, Myers and Puerta were battling with Travis Wyman on his Wyman Racing Yamaha in their own battle. But the front three were gone and Beach and Beaubier had turned this race into their own private affair.
On lap five, Beaubier pulled out in the draft as the two headed off the back straight and down into the turn ten complex that had been the scene of so many passing moves all weekend long. As the two Rockwell bikes dove down the hill, Beaubier braked as hard and as late as he possibly could, to the point where he did a masterful job of maintaining control. He almost had to put his left foot down to steady himself and as a result of this brave passing attempt, Beach was forced out to the edge of the track and had to give way. Beaubier now actually had a bit of a gap back to Beach after this moment, but the race was far from over.
On lap seven, Puerta got by Myers but she re-passed him into turn ten before the end of the lap. They went back and forth over the next couple of laps as one would pass the other, only to have the favor returned before the end of the very same lap. At this point the race was interrupted by an unfortunate fall by Sam Nash, Huntley’s brother, who was riding another LTD Yamaha.
The race was stopped to attend to Nash, who was transported to the infield medical center for examination. The race was quickly restarted and this gave Beach the chance to take another shot at Beaubier, who again got a great start, this time with Nash behind him as they went into turn one. Nose to tail, the three ran as one and as they once again ran down into turn ten, Beach made a strong move from third to first and led down the front straight, even pulling a slight gap back to a furiously battling Nash and Beaubier.
How this would all play out was again unfortunately disrupted by a major mechanical problem for another rider back in the pack which necessitated what was determined to be a lengthy track clean-up for spilled fluids. The race was declared final and Beach completed a hard fought and well deserved double win weekend. Nash took second ahead of a disappointed Beaubier. Puerta held on to fourth in a solid showing with the brave Myers taking fifth ahead of Wyman.
Rounding out the top ten was James Rispoli in seventh on his Suzuki, followed by Eric Stump in eighth on his Stump Racing Honda and David Gaviria taking Top Gun honors on his Kawasaki. Miles Thornton was tenth on his Thornton Racing Yamaha.
It was another great race, even with the interruptions, and the AMA Pro SuperSport Young Guns continue to show the way to the future and in the process deliver some of the most exciting racing of the AMA Pro Road Racing weekends.
Highlights from this today’s AMA Pro SuperSport race can be in seen in a same-day delay broadcast Sunday evening on SPEED. Check your local listings for broadcast times.
