UPDATED: AMA revised results from Saturday's Superbike race
Josh Hayes was assessed a 20 second penalty for passing under a waved yellow flag displayed for a crash. This dropped him to second (still new Champ); Roger Lee Hayden thus was awarded his first win of the season for Suzuki.
Monster Yamaha’s Josh Hayes took victory at the penultimate round of the AMA Pro Superbike Championship, run in the wet on Saturday in New Jersey. Working his way through the pack, the 39 year old Hayes diced with the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Roger Lee Hayden, the pair bumping on the last lap. Hayden looked to have the race won but bobbled coming on to the front straight in sight of the flag, letting Hayes power past on the outside for the win.
“This is the stupidest thing I could ever be in the middle of,” laughed Hayes of the early laps. “But I upped the pace, made some mistakes, but I made up a little ground. I didn’t think about the Championship at all, I was smiling, I was having fun. I really wanted to win that race.”
Hayden wound up an oh-so-close second, while Larry Pegram has a strong outing on his Buell twin to net third. Hayden was racing with a separated shoulder after a practice crash on Thursday.
Newly crowned Mopar CSBK Pro National Champ Jodi Christie had a promising but ultimately frustrating day in New Jersey, the Accelerated Technology sponsored pilot making his first U.S. start in four years. Christie shocked the series regulars by qualifying sixth best in the 21 rider strong grid, running against machines worth significantly more than his title winning Canuck CBR1000RR.
Christie was comfortable in the wet conditions, moving quickly into the lead dice, running fourth. However he fell from third on the third lap, damaging his machine to the point he could not continue.
“It was slippery right there, everyone was sideways and you couldn’t predict the traction,” explained the uninjured Christie after his tumble. “It happened really fast, and that’s the way it is when you push in these conditions.”
“Overall, I was really comfortable, at least as much as you can be in the rain. Right now, I’m frustrated, and I felt bad for my sponsors and my team. But we’ll regroup and come back for the final tomorrow.”
Top Canadian was Marcel Irnie of B.C., once again showing his prowess in the rain aboard his BMW S1000RR. After a slow start, now Las Vegas-based Irnie moved though the pack late in the race, netting an impressive sixth.
Newly crowned Hindle Pro Sport Bike National Champ Kenny Riedmann had a tough weekend, crashing in practice and injuring his finger. Riedmann’s hand wasn’t the major issue, however, with a concussion eliminating the Castrol Triumph rider from further action in the final AMA Pro National weekend of 2014.
In Riedmann’s usual class, Dane Westby took control early to win his third National of the season aboard his Yamalube Yamaha YZF-R6. In another crash-plagued wet event, Jake Gagne earned second on another Yamaha while Jake Zemke placed third aboard a GEICO Honda.
U.K. based Canadian rising star Ben Young, from Thornbury, ON, opted not to start the race in a rare North American appearance aboard his Team WD-40 Yamaha. Young currently competes full time in the British National Series.
In the “young guns” SuperSport category, Hayden Gillim pulled away for a clear win for the TOBC Suzuki squad. In a full field of 50 riders, Canadian teen-ager Stacey Nesbitt had a good AMA National debut, working her way up to net 41st overall in very slippery conditions. Canadian rookie Pro Mitch Card retired his Honda on the first lap.
