Graves Yamaha's Josh Hayes garnered his first AMA Pro Superbike title at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend
LEEDS, AL, SEPT 26 – Team Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes won the 2010 AMA Pro Road Racing American SuperBike championship with a conservative ride on a treacherous wet/dry Barber Motorsports Park circuit. By finishing seventh, and surviving being run off the track by Brett McCormick, Hayes gave Yamaha their first Superbike title since Thomas Stevens won the crown in 1991. And he stopped the Suzuki juggernaut after a seven-year run.
Hayes spent most of his career as a journeyman, winning a few titles along the way, but never able to land a factory ride. That changed in 2009, when he was offered the Yamaha Superbike ride after Jamie Hacking turned it down. It was a mistake Hacking would come to regret. Hayes made the most of the opportunity, taking wins from Mat Mladin last year and finishing second overall. If nothing else, the championship validated Yamaha’s choice to sign Hayes to a two-year contract prior to the 2009 season and another two-year deal, though at reduced pay, just prior to this race weekend.
Hayes won the title with remarkable consistency. Following a disastrous Daytona and first race at Auto Club Speedway, Hayes finished worse than second only twice, when he was belatedly assessed a penalty for a jump start at Road Atlanta in a race he won on the track and when he was beaten by Hayden and fellow Yamaha rider Ben Bostrom at Virginia International Raceway.
The VIR third place finish was a wakeup call. Following the Saturday race, Hayes went on a tear, wining the second race at VIR and sweeping both races at New Jersey Motorsports Park, running his wins total to seven.
Photo Gallery: AMA Pro Barber American Superbike Sunday race results - Sport Rider Magazine
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