Hayes takes narrow Mid-Ohio win

From AMA Pro Racing

LEXINGTON, OH - Saturday was mission accomplished, part one for Josh Hayes and the Team Graves Yamaha Team as they took a close yet strong win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the first AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race in the weekend's doubleheader, part of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend.

Hayes, under partly cloudy skies, held off a determined Ben Bostrom on his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha, who kept Hayes honest by running virtually right behind him all the way to the flag. Hayes won the 21-lap race by 0.219 secs. but in a way, it was somewhat more controlled than that.

After starting from pole position, Hayes was pushed back to third as first Bostrom led and then Foremost Insurance Ducati rider Larry Pegram shot by Bostrom as the field ran down the long Mid-Ohio back straight. Only seconds later, Hayes passed not only Bostrom but Pegram as well to take a lead he would never relinquish. 

Behind the first three, National Guard Jordan team rider Jake Zemke got a good start and passed the other front row starter, Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Tommy Hayden. Further back, M4 Monster Energy Suzuki rider Jake Holden was making a nice move to the front, passing Zemke's Jordan Suzuki teammate Brett McCormick and then setting sail for Zemke. By the time McCormick got to him, Zemke had been passed by a determined Hayden, who was then chasing down third place man Pegram. 

Also making an impressive run in his first National Guard SuperBike start of the 2010 season was Ben Bostrom's brother Eric, who was riding a new Cycle World Attack Performance Yoshimura Suzuki and running a solid seventh, which became eighth by the end of the race. Former Mid-Ohio winner Chris Ulrich also had a spirited race, racing hard with McCormick and then finally beating Canadian Superbike Champion Jordan Szoke on his Wazne Racing Ciclo Werks Honda.

At the end, it was down to Hayes and Ben Bostrom. Hayes was riding within himself, as he knew it was a long race and the conditions were tough. The heat was a factor and as Bostrom took a final-lap run at Hayes at the end of the long straight, Hayes held him off with a great display of late braking. 

Hayes didn't put a wheel out of place for the remainder of the lap to take his fourth win of the season which put him into first place by 10 points in the championship chase going into Sunday's second race of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend.

Race Results
1. Josh Hayes (Team Graves Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R1 21 Laps
2. Ben Bostrom (Pat Clark Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.219
3. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar ·Makita ·Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +5.350
4. Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance ·Pegram Racing) Ducati 1098R +7.643
5. Jake Holden (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +13.711
6. Jake Zemke (National Guard Jordan Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +22.063
7. Brett McCormick (Jordan Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +27.151
8. Eric Bostrom (Cycle World Attack Performance Yoshimura Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +30.235
9. Chris Ulrich (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +32.311
10. Jordan Szoke (Waznie Racing Ciclo Werks BMC Dewildt Honda) Honda CBR1000RR +36.572
11. Taylor Knapp (RidersDiscount.com) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +43.769
12. Chris Clark (Pat Clark Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1:28.016
13. Greg Fryer (FJ Racing) Yamaha YZF-R1 20 Laps
14. Johnny Rock Page (Aussie Dave Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 19 Laps
15. Kurtis L. Roberts (RidersDiscount.com) Yamaha YZF-R1 12 Laps
16. Geoff May Erik (Buell Racing) Buell 1125RR 2 Laps