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Tommy Hayden scores a spectacular win in Sunday’s superbike race and Blake Young cards another impressive podium
Blake Young (left) and Tommy Hayden (right) celebrate on the podium
Team Rockstar Makita Suzuki had cause for great celebration after this past weekend’s AMA Pro Superbike event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden went out and rode an aggressive and impressive race on Sunday, taking the AMA Superbike win on his Yoshimura-prepped Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. Teammate Blake Young also battled hard throughout the weekend and brought home a solid podium finish on Sunday.
In Saturday’s race, Hayden got the jump on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 before moving into second place. He stayed right with the leader for all 22 laps and brought home a remarkable second-place finish. On Sunday, however, Hayden pulled out all the stops. His bike again powered him to the front and he again fell into second place. But he was simply biding his time. Riding one of his most determined races ever, Hayden made a pass for the lead with five laps left and then made it stick to take an extraordinary win. This win marks Hayden’s 32nd AMA Pro Racing win, his third win at Infineon, and his sixth career Superbike victory.
“I got an awesome start in Saturday’s race on my Suzuki and I felt good from the beginning,” said Hayden. “I knew it was going to be tough, but I tried to put my head down and see if I could pick up some speed in a couple areas. Overall, it had been really positive and we’d been fast and competitive all weekend. On Sunday, I got another good start, I led a couple of laps, and I realized that as the race went on, my bike was working great and I was more comfortable. This win feels really good, for both my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and me. I can’t thank them enough for all the work they’ve put in. I was really disappointed with myself here last year so I really wanted to redeem myself.”
Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Young finished up fourth on Saturday after an intense race-long battle. Then, on Sunday, Young put his head down and just rode his heart out, bringing home a hard-fought third-place podium finish.
“Saturday went pretty well,” said Young. “We got off to a good start, though it took me a while to get into a rhythm. On Sunday, I knew I needed to get a good start and get the momentum going, so that’s what I tried to do. I felt good about the start; my GSX-R1000 felt great and I tried to go out and just put my head down and race my own race. I’m happy to get a podium for my Rockstar Makita Suzuki team because they’re working really hard for me. Now, I’m just looking forward to the next race and being there for the team.”
The 2011 Rockstar Makita Suzuki team’s next event of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on May 28 - 30, 2011.
Infineon Superbike Class Results, Race 1:
1. Josh Hayes
2. Tommy Hayden
3. Martin Cardenas
4. Blake Young
5. Chris Peris
6. Steve Rapp
7. Larry Pegram
8. Geoff May
9. JD Beach
10. Chris Ulrich
Infineon Superbike Class Results, Race 2:
1. Tommy Hayden
2. Josh Hayes
3. Blake Young
4. Steve Rapp
5. Larry Pegram
6. Ben Bostrom
7. Roger Hayden
8. Martin Cardenas
9. Chris Peris
10. Chris Clark
2011 Superbike Class Standings:
1. Josh Hayes – 107
2. Tommy Hayden – 101
3. Blake Young – 99
4. Martin Cardenas – 67
5. Larry Pegram – 59
6. Ben Bostrom – 51
7. Chris Clark – 45
8. Roger Hayden – 39
9. Chris Peris – 39
10. Jeremy Toye – 36
Tommy Hayden # 22
Blake Young # 79
Tommy Hayden celebrates his victory on the podium
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