Round 14, Race 1: Mid Ohio, AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited

Ron Lieback
AllAboutBikes.com Content Editor/Staff Writer

After claiming his first career pole in American Superbike Friday with a lap of 1:26.304 (100.133 mph) around Mid-Ohio, Josh Hayes went on to win Race 1 Saturday at Honda Super Cycle Weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Hayes’ pole broke the seven consecutive poles set this season by points leader Mat Mladin on the No. 7 Rockstar/Makita/Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Under cloudy skies in Lexington, Ohio, Hayes muscled the No. 2 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1 around the 2.4-mile circuit, narrowly holding off Aaron Yates’ No. 23 Brand Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the win. Hayes, a two-time Formula Xtreme champion, won all three races at Mid-Ohio in the Xtreme series, giving him a positive history at the track. His only other win of the season was at Infineon Raceway, which was also his first ever American Superbike win.

“This is what Superbike racing is supposed to be,” Hayes said.  “One lap I had a full second gap, and the rest of the time I had these guys breathing down my neck.  This is what you feel good about; when you go home you know that you put it all out there, that these guys were having a good day too and you came out on top.  It doesn't matter how much you win by, it's the difference between racing and just going fast around a race track.”

Mladin finished third, but qualified ninth and got off the line slowly. In Mladin fashion, he charged his way to the front quickly, grabbing the podium position by passing Blake Young on lap 16 of 21. But he couldn’t catch up to the leaders. The six-time AMA Superbike Champion said they did have some struggles, but didn’t blame it all on the bike. He told reporters he has “lost interest” in AMA Superbike racing (Editor’s Note: AllAboutBikes.com will have a full report on Mladin’s comments soon).

Young’s Rockstar/Makita Suzuki lead early in the race, until Hayes took him on lap 6. Hayes and Young pulled away, and while the duo battled up front, running closely behind was Yates, Mladin, Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom, Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden and the Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing rider/owner Larry Pegram on a Ducati.

At the end of the back straight, Yates passed Young in the hard right turn. Yates came close to passing Hayes on the 18th lap, but Johnny Rock Page slowed the flow at turn 13, and his gap went from .141 of a second to .741 of a second.  By the end, Hayes beat Yates to the finish line by .183 of a second.

After passing Young for fourth, Bostrom completed the race .2 seconds behind Mladin. Then Pegram and Hayden passed Young, finishing 2 seconds behind Bostrom. Geoff May on the National Guard Jordan Suzuki grabbed eight; he fought with Celtic Racing’s Michael Laverty until almost the end, but Laverty was passed by May and then Holden Racing’s Jake Holden, who finished ninth, placing Laverty in tenth.

Neil Hogdson’s Corona Extra Honda finished alone in 11th, with Latus Racing’s Taylor Knapp finishing 12th during his debut on the Buell 1125RR.

Hayes would also go onto take first during race 2, making back-to-back Superbike wins for Yamaha, a first for the manufacturer in 15 years. Hayes also beat out teammate Bostrom, making it the first Yamaha Superbike one-two in almost 15 years to the day: On July 17, 1994, Vance & Hines Yamaha's Colin Edwards led home teammate Jamie James at the same Mid-Ohio track.

For all the action of race 2, click here.