Not Close, Real Close, and Too Close:
September 11th 2012
Millville, New Jersey: Josh Hayes made it look easy in Millville, New Jersey, romping to two wins in two days on the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt race course in the New Jersey Motorsports Park complex, on his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha in the AMA Pro Superbike races. It’s just too cool that he rides on Öhlins.
Once again, where it was double wins in a double header for Hayes, he’s nearly cleared the way to another championship with his new extended growth to his significant points lead. In Race Two, the second blue and white Josh – that being Herrin – finished second for a one-two for the Yamaha YZF-R1s of the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha team.
In Saturday’s running of the Daytona Sport class, at the checkered flag Cameron Beaubier led the way of a cache of riders battling within inches for the win, taking the prize by a mere 0.022 seconds from the second-place finisher. Beaubier’s team YES Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 was complemented on the podium by team M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby, who hard-earned his third-place finish from a fourth-row starting position.
Westby though about stole the show Sunday, even though he was still hindered by his deep grid position in the second Daytona Sportbike race. In Race Two Westby blistered the pavement with a charge to the front that eventually saw him carry the lead for numerous laps, ending up second by losing the drafting battle, crossing the line just 0.053 seconds behind the winner. Yet, in Westby’s effort, he turned the fastest race lap of any Daytona Sportbike competitor, igniting the traps with a 1:23.308 lap time, a full half second faster than any rider in the field. In total, Westby didn’t win two races by a combined 0.518 of a second. Our bet is that next time he won’t start on the fourth row.
But wait, there’s more. In Sunday’s Supersport race Dustin Dominguez took the win on his Triumph 675, eking it out at a 0.013 advantage at the flag, over the second-place finisher. Dominguez and the Latus Motors Racing team are leading the AMA Pro Racing SuperSport East championship chase, with four races remaining.
