Zemke Again In Daytona Superbike

Paul Carruthers | March 5, 2010

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, MAR. 5 – National Guard Suzuki’s Jake Zemke pulled it off again today at Daytona International Speedway, earning a sweep of the Superbike doubleheader by again besting the unlucky Tommy Hayden – this time by just .009 of a second.So Hayden, who is still in search of his first career AMA Superbike National victory, lost both races by a combined .247 of a second after losing out yesterday to Zemke by .238 of a second. For Zemke it was the end of a dream start to his season in his debut in the Michael Jordan Motorsports fold.”I think everybody here when you’re sitting at home all winter long this is what you’re thinking about – coming out of here with two wins,” Zemke said. “For that to actually happen, it’s not real often that all your plans come the way you imagine them in your head.”Zemke took a different route to victory today as the Californian led nine laps, nearly twice as many as he’d led yesterday. And this time he didn’t lead out of the chicane – Hayden did – and it look for awhile like Zemke’s strategy would backfire as Hayden got a good run out of the chicane and looked to have enough to hold him off. But it wasn’t to be as Zemke shot by right at the line, leaving Hayden second again.Ben Bostrom made up for yesterday’s misfortune – when he was relegated to 18th when the clutch on his Pat Clark Motorsports R1 went out on the first lap – by finishing third today. Bostrom was at the tail end of the six-rider lead pack for the majority of the race, but started to march through the order in the closing laps. He went from fifth to third with a lap to go and made a run at the two Suzukis ahead of him, coming up .081 of a second behind Zemke at the finish.Bostrom also set the fastest lap of the race, a 1:38.310 on the ninth lap.Michael Jordan Motorsports’ Aaron Yates ended up fourth, just .212 of a second behind and some .6 of a second ahead of Foremost Ducati’s Larry Pegram. Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Josh Hayes was sixth and the last rider in the lead pack. Hayes was just 1.8 seconds from Zemke in a race that was more reminicent of Supersport races at the Speedway than past Superbike races.Seventh went to Rockstar/Makita’s Blake Young, the Wisconsite in the thick of the battle for the lead until running straight in turn one for the second time on the eighth lap.Canadian Brett McCormick finished eighth, some five seconds clear of Australian David Anthony. Ridersdiscount.com’s Taylor Knapp rounded out the top 10.Hayden and Zemke were the only ones to cross the strip with the lead, with Hayden leading laps one through six and Zemke leading laps seven through 13.Team M4 Monster Suzuki’s John Hopkins again failed to finish the race, the former MotoGP star pulling in the pits on the seventh lap while running at the tail end of the lead pack.

Superbike Final

1. Jake Zemke (Suzuki)

2. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki)

3. Ben Bostrom (Yamaha)

4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki)

5. Larry Pegram (Ducati)

6. Josh Hayes (Yamaha)

7. Blake Young (Suzuki)

8. Brett McCormick (Suzuki)

9. David Anthony (Suzuki)

10. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)