Hayes Over Hayden by a Wheel

Henny Ray Abrams | June 5, 2010

ELKHART LAKE, WI, JUNE 5: Team Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes beat Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden in a photo finish to win a thrilling American SuperBike battle on an overcast afternoon at Road America.Hayes and Hayden separated from the field in the early going, making the race their own. Lap after lap Hayes led and Hayden stalked, content to see if he could force Hayes into a mistake.Hayes never faltered, so Hayden pressed the issue. Starting the 12th of 13 laps Hayden drafted past Hayes to take the lead into turn one.Hayden held the lead for a lap and a half before Hayes went up the inside into the hard braking turn five on the final lap. Hayden was smoother out of the turns and looked like he might be able to make a move on Hayes, who had a number of slides on exit.Out of the final corner Hayden made a run up the front straight and the pair crossed the line side by side. Immediately Hayden was listed as the winner by .001 secs. But after AMA officials looked at the video they correctly reversed the order and put Hayes on top.The margin of victory was .000 secs.”Man that was a fun race,” Hayes said.Hayden said he “thought I had a really good drive, just wasn’t close enough.”The win, his third in a row, gives Hayes the championship lead with 202 points. Hayden is second at 199 with former leader Jake Zemke (National Guard Suzuki), fifth today, third at 194.Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Blake Young seemed secure in third before dramatically dropping back to be consumed by Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing’s Larry Pegram on the 12th lap. Then the Wisconsin native set up Pegram with a last lap, last turn pass to beat him to the stripe by .068 secs.”It’s pretty hard to come here with the hometown crowd and only get third,” Young said.Zemke was alone in fifth, then came M4 Monster Suzuki’s Jake Holden in sixth and a whisker in front of Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom.Ridersdiscount.com’s Taylor Knapp held off Canadian Brett McCormick for ninth. McCormick was riding the Jordan Suzuki in place of the injured Aaron Yates.M4 Monster Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich was tenth.

Results:

1.Josh Hayes (Yamaha)

2. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki)

3. Blake Young (Suzuki)

4. Larry Pegram (Ducati)

5. Jake Zemke (Suzuki)

6. Jake Holden (Suzuki)

7. Ben Bostrom (Yamaha)

8. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)

9. Brett McCormick (Suzuki)

10. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)

Henny Ray Abrams | Contributing Editor

Abrams is the longest-serving contributor at Cycle News. Over the course of his 35-some years of writing and shooting photos, he’s covered events from MotoGP to the Motocross World Championship - and everything in between.