Cycle News Staff | August 14, 2010
ALTON, VA, AUG 14 – Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden stole Saturday’s American SuperBike race with a thrilling last-millisecond pass of Pat Clark Motorsports’ Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom at Virginia International Raceway.The pass at the line came at the conclusion of a 23-lap race that was mostly waged among Hayden, Bostrom, and Team Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Josh Hayes.The end of race drama began on the 21st lap when Bostrom found a way inside of Hayes in the tight left-hand turn four. Hayes was forced to run wide and that allowed Hayden to sneak into second, while Hayes would be relegated to a third-place finish.Hayden drafted into the lead starting the final lap, only to fall victim to Bostrom in the same left-hand turn four, even though Hayden said he was certain he’d left no opening.Hayden followed Bostrom for the rest of the lap before mounting his charge on the run to the stripe. The Suzuki GSX-R1000 rider had the advantage of what was the fastest bike all weekend and the speed paid off. Coming off the final corner he didn’t think he had a chance, but once he caught Bostrom’s draft his hopes were raised.The margin of victory was .005 of a second.Hayden carried so much momentum across the stripe that he ran off the left side of the track and across the grass, thankfully staying upright after recording his fourth victory of the year.The win pulled Hayden within a point of Hayes, 333-332, with five races to run. National Guard Jordan Suzuki’s Jake Zemke, eighth today, is third at 273.Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing’s Larry Pegram won what was a very entertaining battle for fourth. Originally it included five riders before attrition slimmed the field.Among the riders dropping out was M4 Monster Energy Suzuki’s John Hopkins. Hopkins, who was making an impressive return to action after wrist surgery more than three months ago, was fourth when he crashed, unhurt, on the 19th of 23 laps.Pegram then took over fourth, with RidersDiscount.com’s Taylor Knapp (Suz) fifth in front of Jordan Suzuki’s Brett McCormick, and Team Cycle World/Attack Performance/Yoshimura Suzuki’s Eric Bostrom (Suz).
Superbike:
1. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki)
2. Ben Bostrom (Yamaha)
3. Josh Hayes (Yamaha)
4. Larry Pegram (Ducati)
5. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)
6. Brett McCormick (Suzuki)
7 Eric Bostrom (Suzuki)
8. Jake Zemke (Suzuki)
9. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
10. Jordan Szoke (Honda)
