Jeremy McWilliams leads Hafizh Syahrin, but McWilliams crashed out and Syahrin drafted Steve Rapp at the flag to win Sunday’s race in Indianapolis. — Photography Courtesy IMS Photo
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 18, 2013) — Hafizh Syahrin joked that he thinks sales of Harley-Davidson may spike in Malaysia after his victory in the second of the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Showdown races Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Syahrin ran a tactically perfect race on his Petronas/KWR-sponsored XR1200, intentionally slowing on the main straight in the final few laps so that Steve Rapp wouldn’t know he was capable of drafting by him at will. It worked to perfection, the Malaysian rider with a background in Moto2, drafted by Rapp just before the finish line to win the race by a scant 0.060 seconds.
Travis Wyman finished third.
It was a great weekend for Syahrin, who scored a podium in Saturday’s race as well.
“I wanted to learn the Harley-Davidson and try to get a podium in the first race,” Syahrin said. “And then with the experience try to win today.”
In reality Rapp had a feeling Syahrin was going to make the move.
“I figured he was coming,” Rapp said. “But I knew I couldn’t draft him so I did the only thing I could do to try to win. Fortunately it was him and not someone who is racing in the Showdown.”
Two of yesterday’s podium finishers, Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams crashed out of the race early. O’Hara on the first lap and McWilliams on lap nine.
With his 4-2 finish on the doubleheader weekend, Rapp leaves Indianapolis the series leader. He leads Wyman by eight points. Defending champ Michael Barnes, who finished fifth today, is ranked third.
The next race is at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Sept. 15.
AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series from Indianapolis, Aug. 18, 2013
1 55 Hafizh Syahrin Kiala Lumpur, WP MalaysHiaarley-Davidson XR1200 10 Laps
2 5 Steve Rapp Mathattan Beach, CA Harley-Davidson XR1200 +00.060
3 24 Travis Wyman Macedon, NY Harley-Davidson XR1200 +04.529
4 45 Benjamin Carlson West Bend, WI Harley-Davidson XR1200 +08.645
5 1 Michael Barnes Boca Raton, FL Harley-Davidson XR1200 +11.482
6 46 Shane Narbonne Tyngsboro, MA Harley-Davidson XR1200 +14.512
7 59 Hayden Schultz Fayetteville, AR Harley-Davidson XR1200 +15.238
8 51 Gage McAllister Lincoln, CA Harley-Davidson XR1200 +26.969
9 77 Eric Stump Berlin, NJ Harley-Davidson XR1200 +27.051
10 2 Barrett Long Miami, FL Harley-Davidson XR1200 +37.315
