Henny Ray Abrams | August 31, 2008
BRASELTON, GA, AUG 31: Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates clinched the 2008 Superstock championship with a second place finish to teammate Geoff May in the penultimate round of the series on their home track, Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. It was the fourth title for the Georgian Yates, who won the Superstock title in 2005, the Supersport crown in 2002, and the 750 Supersport championship in 1999. It was also the first title for the Jordan Suzuki team. “It just feels really good to take care of this with a whole race to go,” Yates said after clinching the title. “Definitely a whole lot of pressure this weekend and didn’t want to deal with that the next race.” The first attempt to run the race was red-flagged on the third of 15 laps with Yates in second. On the re-start he bolted into the lead, taking teammate May and M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Blake Young along for the ride. Young lost touch when he nearly high-sided in the final corner ending the seventh lap. It was a miraculous save that dulled his drive, but not for long. He would return. Meanwhile May drafted by Yates on the backstretch on lap eight. May and Yates ran alone for a few laps until Young closed back up in the last few laps and especially on the final lap. Out of the final corner, the ninety-degree turn 12, May and Yates accelerated hard, the front wheel of Yates’ Jordan Suzuki getting airborne as he raced to the stripe, finishing second by .044 seconds. Young was .124 secs. back in third. With only the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca remaining, Yates has 310 points to 269 for Corona Honda’s Jake Holden, the fourth place finisher. May sits third with 255. Superstock: 1. Geoff May (Suzuki) 2. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 3. Blake Young (Suzuki) 4. Jake Holden (Honda) 5. Ryan Elleby (Suzuki) 6. Ben Thompson (Suzuki) 7. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki) 8. Opie Caylor (Suzuki) 9. Hawk Mazzotta (Suzuki) 10. Seth Starnes (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.
