Photography by Andrea Wilson
Josh Herrin took his second victory of the season in AMA Pro Superbike action Sunday at Mid-Ohio, but the victory came in a strange manner. Monster Energy Yamaha teammate Josh Hayes jumped the start and was assessed a five-second penalty. Hayes got out front and Herrin ran second and it became a race against the clock.
Even though the two riders were not running together on the track, it was a riveting race as Hayes, leading on the track, kept chopping away at his deficit throughout the race. At one point late in the race he took nearly a one-second chunk out of Herrin’s lead and it appeared certain he would make up the five seconds, but Herrin responded.
On the final lap Hayes needed to gain 7-10ths of a second. Both he and Herrin knew the situation and both ran all out on the final lap. When they crossed the line Hayes had nearly a five second lead, but nearly five seconds wasn’t enough. The gap at the end was 0.122 with Herrin holding on to the win. Hayes took second and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas was a distant third.
Surprisingly Herrin didn’t know he’d won the race until the TV interviews after the race.
“They were giving me the plus what I had, but I didn’t ever think to look to see what position I was in” said Herrin of his pit board. “They had P1 the whole time, but I never thought about looking. I knew what place I was in so I never thought to look.”
Herrin said his victory wheelie nearly cost him.
“I came across the line wheelying. If it would have been a bad wheelie or would have been a little bit higher I would have lost that one, so thank God it wasn’t.”
Danny Eslick finished a lonely fourth on his Jordan Suzuki. Geoff May narrowly held off EBR Racing teammate in the battle for fifth.
Roger Hayden ran a close third early in the race, but ran off the track and through the gravel trap on lap nine. He reentered the race, but finished eighth. Home state rider Larry Pegram had an awful outing, crashing on the warm-up lap and then again in the race.
Hayes goes to Laguna Seca next week with a four-point lead (191-187) over Herrin, who moved past Cardenas (who led coming into Mid-Ohio) in the standings by one point with his win.
AMA Pro Superbike results from Mid-Ohio – Sunday, July 14, 2013
1 2 Josh Herrin Dublin, GA Yamaha R1 21 Laps
2 1 Josh Hayes Gulfport, MS Yamaha R1 +00.122
3 36 Martin Cardenas Medellin, Colombia Suzuki GSX-R1000 +13.485
4 23 Danny Eslick Broken Arrow, OK Suzuki GSX-R1000 +25.752
5 99 Geoff May Gainesville, GA EBR 1190RS +34.301
6 20 Aaron Yates Milledgeville, GA EBR 1190RS +34.450
7 11 Chris Fillmore Oxford, MI KTM RC8R +36.151
8 54 Roger Hayden Owensboro, KY Suzuki GSX-R1000 +40.176
9 25 David Anthony Murrieta, CA Suzuki GSX-R1000 +46.141
10 44 Taylor Knapp Lapeer, MI KTM RC8R +54.225
