Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Graves Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert used the draft to win the action-packed AMA Superstock race on his new YZF-R1 Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

Gobert’s teammates Damon Buckmaster and Jamie Hacking diced back and forth for the lead through the first half of the race. In the second half, Kawasaki’s Roger Lee Hayden came up to battle for the front position with the Yamaha pair while Tommy Hayden, Jason DiSalvo and Gobert raced at the back of the elastic six-rider pack.

Roger Lee Hayden led into and out of the chicane on the last lap with Buckmaster, Hacking, Gobert, Tommy Hayden and DiSalvo fighting for position in the draft.

As the pack came to the line, Gobert caught a daisy chain of drafts to go from fourth to first and the win. Hacking was elbow-to-elbow with Gobert at the line, but 0.010-second behind, according to AMA Timing & Scoring. Tommy Hayden moved up to third, Buckmaster slipped to fourth, Roger Lee Hayden dropped to fifth and DiSalvo crossed the line sixth, a mere 0.862-second behind the winner.

Attack Kawasaki’s Josh Hayes, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies (who served a stop-and-go penalty during the race), Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp (who started 18th on the grid) and early front-runner John Haner of Hooters Suzuki rounded out the top 10 finishers.


Provisional AMA Superstock Race Results:

1. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1, 12 laps
2. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, -0.010 second
3. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -0.069 second
4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1, -0.100 second
5. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -0.131 second
6. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R1, -0.862 second
7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -8.002 seconds
8. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -15.160 seconds
9. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -16.845 seconds
10. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -16.951 seconds
11. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -17.207 seconds
12. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -21.138 seconds
13. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -24.274
14. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -29.487
15. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -29.532
16. Jordan Szoke, Honda CBR1000RR, -29.640
17. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -29.640
18. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -36.229
19. Frank Trombino, Yamaha YZF-R1, -42.038
20. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -44.744
21. Corey Eaton, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -48.626
22. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR1000RR, -48.626
23. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -56.366
24. Jason Curtis, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -66.857
25. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -72.521
26. Montez Stewart, Yamaha YZF-R1, -86.714
27. Marco Martinez, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -86.722
28. Roger Bell, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -98.484
29. David Bell, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -101.851
30. Bostjan Skubic, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -108.097
31. Dave Loikits, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -108.865
32. Craig Fitzpatrick, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
33. John Wilson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
34. Eric Haugo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
35. Joe Capelli, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
36. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R1, -2 laps