Josh Hayes took an opportunistic RaceFuelZ Pro Superbike race victory Sunday at the Arai Mountain Nationals, the finale of the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented by Yamaha, and the victory combined with some misfortune for Cameron Beaubier led to Hayes taking the inaugural Championship.
Beaubier, the Championship point leader coming into the event, got the holeshot on his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1, but teammate Hayes stole the lead when they got to Turn Two and led the first lap. On the second lap, however, Hayes ran wide in the final corner, allowing Beaubier to retake the lead.
Once in front, Beaubier started pulling away from Hayes, who then came under fire from Chris Fillmore and his KTM/HMC Racing RC8R. But Fillmore pushed too hard chasing Hayes and crashed on lap four.
Beaubier built a lead of about four seconds over Hayes, but then on lap 10 Beaubier lost the front and crashed in the Black Rock Hairpin.
Hayes took over the lead and cruised home to the race and Championship wins.
The crashes of Fillmore and Beaubier promoted privateer racer/team owner “Aussie Dave” Anthony from fourth to second position, where he finished on his SIC/Motul/Fly Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000.
The attrition at the front also moved Chris Ulrich and his GEICO Honda CBR1000RR up to third place, where he finished, earning his first-ever Pro Superbike podium result.
Canadian Marcel Irnie, a regular on the Superbike Shootout series, kept his nose clean and collected his best result of the season, fourth, on his MobiBuff/Irnie Racing BMW S1000RR. Irnie also won five UtahSBA races during the weekend, including the premier King of the Mountain GTO race.
Fillmore was able to remount and race back up to get fifth, the best of his three Superbike Shootout race finishes in spite of the crash. But Fillmore was sorely disappointed to once again miss out on the podium finish he covets.
Two-time UtahSBA Masters of the Mountain Champion Oleg Pianykh bounced back from a crash Sunday morning that heavily damaged his Moto Station Suzuki GSX-R1000 and claimed sixth place in the race.
Michael Bradshaw, who rides a Moto Station-sponsored BMW S1000RR, held off 17-year-old Daytona Anderson and his Mom &Pop Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 to get eighth.
Veteran Superbike racer Johnny Rock Page came home ninth on his ADR Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Mathew Orange crashed his OC Racing BMW S1000RR on lap 14 but was able to remount and still collect 10th place.
Beaubier tried to remount and continue, but his Yamaha’s left footpeg and shifter were broken off. He pitted, got new parts installed and continued, but all he could salvage was 14th place.
The RaceFuelZ Pro Superbike race was stopped short of its scheduled distance of 20 laps when Ryan Brand highsided his The Dish Professionals BMW S1000RR on lap 16. Brand walked away from the crash, but his motorcycle was lying in the track at the exit of Turn Six, forcing officials to stop the race with the red flag. The race results were determined by the lap 16 running order.
Arai Mountain Nationals Hosted by UtahSBA/GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented by Yamaha
Miller Motorsports Park West Course
Tooele, Utah
May 25, 2014
RaceFuelZ Pro Superbike Provisional Race Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), 16 laps, 25:20.242
2. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000), -12.928 seconds
3. Chris Ulrich (Hon CBR1000RR), -22.575
4. Marcel Irnie (BMW S1000RR), -40.902, ran off track
5. Chris Fillmore (KTM RC8R), -42.955, crash
6. Oleg Pianykh (Suz GSX-R1000), -44.078
7. Michael Bradshaw (BMW S1000RR), -54.458
8. Daytona Anderson (Suz GSX-R1000), -55.221
9. Johnny Rock Page (Suz GSX-R1000), -81.971
10. Mathew Orange (BMW S1000RR), -1 lap, crash
11. Joy Higa (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap
12. Erik Postnieks (BMW S1000RR), -1 lap
13. Ryan Brand (BMW S1000RR), -2 laps, DNF, crash
14. Cameron Beaubier (Yam YZF-R1), -2 laps, crash
15. Peter deGraaf (Suz GSX-R1000), -6 laps, DNF
16. Kevin Dolan (Suz GSX-R1000), -8 laps, DNF
17. Jesse Sherstan (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS
Provisional Championship Point Standings (after 3 of 3 races):
1. Hayes, 61 points
2. Beaubier, 47
3. Anthony, 44
4. Martin Cardenas, 41
5. Fillmore, 31
6. Ulrich, 30
7. Roger Hayden, 24
8. Irnie, 19
9. Anderson, 18
10. Chris Clark, 17
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.:
Josh Hayes Shows How The West Is Won With A Stunning Race Win At Miller Motorsports Park And A Pro Superbike Championship In The Superbike Shootout
Tooele, UT – May 25, 2014 – Three-time U.S. Superbike Champion Josh Hayes today added another Superbike Championship to his impressive racing resume with a win in today’s final Pro Superbike race of the 2014 GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout Presented By Yamaha. The Arai Pacific Nationals event was held on Miller Motorsports Park’s 10-turn, 2.183-mile West Course.
Josh inherited the lead in the race when his Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha teammate and Superbike Shootout points leader Cameron Beaubier had a rare tipover aboard his #2 Yamaha YZF-R1, taking him out of the lead. From there, Josh put down consistently fast lap after lap and built a solid lead all the way to the checkered flag.
“Cameron was in front of me,” Josh commented after the race. “And I was trying to figure out what I needed to do to stay with him because he rides so well. I saw him tip over, and I feel really bad for him. This was his championship to win, and I’m sorry that it ended like that for him. But, I was happy that I was able to pick up the pieces for the team and get this victory and championship for our entire Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha crew. It’s really cool to win this first Superbike Shootout championship. I’ve enjoyed racing in this series, and it’s been great to see the fans come out to see us race.”
Next weekend, the Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha team will be back in action as the AMA Pro Road Racing season resumes with the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
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