Blake Young piloted his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 to double victory in the opening round of the 2011 AMA Pro Superbike season this weekend at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
Saturday’s race saw defending champion, Josh Hayes convert his pole position into an early lead that lasted until Young passed the Team Graves Yamaha rider on lap 9 and Tommy Hayden did the same a lap later to begin a closely contested battle between the three that would last the duration. Hayes reclaimed the lead ahead of Young and Hayden with just three laps to go, but Young struck back on the penultimate lap and was able to hang on for the win, finishing a scant 0.026 seconds ahead of his team-mate Tommy Hayden. Hayes, another 0.025 seconds back, had to settle for third. Jordan Suzuki team-mates Ben Bostrom and Roger Hayden rounded out the top five.
On Sunday Hayes once again took the early lead, and Young once again passed him in the race’s dying moments to meet the checkered flag a split second earlier. Tommy Hayden finished third this time around, giving the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team a double-double podium finish weekend. 2010 AMA Sportbike champion Martin Cardenas finished fourth on his M4 Suzuki GSX-R1000 ahead of Jordan Suzuki’s Ben Bostrom.
Canadian Chris Peris, riding for Team Iron Horse BMW, did not finish the first race but placed tenth in Sunday’s event.
The next round takes place at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California, May 13-15.
2011 American SuperBike Daytona Race 1 Results
1 Blake Young (Suzuki)
2 Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) +0.026
3 Josh Hayes (Yamaha) +0.051
4 Ben Bostrom (Suzuki) +0.502
5 Roger Hayden (Suzuki) +2.664
6 Martin Cardenas (Suzuki) +14.423
7 Larry Pegram (BMW)
8 Jeremy Toye (BMW)
9 Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
10 David Anthony (Suzuki)
11 Chris Clark (Yamaha)
12 Shane Narbonne (Suzuki)
13 Eric Haugo (Suzuki)
14 Jordan Burgess (Suzuki)
15 Eric Pinson (BMW)
16 Bostjan Skubic (Yamaha)
17 Jeffrey Lampe (Kawasaki)
18 Trent Gibson (Suzuki)
19 Johnny Rock Page (Suzuki)
20 Geoff May (Buell)
21 Skip Salenius (Yamaha)
DNF
22 Chris Peris (BMW)
23 Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki)
24 Chris Trounson (Suzuki)
2011 AMA SuperBike Daytona Race 2 Results
1. Blake Young (Suzuki)
2. Josh Hayes (Yamaha) + 0.071
3. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) +0.209
4. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki) +3.801
5. Ben Bostrom (Suzuki) +14.778
6. Larry Pegram (BMW)
7. Chris Clark (Yamaha)
8. Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki)
9. David Anthony (Suzuki)
10. Chris Peris (BMW)
11. Chris Ulrich (Suzuki)
12. Geoff May (Buell)
13. Jeremy Toye (BMW)
14. Shane Narbonne (Suzuki)
15. Roger Hayden (Suzuki)
16 Eric Haugo (Suzuki)
17 Trent Gibson (Suzuki)
18 Jeffrey Lampe Kawasaki
19 Jordan Burgess (Suzuki)
20 Johnny Rock Page (Suzuki)
21 Skip Salenius (Yamaha)
22 Eric Pinson (BMW)
DNF
23 Bostjan Skubic (Yamaha)
DNS
24 Chris Trounson (Suzuki)
American Superbike Rider Standings
1 Blake Young 60
2 Josh Hayes 49
3 Tommy Hayden 46
4 Ben Bostrom 34
5 Martin Cardenas 33
6 Larry Pegram 29
7 Chris Clark 24
8 David Anthony 23
9 Roger Hayden 22
10 Chris Ulrich 22
11 Jeremy Toye 21
12 Shane Narbonne 16
13 Eric Bostrom 13
14 Eric Haugo 13
15 Chris Peris 11
16 Geoff May 9
17 Jordan Burgess 9
18 Trent Gibson 7
19 Jeffrey Lampe 7
20 Eric Pinson 6
21 Bostjan Skubic 5
22 Johnny Rock Page 1
23 Skip Salenius 0
24 Chris Trounson 0
