Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates locked up the 2002 AMA Supersport Championship by winning a thrilling, 16-lap final at Mid-Ohio. With a 63-point lead and only 38 points available in the final round of the season at Virginia Internation Raceway in two weeks time, Yates clinched his first 600cc title and the first AMA 600cc title for Suzuki since 1998.

The race was a six-way dogfight with Yates, Roger Lee Hayden, Tommy Hayden, Damon Buckmaster, Jason Pridmore and Anthony Gobert all fighting for the lead.

Yamaha’s Buckmaster took his second podium of the season with a second-place finish. Starting from row four, Tommy Hayden took third, his seventh podium finish of 2002, to remain second in the Supersport Championship.

AMA Supersport Race Results:

1. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 16 laps
2. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, -1.526 seconds
3. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, -1.973 seconds
4. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki, -2.323 seconds
5. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, -2.827 seconds
6. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, -4.454 seconds
7. Jake Zemke, Honda, -6.613 seconds
8. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, -8.329 seconds
9. Josh Hayes, Suzuki, -11.317 seconds
10. Ben Spies, Suzuki, -19.181 seconds
11. Ty Howard, Suzuki, -24.153 seconds
12. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki, -25.814 seconds
13. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, -26.874 seconds
14. Mike Hale, Honda, -40.299 seconds
15. Michael Hannas, Kawasaki, -43.317 seconds
16. Troy Green, Yamaha, -46.608 seconds
17. Andrew Nelson, Honda, -47.136 seconds
18. Adam Coco, Yamaha
19. Kevin Pate, Suzuki
20. Jeff Muskopf, Suzuki

Provisional AMA Supersport Point Standings:

1. Yates, 304 points
2. Tommy Hayden, 241 points
3. Buckmaster, 226 points
4. Pridmore, 219 points
5. Hacking, 215 points
6. Zemke, 197 points
7. TIE, Hale/Roger Lee Hayden, 191 points
9. Spies, 189 points
10. Tom Kipp, 180 points
11. Meiring, 157 points
12. Howard, 151 points