DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 10, 2014) – Just 20 points separate AMA Pro SuperBike living legend Josh Hayes and a fourth crown as he powers into this weekend’s 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
Hayes’ task at the Kawasaki Devil’s Showdown is relatively simple – avoid disaster and he will reclaim his rightful position atop the AMA Pro SuperBike hierarchy. Should the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha star scoop up a weekend tally equivalent to two 11th place finishes or better, he’ll move into sole possession of second on the career title list, trailing only seven-time king Mat Mladin.
The coronation could come as early as Saturday, as he only needs to finish on the box to remove the pressure and allow himself to race freely for the win in Sunday’s final race of the season. While anything can happen – and Hayes understands as well as anyone in the paddock – he’s finished in the top two in all but one race this season, including the last seven in succession to put himself in such a commanding position in advance of the New Jersey season-ender.
Hayes has already assured himself the title of winningest rider this year, boasting six of a possible nine victories, upping his career tally to a remarkable 47 in the process.
The year has turned out to be a return to form for Hayes who lost the title in 2013 after winning three straight. Hayes was undone as a result of an uncharacteristically sloppy campaign, in which his superior form could not overcome a bevy of mistakes and misfortune.
The 2014 season started off in similar fashion. A third Daytona DNF in four attempts, combined with the shockingly rapid pace of Graves Monster Energy Yamaha newcomer Cameron Beaubier, forced the paddock to question whether the Hayes dynasty might finally be in decline.
The 39-year-old answered that question in resounding fashion, regrouping with pace and consistency. Meanwhile, Beaubier balanced his brilliance with bouts where he looked like a rookie.
However, even if the 21-year-old falls short of taking the title in his first attempt, his three-win campaign ranks among the best first-year efforts in series history. That’s especially true when considering how he proved capable of taking the fight directly to his decorated teammate with impressive regularity.
Their most recent showdown stands as a sterling example, the two trading last-lap victories at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with the promise of more to come in the days ahead.
Hayes and Beaubier have monopolized the top step of the podium in 2014. The Kawasaki Devil’s Showdown stands as a last chance for the remainder of the field to get in the win column this season.
Especially motivated to do so will be Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing teammates Roger Hayden and Martin Cardenas.
Kentuckian Hayden has enjoyed a solid opening campaign with the front-running squad, racking up six podium results and establishing himself clearly third in points. However, his aim is to win races, and following a spectacular double runner-up debut, he’s been desperately attempting to find a way to defeat the dominant Yamaha duo.
Meanwhile, Colombian Cardenas has struggled. He ranks just sixth in the points one year removed from his two-win, title-contending 2013 season. Cardenas’ confidence has taken a hit but he still has the skills to battle for victory.
ADR Motorsports/Sic/Motul Fly Racing’s David Anthony and third Yoshimura entry Chris Clark come into New Jersey locked in a fight for fourth in the championship.
An end-of-the-year ranking in the top five would represent a breakthrough result for either man. Clark’s previous best championship finish is eighth while Australian Anthony has never finished in the single digits. The two rivals have already broken new ground in 2014 by finishing on the premier class podium and now they’ll go head-to-head to see how the final points standings shake out.
KTM/HMC Racing’s Chris Fillmore has a shot at edging Cardenas for sixth, while Team AMSOIL Hero EBR’s Cory West and Proto-Tech Spain’s Bernat Martinez come into NJMP ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.
Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing EBR’s Larry Pegram and GEICO Motorcycle Racing Honda’s Chris Ulrich are all locked up with 71 points apiece in their clash to secure a place in the championship top ten.
The weekend will get underway Saturday, Sept. 13. The SuperBike stars will put in their first qualifying laps at 9:25 a.m. local time (6:25 a.m. PT) with Qualifying 2 and Qualifying 3 to follow in the afternoon. Hayes will have his first shot at locking up the 2014 title that same day in a 23-lap contest that’ll kick off at 4 p.m. (1 p.m. PT).
How to Watch
FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track events in 2014. The site also provides coverage of IMSA’s development and single-make series, and NASCAR’s touring and weekly series.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Hayes And Beaubier Face Off In This Weekend’s New Jersey Devil’s Showdown
Cypress, CA – September 10, 2014 – The master and the rookie go head-to-head for the last time this season in AMA Pro SuperBike as Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha teammates Josh Hayes and Cameron Beaubier will be the main protagonists for this weekend’s Devil’s Showdown, which takes place at the 14-turn, 2.25-mile New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
In addition to SuperBike, Yamaha has an excellent chance to win every AMA Pro Road Racing Championship in which its riders compete, and it’ll all be decided this weekend at NJMP.
RoadRace Factory/Yamaha rider Jake Gagne leads MotoSport.com/Meen Yamaha’s Jake Lewis by just seven points at the top of the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike points standings, and one of the two Jakes–both Yamaha YZF-R6-mounted–will emerge from the Devil’s Showdown as the 2014 DSB Champion.
In AMA Pro SuperSport, HSBK Racing/Yamaha R6 rider Dustin Dominguez is just two points out of the Championship lead, and he’ll be riding hard to win the SuperSport title for Yamaha.
Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha: Hayes & Beaubier
With a 40-point lead over Cameron in the 2014 SuperBike Championship, Josh is clearly the odds-on favorite to clinch his fourth AMA Pro SuperBike crown in the past five years, which will be the fifth consecutive SuperBike title for the mighty Yamaha YZF-R1.
Josh will be the first to tell you he doesn’t believe in “championship preservation,” however, and he’ll be going all out to notch his 7th and 8th SuperBike wins this season, as well as the 48th and 49th SuperBike victories of his stellar career.
The “Mississippi Madman” will also be the first to tell you that getting the double win at New Jersey won’t be easy. Not with SuperBike Rookie of the Year-in-waiting Cameron racing a Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha R1 SuperBike that’s identically prepared to Josh’s own R1.
Speaking of the R1, Yamaha’s all-powerful SuperBike has won the past five races in a row at New Jersey, and this year, the bike has won all nine SuperBike races so far this season, with Cameron notching three victories aboard the #2 R1 to Josh’s six wins aboard the #4 R1.
Cameron is currently leading the standings for the Cortech Performance Edge Award. The Award–along with $2,000–goes to the AMA Pro SuperBike rider who records the fastest lap in the most races during the 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing season. Josh is second to Cameron by just one lap, so that’s extra motivation for the teammates to run fast laps in New Jersey…not that either determined Yamaha rider needs any extra motivation!
Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha: Beach & Gerloff
For JD Beach and Garrett Gerloff, both riders are coming into the Devil’s Showdown with burning desires to finish off their AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike seasons with a pair of wins, and the teammates have been training hard since Mid-Ohio.
JD is currently fourth in the DSB points standings, but he’s leading the way in the 2014 Sunoco “Go the Distance” Award and is poised to win $5,000 for racing the most miles this season.
Garrett has a special place in his heart for New Jersey Motorsports Park, since his AMA Pro Racing career began in New Jersey, and the Texan also won his first professional race that very same weekend back in 2011. He’ll be looking to get his first career DSB race win, and he’s hoping that his past success at NJMP will give him an edge.
Meet The Yamaha “Fast Four” And More At Deptford Yamaha
On Friday night, September 12 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, be sure to stop by Deptford Yamaha at 1300 Clements Bridge Road in nearby Deptford, New Jersey. Josh, Cameron, Garrett, and JD will be on hand to meet fans, sign autographs, and give away posters. Also appearing will be MotoSport.com/Meen Yamaha’s DSB Championship contender Jake Lewis, along with Yamalube Westby Racing’s Dane Westby.
Watch The Show Before The Showdown
To rev your heart and get you ready for the Devil’s Showdown this weekend, take a look of Yamaha’s preview video: http://youtu.be/kVIzBaWQuog
For more Yamaha racing news, results, photos, and videos, check out: www.YamahaMotorsports.com/Racingor your favorite Yamaha social media channel.