From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Tommy Hayden: 2004 AMA Supersport Champion

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 12, 2004) — Tommy Hayden broke through to win his first AMA road racing title by taking home the 2004 Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship Presented by Shoei with a conservative sixth-place finish aboard his Kawasaki ZX-6R Sunday at Virginia International Raceway.

Hayden held an 11-point lead in the series over younger brother Roger Lee coming into the VIR finale. The championship boiled down to those two and Tommy simply tucked in behind Roger and kept him in sight for the entire race.

Tommy acknowledged winning the Supersport title is a special accomplishment for him. “I’ve been second and third in the championship so many times that it’s a relief more than anything to finally win a championship,” he said. “Having to wait these extra three weeks added to the feeling of relief. You can play things in your head as many times as you want, but until you get out there [on the track] you never know what it’s going to be like.”

This is Hayden’s tenth year in AMA road racing. He’s finished runner-up in a series four times, including once to his brother Nicky in the hard-fought 1999 Supersport campaign. Hayden’s championship marks only the second time in AMA road racing history that brothers have won championships. With Tommy’s title he and Nicky share that distinction with Ben and Eric Bostrom.

Hayden explained that the pressure building up to this race may have gotten to him. “I crashed here in practice and I don’t think I’ve crashed in two years.”

Future plans for Hayden are uncertain at the moment, but he affirmed his satisfaction with Kawasaki and his desire to return to AMA Superbike racing. “They know that’s what I want to do and we’re working on it.”

Hayden also expressed faith that his youngest brother Roger Lee will soon follow in his and Nicky’s footsteps to become the third Hayden brother to win an AMA title next year. “If Roger keeps riding like he did in the second half of this season he’ll get a championship real soon.”

Kawasaki shares in the glory with Hayden by winning its third AMA Supersport championship and an impressive one-two finish in the series. Eric Bostrom won the AMA Supersport title on a Kawasaki in 2001 as did Miguel Duhamel in 1993.


More, from a press release issued on behalf of Jason DiSalvo:

DiSalvo Sweeps VIR

Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, New York competed in the AMA SuperBike National Road Race at Virginia International Raceway Saturday and Sunday October 9th and 10th due to hurricane IVAN the race weekend was shortened to two days. Beginning with practice and qualifying Saturday morning the 1000cc SuperStock race scheduled for late Saturday afternoon and the 600cc SuperSport race being scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Perfect weather conditions set the scene for a perfect weekend.

In the 1000cc SuperStock class Jason started Saturday morning qualifying with the fastest time, then breaking the track record with a blistering 1 min. 25.328 seconds bettering the previous record by well over 2 seconds. From the green light start Jason lead into turn 1 never looking back and bettering the field by a 1/2 second per lap, at one point having a nine second gap over the second place rider ultimately winning by 7 seconds in a wire to wire race.

The 600cc SuperSport class began qualifying Saturday with Jason smashing the existing track record by setting a pole position with 1 min. 26.762 seconds 7/10’s better than the previous record. The race began with a great start Jason leading into turn 1 with his teammates, Jamie Hacking and Damon Buckmaster in hot pursuit. During the 17-lap race Jason lead 14 laps swapping places with two of his teammates ultimately finishing 1st by 2/10’s of a second with Jamie Hacking second and Aaron Gobert third giving him the final piece of a perfect weekend.

Jason commented, “My Yamaha and Graves team mechanics, crew chiefs and all gave me two great bikes to finish the season. The Dunlop tire choice we made with Jim Allen did the job very well.”

Jason had a perfect weekend with 2 pole positions, 2 track records, and 2 class wins. The final championship points find Jason in 4th place in the 1000cc SuperStock class, I point behind third and 7 points behind first. In the 600 SuperSport class Jason finished fifth.

Team Yamaha set a record at VIR with all 3-podium positions in the 600cc SuperSport class. Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert also claimed the SuperStock championship.

With the season ending, Jason will be vacationing in Ireland attending his mechanics wedding (Seamus Taffe to Jennifer Medvidick) and spending 2 days in London, England before returning to his testing in Nevada in November.