Four-Time AMA Superbike Champion
Josh Hayes Chasing Overall AMA Race Win Record, Starting This Weekend In MotoAmerica Supersport at VIR
By Michael Gougis
Copyright 2019 Roadracingworld.com
Four-time AMA Superbike Champion
Josh Hayes, chasing the all-time AMA Pro win record, is entered in
the Supersport class at the MotoAmerica VIRginia International Raceway round
this weekend.
Hayes will race a Yamaha YZF-R6
entered by wife Melissa Paris and MP13Racing in a deal that came together so late
that Hayes was not even listed on the official MotoAmerica entry list for the
class.
“Yeah, I’m really
excited,” Hayes told Roadracing World in the paddock at VIR. “Mel and
I had such a good time at the Daytona 200, and we felt like we had pretty good
success with it. We had the idea that we’ve kind of been kicking around for a
while–the all-time win record just isn’t that far out of our reach. Miguel
(Duhamel) has 86 wins, I’ve got 83, and what better story would it be than to
try to get that all-time win record for my wife and MP13Racing?”
Hayes retired from the factory
Yamaha Superbike squad at the end of the 2017 season. Hayes raced the
International Island Classic earlier this year aboard a Team USA Mojo Yamaha
Formula One bike, notching the first win in the high-profile vintage racing
festival for a U.S. rider.
He then raced the Daytona 200 on
the YZF-R6 entered by Paris, finishing fourth in the four-lap shootout at the
end of the race, and then raced the vintage Formula One Mojo Yamaha again in
AHRMA competition last weekend at Willow Springs International Raceway.
Hayes says there is no set
schedule for the rest of the season, and that his racing appearances will
depend on financial support that the team can put together. Hayes is a regular
in the MotoAmerica paddock, offering coaching to a number of riders in various
classes, including current MotoAmerica Supersport points leader Bobby Fong.
Although the Daytona 200 races
under combined AMA and ASRA sanctioning, the motorcycle Hayes is racing was built to comply
with MotoAmerica Supersport specs from the beginning, he says. It was not a
major effort to remove the quick-change equipment needed for the 200 and have
the bike ready for MotoAmerica competition, he says.
Hayes started his professional career racing for Team Hammer in
the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning multiple titles with WERA and Formula
USA as well as taking Suzuki Cup titles. In addition to his four AMA Pro Superbike titles, Hayes won the 2014 Superbike Shootout Superbike Championship along with the 2003 AMA Superstock
Championship and the 2006 and 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme titles.
More, From a press release issued by MP13 Racing:
Josh Hayes Set To Race In MotoAmerica Supersport At VIRginia
International Raceway
Alton, VA – May 3, 2019 –Four-time AMA Superbike Champion and
former Yamaha factory rider Josh Hayes will be aboard the #4 MP13 Racing Yamaha
YZF-R6 and compete in the Supersport race class at this weekend’s MotoAmerica
Championship of Virginia at VIRginia International Raceway.
“After a successful Daytona 200, we got to thinking about
the all-time AMA wins record, and it’s well within our reach,” Hayes said. “How
cool of a project would it be for me to break that record with my wife as our
team owner and my crew chief? The only thing we lacked is the funds. But,
thanks to a silent partner who stepped up for us, we’re able to race this
weekend at VIR. Beyond that, we don’t know. But we’re here in Virginia, and
we’re going to race.”
Hayes, who currently has 83 all-time AMA race victories and
is just three wins behind Miguel DuHamel, who tops the list with 86 victories,
has the bit in his teeth and is ready to race.
MotoAmerica Supersport practice begins at 9:30 AM Saturday
morning, Supersport qualifying is at 11:45 AM, and Supersport race one goes
green on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM. Supersport race two is scheduled for
Sunday, also at 2:00 PM.
Supersport qualifying and both
races will be streamed on MotoAmerica
Live+.