Joseph Blasius, a 25-year-old second-year-Expert racer from Northville, Michigan, was awarded the Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award Sunday at the AMA Road Race Grand Championships, held in conjunction with the 45th WERA Grand National Finals, at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Riding his Michelin-equipped, Apex Manufacturing Triumph Daytona 675R, Blasius finished sixth in the AMA 600cc Superbike Expert race and eighth in the AMA 600cc Superstock Expert race. Also during the weekend event Blasius won the WERA 750cc Superbike Expert National Challenge race and wrapped up WERA National Challenge Championships in three classes (750cc Superbike Expert, 600cc Superbike Expert and 600cc Superstock Expert).
AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant, working in consultation with WERA and Roadracingworld.com, determined that Blasius’s results on the track, character off the track and plans to launch his professional career made him the most worthy choice for the 2017 Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award.
“Everyone thinks the Horizon Award is basically, ‘Hey, who scored the most points? Who does this? Who does that?’ That’s not the case. If that was the case it would be a very easy selection when we’re picking out the Horizon Award winner,” said Saillant said during the presentation of the award. “The Horizon Award winner is the person that the AMA feels is best suited to have a successful launch of a Pro career. That’s one thing. But we also take into consideration character, integrity, enthusiasm, sportsmanship – all the things that Nicky Hayden brought to events.”
“I was definitely not expecting to get this award,” Blasius told Roadracingworld.com. “Going into this I had high hopes for the weekend, but my progress at the track wasn’t there. I thought [the award] was going to go to one of these little kids because they were absolutely killing it this weekend. To win this, I’m shaking still. I’m really excited.
“I really have to thank my dad. He got me on a motorcycle before I could even ride a bicycle. I rode around my house until I was like six years old. And then I got into dirt biking in high school. Me and a buddy bought sportbikes in college, and then I went to a STT [Sportbike Track Time] track day and met up with David [Grey] and Richard [Harris]. They got me on the Triumphs, I started racing three years ago as a Novice, and thanks to them I’ve been winning and progressing ever since.
“To be able to get this award is a huge honor. I’m really proud of myself, and I’m really happy with the people who have gotten me here. I’m excited to see where next year takes me. I’m going to be doing the [Junior Cup] in MotoAmerica. So I’ll see if I can run with those guys. I’ll probably also do a couple of MotoAmerica races in the 600 [Supersport] class.”
Winning the AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year Award was Kayla Yaakov, a 10-year-old from Biglerville, Pennsylvania, who just graduated to racing full-size motorcycles on full-size racetracks with WERA in 2017. Yaakov finished her 2017 season by taking second in the AMA Lightweight Twins Superbike Novice race and earning a total of six WERA race wins on her Trackday Winner and ONE-X leathers-backed Moriwaki MD250H, Honda NSF250 and Honda Grom at the Grand National Finals.
“When I went up there I didn’t know it was coming. I was about to cry, really. That’s how honored I am,” Yaakov told Roadracingworld.com. “This is cool. My dad [former racer David Yaakov] said I earned it, so I guess I did. I pushed hard this year, and I loved racing with WERA. This was the best year.”
Kayla Yaakov said she plans to continue racing with WERA until she turns 14 and becomes old enough to start racing in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Daniel Adams was selected to receive the AMA Senior/Vet Racer of the Year, and Andrew Lamoureux was chosen as the AMA Novice Road Racer of the Year. Neither Adams nor Lamoureux were present to receive their awards.
45th WERA Grand National Finals and AMA Road Race Grand Championship
Barber Motorsports Park
Birmingham, Alabama
November 5, 2017
Provisional Race Results:
AMA 600cc Superbike Expert:
1. Joseph Gianotto (Yam YZF-R6), 8 laps, Best Lap Time 1:30.787
2. Matt Burdett (Suz GSX-R600), -6.463 seconds, 1:31.953
3. Tulio Pinto (Yam YZF-R6), -11.819, 1:31.764
4. Daniel Paine (Yam YZF-R6), -13.203, 1:32.672
5. Chuck Ivey (Yam YZF-R6), -13.831, 1:33.066
6. Joseph Blasius (Tri Daytona 675R), -15.309, 1:33.066
7. Garrett O’Brien (Yam YZF-R6), -22.340, 1:33.413
8. Timothy A. Wilson (Kaw ZX-6R), -22.365, 1:33.905
9. Aaron Graham (Yam YZF-R6), -22.380, 1:33.163
10. Jeremiah Walker (MV Agusta F3 675), -23.624, 1:33.415
11. Andrew Bowen (Tri Daytona 675), -24.586, 1:34.301
12. Jace Hasskew (Suz GSX-R600), -28.462, 1:33.749
13. Brian Hebeisen (Yam YZF-R6), -29.365, 1:34.155
14. Eric Telger (Yam YZF-R6), -34.220, 1:34.873
15. John Knowles (Yam YZF-R6), -43.436, 1:36.520
16. Brandon Salyer (Yam YZF-R6), -55.472, 1:37.643
17. Paxton Jones (Kaw ZX-6R), -66.617, 1:38.795
18. John James (Hon CBR600RR), -70.827, 1:39.426
AMA 600cc Superbike Novice:
1. Andrew Lamoureux (Tri Daytona 675), 8 laps, Best Lap Time 1:34.201
2. Aaron Hernandez (Suz GSX-R600), -3.443 seconds, 1:34.197
3. William Posse (Yam YZF-R6), -12.458, 1:35.368
4. Alex Brooks (Yam YZF-R6), -20.913, 1:35.862
5. Jonathan Schweiger (Tri Daytona 675), -27.351, 1:37.801
6. Kevin Netto (Hon CBR600RR), -31.514, 1:38.299
7. Steven Roth (Yam YZF-R6), -44.048, 1:38.666
8. Justin Bourland (Yam YZF-R6), -44.610, 1:39.093
9. Robert Cichelo, Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), -52.730, 1:40.554
10. Hunter Dunham (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:35.688
11. Michael Martin (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:42.311
12. Edwin Cosme (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:43.096
13. Clyde Dixon (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:44.319
14. Tyler Andrews (Yam YZF-R6), -5 laps, DNF, 1:45.696
15. Dallas Daniels (Yam YZF-R6), -7 laps, DNF, 1:40.914
AMA 1000cc Superbike Expert:
1. Alan J. Nelson (Kaw ZX-10R), 8 laps, Best Lap Time 1:30.716
2. Billy Ethridge (Suz GSX-R1000), -7.169 seconds, 1:31.176
3. Brad Burns (Kaw ZX-10R), -7.222, 1:31.410
4. Vasiliy Zhulin (Yam YZF-R1), -17.963, 1:32.570
5. Dr. Jeffrey Purk, DDS (Yam YZF-R1), -24.188, 1:33.501
6. Manny Segura (Kaw ZX-10R), -24.714, 1:33.552
7. Jeremy Kolewski (Kaw ZX-10R), -25.219, 1:33.834
8. John Dunham (Yam YZF-R1), -28.813, 1:31.789
9. Stephen Incledon (Yam YZF-R1), -31.068, 1:33.905
10. Corey Heflin (Yam YZF-R1), -36.517, 1:34.936
11. Shane Richardson (Kaw ZX-10R), -40.254, 1:34.904
12. Robert Scudder (BMW S1000RR), -43.965, 1:36.996
13. Freddy Carswell (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap, DNF, 1:34.225
14. Andrew Fahsholtz (Suz GSX-R1000), -7 laps, DNF, 1:37.480
AMA 1000cc Superbike Novice:
1. Jesse Ruehling (Kaw ZX-10R), 8 laps, Best Lap Time 1:33.520
2. Rhett Norman (Yam YZF-R1), -2.505 seconds, 1:33.697
3. Dario Chavarro (Suz GSX-R1000), -5.215, 1:33.910
4. Nathaniel Mollohan (Yam YZF-R1), -11.104, 1:34.469
5. William Posse (Yam YZF-R6), -22.462, 1:36.082
6. Joshua Goodrich (BMW S1000RR), -23.515, 1:36.307
7. Jessica Capizzi (BMW S1000RR), -35.381, 1:36.898
8. Jonathan Schweiger (Tri Daytona 675), -42.400, 1:38.131
9. Edwin Cosme (Yam YZF-R1), -53.907, 1:38.405