was family squabbling at its be st . Kawasaki's
Tommy and Roger Lee Hayde n went at just like
they have thousands of times before, whether on
their parents' farm or in organized races or in
rental cars. Only this time it would turn out differently, at least at this level.
Kawasaki's Roger Lee Hayden got the better of his older brother,
outrunning him to the line by .030 seconds to win his first-ever Pro
Honda Oils Supersport race on a hot, humid afternoon at Barber
Motorsports Park. Third, just 0.218 seconds back, was Yamaha's Aaron
Gobert.
"It definitely feels good," Roger Lee Hayden said, smiling as sweat from the
humid day covered his face, "when you try and do something for five years and
you finally get it done. I thought Tom (Hayden) was go ing to draft right by me
because I've gotten beat so many times that close . When I got that checkered nag,
it was like a ton of bricks was lifted off my shou lders or something."
As impo rt ant as the win was that it solidified the Kawasakis at the top of the
championship standings. After four of II races, Tommy leads Roger Lee 128 to 123,
with Yamaha's Jamie Hacking, fourth today, third w ith I 13.
The Kawasakis were out front from the start, both Tommy and Roger Lee taking
turns at the fro nt with Yoshimura Suzuki's Ben Spies there fo r a lap. Then it was
back to the Kawasakis, Roger Lee and Tommy, now with Hacking and Yamaha's
Aaron Gobert along . The lead quartet had broken away from the pack by the ninth
lap.
"It started out pretty good ," Tommy Hayden said . "I got the start and led there
for a cou ple of laps. I wasn't really pushing real hard . Someone passed me, and I
)
\. ~ " was pretty content w ith that because I just wanted to cruise for a while and save
. """
my tires. I hung back and cruised , and then I saw tra ffic coming, so I knew it
was time to start moving forward,"
There were changes at the front , Aaron Gobert taking the lead from
Roger Lee on the 14th lap.
" I was getting a little nervous because I was using the front a lot in
t he back sec t ion t here , and a lot of guys were getting by me toward
the end," Roger Lee said, "I felt like they we re holding me up, but
when I took the lead again, it was the same times so, like Tom
said, it was hard to pull the times,"
Gobert's lead lasted two laps, both Haydens passing him on
lap 16, Tommy in front of his little brother.
It came down to the final two turns, Roger Lee making a
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28
MAY 26, 2004 • C YC LE N EWS
40th Anniversary
. . . . . his
