Cycle News

ROUNDS 5-6/JUNE 22-23, 2014 BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK/LEEDS, ALABAMA AMA SUPERBIKE AMA NATIONAL GUARD SUPERBIKE SERIES passed in turn five by teammate Hayes halfway through the first lap. Hayes then led a four-rider breakaway at the front with Herrin, Hayden and Cardenas. Danny Eslick was also there for a couple of laps, but quickly fell off the lead pace. Perhaps the most surprising development of the weekend was when Herrin came back and made a pass on Hayes, again in the highly active passing zone of turn five, to take over the lead still early in the race. Two laps later Hayes came back to the front with a classic pass on the brakes, diving on the inside of turn five. WHAT'S EATING DANNY? P68 A couple of laps later Herrin's chances of a win went out the window with a close call. While riding in Hayes' draft the rear end of Herrin's Yamaha came around in turn three under acceleration and it snapped violently, throwing him out of the saddle. "I wasn't too close to highsiding, but I was worried about getting shot off into the grass after that happened," Herrin said of his big moment. "I was charging hard to try to get by Josh to get some bonus points [for leading the most laps] and I made a big mistake and it cost me. I was really just hanging on to those guys; Danny Eslick was a rider on the rise at the end of 2012. The former flat tracker from Oklahoma finished 2012 with so much promise, earning three podium finishes on the underdog American-made EBR Superbike, including a second-place at Homestead. He also gave fans a thrill with his cowboy riding style. So when Eslick was signed to the powerful Jordan Suzuki squad for 2013 he was expected to be a series contender. Some pundits even had him challenging Josh Hayes for the title. But it hasn't worked out that way so far. Eslick has worked hard just to finish inside the top five this year and Barber was the worst performance yet, scoring an eighth and a sixth. At one point in the weekend he even asked teammate Roger Hayden if he could follow him around in practice and try to figure out where he needed to improve. Eslick is somewhat of a throwback rider. He's most comfortable on a bike when he can slide it around loose and hang out the back end when entering and I hadn't done anything close to that time all weekend. After I lost that gap, I couldn't catch back up." With Herrin out of the mix, it was again all down to Hayes and Hayden and it was a repeat of Saturday's race where Hayden could pull right behind Hayes, but could never get a clean enough drive to be able to have the momentum he needed to pass the leader. "There on the last couple of laps I was right on his back tire just trying to find a place to make a pass," said Hayden, who earned his third podium of the season. exiting turns. It's a spectacular style to watch and he could do that on the EBR 1190RS last year, a bike with a big powerband and very few - if any - electronic aids. But Eslick admits he's having a bit of trouble coming to terms with the more advanced engine management system on the Jordan Suzuki GSXR1000. "It's just a big learning curve for me this year," Eslick explained. "There are electronics and a lot of different things that I've got to come to terms with - as well as getting used to a different group of guys. We're running a K-Tech suspension now, so it's just kind of getting used to some things. "I definitely not happy with where I'm finishing. The team is way better than finishing fifth and sixth and eighth. My teammate is on the podium and these bikes are identical and everybody works together on this team. There's no reason I shouldn't be up there. It's on me. I just need to twist the throttle and use a little less brake and get this thing up to the front." Eslick was brutally honest in his assessment of the first third of the 2013 racing season. "It's a pleasure riding for this team, but I don't know if I'll be around long if I keep finishing fifth."

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