2014 AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 51 ISSUE 10 MARCH 11, 2014 P59
best hope to eventually move up
to GP racing is the real deal. Can
he be as good as he appeared
to be in the Daytona SportBike
class?
For the sake of American rac-
ing one can only hope. Much
like Ben Spies with Mat Mladin,
one thing is certain, if Beaubier
someday does move on the GP
racing and becomes a star on the
world stage, his battles this sea-
son against a rider of Josh Hayes'
caliber will have provided him the
essential experience needed to
make it to the next level.
Yamaha's Hayes, the three-
time AMA Superbike Champion,
is back and he's in a nasty mood.
Losing last year's title to team-
mate Josh Herrin by way of a
spate of bad luck, bad starts and
broken machines, Hayes will be
eager to regain the title he felt
should have been his for a fourth
time last season.
At 38 (he'll turn 39 in April)
there is some question if father
time will finally start to catch up
with Hayes, but don't count on it.
He is supremely fit and one of the
hardest training riders in the his-
tory of the championship. In fact,
Herrin said on particularly hot
(Above) Martin Cardenas finished
third in the championship last year
and will be looking to challenge the
factory Yamahas again in 2014.
