Motourage

Barrett Long Wins GT2 Pole for KRM Racing by Motocorse in Team Debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 16, 2009) – Josh Hayes was a late addition to the No. 13 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 team for this weekend’s AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT 8 Hours At Daytona but that didn’t stop the top AMA Pro American Superbike rider from winning the overall and GT1 class pole Friday for tomorrow’s eight-hour endurance race.  Hayes, who will co-ride the No. 13 with Jeff Wood and regular team riders Dane Westby and Dustin Meador, turned a top qualifying lap time of 1:53.367 (112.731 mph) just minutes before a heavy rain shower forced an early end to the scheduled two hour session just past the one hour mark.

“I am glad I was kind of able to do my job for the Westby Racing team,” said Hayes, who won seven AMA Pro American Superbike races this year riding a Yamaha R1 for Yamaha Motor Corp. USA. “Whenever they ask me to come ride, I want to do a good job for them. If I can put down a good time and get a top position on the grid, that’s one step and one part of my job.”

Hayes was added to the Westby team just this week but he had been planning on being in Daytona for the Fall Cycle Scene to support his wife and fellow racer Melissa Paris. Paris is racing for the first time this weekend in Championship Cup Series (CCS) competition since sustaining a fractured right tibia/fibula injury in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in mid August.

“It was kind of a last minute deal,” Hayes said. “The guys called me up and they knew I would be here with Melissa anyway, and they know how much I enjoy riding. Melissa is riding well too considering she is only about eight weeks out of a broken leg. She finished fifth in today’s GTU race and is riding pretty well around this track, so it is good to finish on a high note.”

Read more…