(New Release)

BRASELTON, GA (April 18, 2010) – In what could be termed as destiny, Blake Young on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki took an extremely hard fought and popular win in race two of the Suzuki SuperBike Showdown at Road Atlanta on Sunday. Josh Hayes on the Team Graves Yamaha passed Young’s Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Tommy Hayden on lap four and Young and Hayes put on a display of clean, hard fought motorcycle racing of the highest possible quality all the way to the end of the 20 lap AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike race.

After the difficult situation surrounding Saturday’s AMA Pro American SuperBike race where AMA Pro officials made an error enforcing a penalty to Hayes for a jumped start, it was determined after a thorough examination of various factors and information that a time penalty was given to Hayes, which moved him from first place in Saturday’s race to sixth. Young was declared the winner, his first in AMA Pro American SuperBike competition but everyone, fans and participants would have liked to have seen Young take the checkers outright for his first victory.

On Sunday, both Young and Hayes set out to give the fans another great race and this time each wanted to win it in style. The two did not disappoint, once Hayes got past Hayden, he put on a demonstration of why he is a champion as he fought every inch of the way in battling only inches behind Young lap after lap. Those two just plain disappeared into the distance and only Hayden could even keep in touch with the battling duo.

Jake Zemke riding his National Guard Jordan Suzuki tried hard to stay with the first three but he and the others behind had nothing for the very determined first two riders. Larry Pegram on his Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing Ducati fought hard all day with first Taylor Knapp on his RidersDiscount.com Suzuki and then also a rejuvenated John Hopkins on his M4 Monster Energy Suzuki.

Hopkins’s M4 Monster Energy Suzuki teammate Chris Ulrich also had another strong ride and he fought the good fight with Hopkins. Ben Bostrom had a tough day on his Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha and he pitted early to check for a mechanical problem and then, after rejoining, showed his class by moving over smartly for the leaders before pulling back in to the pits for good to end his day.

It really was just a two man show and Hayes tried everything he could, even falling back just slightly for a few laps but then as the race wound down, he made another valiant charge to get by Young. Hayes had the slightest wobble coming out of turn seven on the last lap and that was all Young needed as he dove down into the turn ten complex for the final time, Hayes just wasn’t close enough to try a pass.

Coming out from under the bridge down to the last corner, Young braked as late as he could, the Yoshimura Suzuki twitching under the strain of his later than late braking but he held it together nicely and took the flag for what is officially his second AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike win. But today he celebrated it in style with a high five from Daytona SportBike rider Danny Eslick on his way into Victory Lane and with a smoky burnout once he arrived.

AMA Pro Racing long time official starter Bobby Lemming presented Young with the traditional honor of the actual race checkered flag to commemorate the well deserved win. Hayes was a classy second and is now back at the pace that brought him seven wins in 2009. Hayden took third, completing a strong weekend for him and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team. Zemke took fourth ahead of Hopkins (fifth), Pegram (sixth) Knapp was seventh with Ulrich eighth. Chris Clark on the second Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha was ninth and Barret Long on the Longevity Racing Ducati finished tenth.

Another great race for the series with Zemke holding a four point lead in points over the solid Hayden, 145-141. The battle will be rejoined next at Infineon Raceway in California, May 14-16. Visit http://www.amaproracing for the full results and points standings and make sure to watch the races on SPEED, late tonight at 1 a.m. ET (10 p.m. PT).