Hayes rides to victory

Josh Hayes rides toward the checkered flag in Sonoma. (Nate Jacobson/Infineon Raceway)

By Derek Wilson
SONOMA -- Josh Hayes popped the cork on the champagne after his first AMA Pro Racing Road Series victory of the season Saturday, but he wasn't ready to celebrate just yet, not until he could share it with his wife, Melissa Paris.
"My wife's about to race," Hayes explained to the media as he looked toward the track.
Hayes posted his second career American SuperBike win at Infineon Raceway during the West Coast Moto Jam. The couple couldn't sweep the afternoon's races as Paris finished 20th in the Daytona SportBike class.
"I know the time gap doesn't always tell the story of the whole race, but I feel pretty good about my machine," Hayes said after he held off Ben Bostrom and third-place finisher Larry Pegram in a close, physical race. Bostrom finished 3.655 seconds behind Hayes, with Pegram another 3 1/2 seconds back.
Hayes is fourth in the points standings after seven races. Jake Zemke, who placed fourth Saturday, jumped over Blake Young to claim the points lead. Tommy Hayden is second, followed by Young entering today's race.
Hayes' success at Sonoma puts him in an uncomfortable position.
"I like being the underdog, really. I'd rather be the underdog," said Hayes, who took the pole away from Bostrom during the second qualifying round Saturday morning.
Hayes won one race during the doubleheader last year in Sonoma, sparking a string of seven victories during the second half the schedule that pushed him into second place in the final points standings.
"Ever since I won here last year, I've been pegged as the favorite. I don't know if I am, but I seem to do well here," Hayes said after qualifying. "My crew gave me a good bike and now it's all on me. It's on my shoulders to win. ... It's a little different, but I'll take it."
Bostrom and Pegram turned up the pressure on Hayes, constantly pushing him through the twisting road course in search of any opening.
"I don't know if we had the pace for Josh, but I look forward to (Sunday) and want to be up front," said Bostrom, a graduate of Petaluma High School. "I really enjoyed that battle for second and third. My bike was fantastic. I love this track as well."
Hayes has every reason to love the Sonoma track.
"It's weird to call this my home track, since it's so far away from home," said the Gulfport, Miss., native. "My bike does so well here, though, it feels like home."
Pegram was complaining about the brakes on his Ducati during qualifying, but didn't seem to have too much trouble when the green flag dropped, except for "the two Yamahas in front of me," he said, glancing toward Hayes and Bostrom.
"I think I had a third-place bike and that's a good accomplishment today," Pegram said. "I thought I was going to get second, but Ben decided different here at the end. He rode hard the last seven or eight laps and I couldn't hold him off."

HISTORY AT 16
Myers first female AMA winner
By Derek Wilson
SONOMA -- The good luck ran out for Vacaville's Joey Pascarella, opening the door for Discovery Bay teen Elena Myers to win the SuperSport race Saturday during the West Coast Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway.
Myers, 16, became the first female to finish atop the podium in AMA history when she was awarded the victory after Pascarella crashed, bringing out a red flag midway through the race.
"The race went really good for me. Some people made mistakes and I took advantage of it," Myers said. "It's great to be at the top of the box. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. It's crazy."
Roseville's Cameron Beaubier finished second and Petaluma's Tyler O'Hara took third.
"That was wild out there," O'Hara said. "It was an awesome day. We just had to start from the second row inside and I had my work cut out for me."
Beaubier looked almost unbeatable starting from the pole position. Jake Gagne crashed in Turn 9 after six laps, bringing out the first red flag of the day. Gagne was able to get back in the field for the restart but crashed again in almost the same place to end his day early.
O'Hara, who had been battling Myers all day, got the hole shot on the restart and looked like he could cruise to victory.
"I was thinking I had a chance. I got the restart and things were awesome," O'Hara said.
Myers reeled him in and O'Hara slipped back into the pack.
"I got a great start off the front row, which worked out really well for me," Myers said.
Myers was running second, close behind Pascarella, when he rocketed over his handlebars as his bike got loose entering Turn 10 on the backstretch, stopping the action for the second time. The race was declared official after nine of 18 laps and Pascarella was dropped to 18th place.
"The back end just accelerated and I didn't expect it," said Pascarella, whose right hand was badly bruised after the crash. He was complaining of wrist pain, but expected to be ready for today's second race.
"We made some changes before the restart and I had a really good bike," he continued. "I think we'll be fine for Sunday."

He's Baaack
Riding in the Southern California desert was fun for Petaluma High School grad Eric Bostrom, but he missed the competition too much to stay away.
"This is my family. There's a giant void when you're away from the track," Bostrom said.
Bostrom, who left the AMA Pro Road Racing Series after the 2008 season, officially announced he will return this season for a handful of races, beginning with the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 23-25.
Bostrom's comeback is part of a charity promotion with Attack Suzuki, Leo Vince Motorsports and Cycle World Magazine. They put together a bike for this season and will auction it off at the end of the campaign. Proceeds from the auction will go towards a college scholarship fund for survivors of pediatric brain tumors.
"I was missing my ride time and when this opportunity came long, it was just coincidence," said Bostrom, who has been in South America working as a farmer.
SuperSport rider Cameron Beaubier of Roseville is set to inherit the ride from Bostrom. Beaubier will ride a different bike, but will have the support of Attack Suzuki.
"I'm excited. I've never ridden a bike like this before," said Beaubier before he went on the track for his race.

Coming through
Martin Cardenas worked his way through traffic to win the Daytona SportBike race ahead of Danny Eslick and Tommy Aquino. Tempers flared somewhat as Cardenas tried to push slower riders out of the way as he dueled with Eslick on the final lap.
"At the end, to be able to win, was good for me," said Cardenas, who swept the weekend races in Sonoma last year.
Eslick almost upstaged Cardenas at the finish line with a big wheelie.

Hometown Hero
National Guard Sergeant Josh Sevier of Concord was a honored guest Saturday at Infineon Raceway as part of the Salute Our Troops program.
Sevier served in Iraq as a member of the 101st Air Battalion and received several honors, including the Purple Heart and War on Terrorism medal.
Sevier, in his first trip to the track, had another reason to celebrate. His daughter, Soleil, turned 4 years old Saturday. She was born while he was serving in Iraq.
"When you're in the military, you have to go all in," Sevier said. "It's a big day for her today and I'm glad I can spend time with my family."
Sevier and his wife, Christine, also have a 16-month-old son, Santino.
Christine Sevier has had to get used to being a military wife. The two met on a blind date shortly before Sevier shipped out from Fort Campbell.
"I proposed to her five days later, just before I left for duty," Sevier said. "June 25 we were married in Hawaii and we've been happy ever since."

Pascarella in the lead

Rider Joey Pascarella. Courtesy Brandon Bones Studio819 Photography.

AMA RIDER PASCARELLA TURNS WHEELS OF FATE

By Derek Wilson

After enduring the worst season of his career, Vacaville's Joey Pascarella is enjoying the kind of season every rider dreams of.
The Northern California rider suffered a series of crashes and a broken wrist which effectively took him out of the competition last season. But he's roared back to take the early points lead in the AMA SuperSport Class after winning three of the first four races.
"This year is a lot smoother," said Pascarella, who swept the two races over the weekend in Fontana. "Everything I've been doing is really paying off. I've been working hard, so this feels really good."
Pascarella's success has been far from instant ... or unexpected. His parents saw the potential in their son when he first hopped in the saddle of a 50cc bike to ride around a track his dad built on their property. He had made a name for himself on local motocross tracks by the time he was 13.
"When I started racing, I thought I'd stick with motocross. Until two years ago I never thought I'd end up in road racing in general. It's a surprise to me," said the 17-year-old Pascarella.
Not everyone is surprised by Pascarella's leap into one of the top AMA development series. SuperSport features 600cc sport bikes that reach speeds of more than 160 mph during 40-mile sprint races. The season champion is compelled to graduate to the next level of AMA Pro road racing and is no longer eligible to compete in SuperSport.
"Joey's been on a tear this year. He's riding like somebody possessed," said Melvin Nash, a Georgia attorney and owner of LTD Racing. Nash's team fields bikes for his son, Huntley, as well as Pascarella, Jake Gagne and Tomas Puerta. "He's always had a lot of talent, but it took him a long time to come back from that broken wrist. Last year he was trying to do Supermoto and road races, plus he had the health issues, so that was a lot to deal with and it caused him problems. It all seems to have sorted out now."
Pascarella's career shifted gears in 2008 when he joined the Red Bull Rookies' Cup. The international series gave riders the chance to earn an all-expenses paid season of AMA racing. Of the more than 100 riders selected to compete in the series, only 23, plus three alternates, received scholarships - including Pascarella and Nash. The Red Bull series was canceled after one season, leaving riders scrambling to find funding. Melvin Nash quickly formed LTD Racing, though he admits his knowledge of motorcycles is very limited.
"We all got together and went to AMA SuperSport. Daytona was our first race last year. We had no spare parts, nothing and we didn’t do very well," Pascarella recalled. "It's gotten a lot better this season."
No kidding.
Pascarella was runner-up in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on March 4, edged out by his friend Cameron Beaubier. Pascarella came back the very next day to take the checkered flag to lead a podium sweep for the LTD Yamaha team. Gagne and Puerta finished second and third, respectively.
Pascarella's 122 points dominate the standings. Scott Gilbert, Gagne and Elena Myers are tied for second behind Pascarella in the West, each with 46 points. Beaubier leads the East with 48 points. Pascarella opened his points lead with back-to-back wins in Southern California over the weekend, leading every lap of both races with no one offering a challenge.
"I got out front early, squished the first couple of laps and was really smart from there. I can't doubt anybody and people can always get faster," Pascarella said after winning the first race by 13.209 seconds. Nash finished on the podium in both races.
"These kids have one thing in common: A lack of fear," Melvin Nash said. "I hope a factory team - more well-financed than we are - would want them for factory riders next season. They both have all the talent in the world."
The next race is April 16-18 at Road Atlanta, the home track for LTD Racing and site of past success for Pascarella.
"I get along with the track pretty good," Pascarella said, looking ahead to a chance to put the competition - and last season's troubles - out of sight.
-- Reprinted from the Vallejo Times-Herald

SOBERING EXPERIENCE AT ST. PAT'S CHALLENGE

By Derek Wilson
SONOMA -- In my rearview mirror I saw a burgundy SUV perched halfway over the side of an embankment. A mother was crying as she pulled her infant from the back seat.
When the cop pulled me over, my heart sank. I knew I had been drinking and there was no hiding it when he told me to blow into a plastic tube for a breathalyzer test: 0.05.
Still under the legal limit of 0.08, but numbers didn't seem to matter now. All I could think about was the sound of a scream and screeching tires that echo in my ears, and the sight of oncoming headlights.
I was confused. I couldn't make sense of the signs until it was too late. I had already turned right down a one-way street into approaching traffic. Would the police arrest me? Would they revoke my license? And what about the woman and her baby? They seemed to be fine, but would they sue? I can't afford that.
What had been an innocent St. Patrick's Day celebration turned out to be the worst day of my life. But it could have been worse. Much worse.
"I've seen everything from fender-benders to fatalities," said California Highway Patrol officer Randall Wayne after giving me a breathalyzer test. "It's pointless. DUI is a choice."
Fortunately, none of the tragic events I described really happened. At least, not to me. But every two minutes of every day, there is an injury accident and 10 people die each day on California roads.
The CHP and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma hosted a St. Patrick's Day Sobriety Challenge on Wednesday to demonstrate clearly the effects of combining drinking and driving.
Sonoma State University student Hayley Dodd already knows what can happen when a drunk driver gets behind the wheel.
"A friend of mine has been in a coma for a year now after he was in an accident. He wasn't drinking. He was the passenger, but the driver was drinking," said Dodd, 22.
Dodd, decked out in Irish green for the holiday, says she usually drinks three times a week. "Drinking," she defined as four beers and some hard alcohol.
"I'm against drinking and driving," she said firmly. "I know there are people out there who do, but driving while drunk messes with your perception."
At first I thought it seemed like a lot fun, especially on St. Patrick's Day. Several types of beer from Moylan's in Novato, one of my occasional hangouts, were lined up on a table alongside bottles of Ravenswood wine. CHP officers sent me over to the bar and said "Have at it."
How often do you get a police officer telling you to have a beer and then drive? I had to laugh, but I wasn't laughing later on.
After polishing off two beers within 10 minutes, I already felt buzzed. I could see clearly and walk a fairly straight line, but my mind was clouded. Normally, there's no way I'd try to drive like that, but this was for a good cause. Anyway, I wasn't going to get arrested.
The officers on hand for the challenge then put me through a series of tests. First, I had to follow a pen as officer Wayne waved it slowly in front of me. I did OK.
Then, I had to close my eyes and touch my index finger to my nose on command. No problem, I thought. I've done this a hundred times before at the doctor's office.
After that, I had to stand on one foot and count to 30. I did better than I expected, actually. At least I didn't fall over.
Finally, officer Wayne gave me the breathalyzer. The first couple of readings were deceptively high, since I had slammed down my drinks just two minutes before, but I was still under the legal limit. I tried the Irish Red first, a solid brew at 6.5 percent alcohol. Next was the Kiltlifter, a favorite at 8 percent alcohol. The typical Budweiser is 5 percent alcohol.
"If you had been pulled over like this, you would have been arrested," officer Wayne warned me.
The cost of driving under the influence isn't cheap. The CHP estimates a first offense can cost $12,176, as much as a good used car. The increase in insurance premiums alone over the next 10 years can be close to $7,500.
But I'd never get caught, right?
Wrong. Dead wrong.
Instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School had set up a driving course, which involved straightaways, stopping, parking and backing up and quick turns.
I was cautious the first time I went through the course, completing it in 2 minutes, 2 seconds stone sober, but I had a perfect score. They reversed the course the second time, as if it weren't difficult enough to drive while buzzed.
With the idea that each pylon could be a pedestrian or another car, I was more cautious and drove slower, but I was less decisive and more easily confused. The result: 2 minutes, 30.4 seconds and one missed turn.
"Your first time through, you were cautious, but more confident. The second time, you were still cautious, but you weren't so certain," said Paul Charsley, the instructor who was evaluating me.
"That's not unusual, but it depends on the personality. Some people drive faster, more aggressively after a couple drinks. Other people drive more slowly, but even just a couple drinks affects your driving."
We probably all know someone who has pushed his or her luck, driving home after a night at a party. Maybe they made it home safe and sound. Maybe they didn't.
"It's ugly. I've seen families show up at fatalities and it's awful," officer Wayne said. "I, personally, have never had to deliver that kind of news and I hope I never have to."
-- Reprinted from the Vallejo Times-Herald

PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES

Johnny Rock Page's hauler is easy to spot wherever he goes.

ENTOURAGE

Johnny Rock Page with daughters Madison and Alexa.

PAGE ROCKS ON AT MOTOGP

By Derek Wilson

Johnny Rock Page isn't hard to find. He's just hard to pin down.
Even among the better-known names, Page stands out in the AMA paddock, with his hauler decorated like the cover of 944 magazine, displaying a barely-covered Paris Hilton on the side.
Page lives like a rock star, but his guideline isn't "Sex. Drugs. Rock and Roll."
"Dream big, anything is possible," is the motto written on the black wrist bands Page hands out to his fans during AMA weekend at the track.
He's got his hands in everyone's pockets and, in that sense, Johnny Rock Page wants everyone to share in the fun.
"My life is a celebration of life," Page says as two of his daughters Madison and Alexa duck inside the trailer.
The results haven't been there on the track yet for Page. He is 28th in the American Superbike standings entering the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on the Fourth of July weekend. Running a partial schedule, he was last on the track in Sonoma in May, when he finished 18th and 19th, respectively, in the two 23-rider races. Page's best finish this season was 15th at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., on May 3.
Even as a millionaire privateer, Page has to be considered a serious underdog against the likes of Ben Bostrom and Mat Mladin, but he's a good ambassador for the series.
"This sport is in need of someone outside the norm, someone who's out there where the fans exist," Page said.
Well, Page is ... out there.
Telling his own life story, Page starts by explaining his abusive and mentally ill mother was committed to a sanitarium when he was just a child. He doesn't offer that as a reason for his own behavior, but just as a matter of record.
Page is opening his life to his fans with the new reality TV series he's shopping around "My Daddy Johnny Rock Page Has Gone Crazy!" The show might earn Page as many fans as critics, but he's betting either way it will make him even more popular.
The first couple episodes show Page traveling from L.A. to Daytona with a stop at home in Phoenix as he tends to all his varied interests. His wife LaDena, a former model, his children and friends all star in the series,
Page amassed a small fortune with investments in a burgeoning ATM industry, but he's moved on to publishing, clothing and, of course, professional motorcycle racing.
"My image is bigger than my life," said Page, who smiles as he describes himself as the guy who takes his wife and kids to church every Sunday. "I go after everything I want and I do it with passion."
Is this the real Johnny Rock Page? The guy surrounded by half-naked women and partying at the most exclusive clubs? Or is Johnny Rock Page really the adoring father of four who tries to set a positive example for his children?
Johnny Rock Page doesn't see the two as mutually exclusive. He advertises himself as an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, family man, American Superbike race, clothing designer, free spirit and ... cellist?
Page admits he's a dreamer, but if he didn't "dream big," he figures he'd probably be sitting at a desk in an office instead of diving through turns on a Yamaha.
"If I thought I couldn't do it, what would be the point?" he asks.

Kahne, Petty in Sonoma winner's circle
By Derek Wilson

SONOMA -- It's good to be "The King." It's even better to be Kasey Kahne.
Kahne survived an assault by Tony Stewart and Marcos Ambrose over the last 20 laps, even for two extra laps, to earn his first victory at Infineon Raceway on Sunday in the Toyota/ Save Mart 350.
Stewart, a two-time winner at the track, finished second. Ambrose was third for his first podium finish in Sonoma.
"To win any race and to win at a road course for me is crazy. It feels really good," said Kahne, who honed his skills on the tracks around his native Enumclaw, Wash.
Kahne got a post-race hug from Richard Petty, whose team got its first Sprint Cup win since 1999. Petty had to congratulate the rest of his team as A.J. Allmendinger of Los Gatos finished seventh and Elliott Sadler took 10th.
"Run good enough to win couple or three races, but ... didn't happen," Petty said. "For Richard Petty Motorsports really good day. Going back home Monday, it'll be really a good homecoming."
Kahne and Stewart, chasing his third win at Infineon, turned the race into a personal duel as the day went two laps longer than scheduled after a late caution.
"The second-to-last run there we're fast and Kasey matches us lap for lap. Kasey never made a mistake," Stewart said. "I got nervous as (Ambrose) was coming on there. I thought I'd have my hands full with him. It's great to run with his caliber of guys."
Stewart boosted his lead in the standings to 84 points over Vallejo's Jeff Gordon, who finished ninth at his home track.
"We're in a good place in the points race," Gordon said as he turns his attention the June 28 race at New Hampshire. "We'll just go back and focus on winning races."
Gordon, who has a record five Sonoma wins, said he's lost some of his edge at the track since NASCAR went to the Car of Tomorrow.
"With the old car, every time we came here I felt like we had a chance to win," he said. "Now, it's more of a struggle."
Kahne, who started fifth, worked his way into the lead by Lap 30 as polesitter Brian Vickers fell back into the crowd. He fought off several challengers in a race that saw 10 lead changes among eight drivers.
Stewart was looming largest in his rear view mirror all day, though.
"It feels good to qualify well here, run up front and to hold off Tony Stewart ... that's awesome," said Kahne, whose previous best finish in Northern California was 23rd two years ago. "That guy (Stewart) is as good as it gets on any type of race track. ... It's unbelievable to win here."
Ambrose, 42nd in last year's race, was forced to the back of the pack early in the race, but went "from zero to hero."
"This is just great," said the excitable Australian. "When you're in that rare air with those drivers (Kahne and Stewart), you just don't want to slip up when you're around them. We had a chance to run well and we brought it home."
Jimmie Johnson finished fourth, edging Juan Pablo Montoya. They were followed by Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Gordon and Sadler.
Allmendinger, 37th last year, spun off course on Lap 52, sending him into the gravel.
"A tough day early for us in the race," Allmendinger said. "But we fought back hard and earned a seventh-place finish, which is awesome. We'll take it."
It's his best finish since taking third at the Daytona 500.
Manteca's Scott Speed, who subbed for owner/driver Joe Nemecheck, finished 37th.
NASCAR's new double-file restarts got their first test on a road course and met with lukewarm reactions.
"They seemed to cause some incidents which is what the double-file restarts were supposed to avoid," Gordon said.
There were seven cautions for 20 laps. The hairpin turn claimed its fair share of victims who spun out at the end of the track. Heading uphill on the blind, right-hand Turn 2 on the restarts, cars battled two- even three-wide.
Kahne sprinted ahead of the melee when the race restarted for the final two laps, then just had to steer clear of Stewart.
"Today ... it worked out really good for us, and we were able to hold (Stewart off)," Kahne said. "But, yeah, two (laps) to go, another restart, I was like 'I can't believe this.'"
Kahne might not believe it, but he ended up in the winner's circle, where both he and Petty enjoyed a celebratory glass of wine.
"To see Richard Petty in the winner's circle, that was a neat deal," Kahne said. "I don't think he expected the No. 9 car to win. I don't know if anybody did."