Josh Hayes, the 4-time AMA Superbike champion who finished second in the 2015 MotoAmerica Superbike championship, has announced that he will race a Yamaha YZ450F in the Superprestigio of the Americas dirt-track race, which will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 21.
Hayes, like many roadracers, uses flat track to keepsharp for Superbike competition, so racing on the indoor short track won’t be totally unfamiliar to him. It will, however, mark the first time he will race against some of the best flat trackers in the world.
“When you look at some of the guys coming to compete in Las Vegas, the competition level is going to be extremely high,” said Hayes. ”I’ve raced some local flat track events in Southern California, but I’m definitely putting myself at the low end of the experience spectrum at the Superprestigio. I’m a racer so I’ll go out there and give it my best shot. We all want to be at the top no matter what kind of racing we do.”
Hayes joins AMA Pro Grand National Champions Jared Mees, Jake Johnson, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. and Brad Baker, along with X Games Flat Track Gold Medalist Bryan Smith as riders already invited to the inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas.
"I have my own personal bike and Keith (Yamaha racing boss Keith McCarty) has offered to let me test a bike they've built," Hayes explained. "So I'm not sure which one I'll ride yet. I'm looking forward to racing in Las Vegas and having a lot of fun. I haven't had a chance to get my focus on getting prepared for the race yet, but that's coming soon. I still have a little time."
Saturday night’s Superprestigio of the Americas will be the finale for an exciting doubleheader of racing. On Friday night at the Orleans Arena, the AMA Pro Flat Track Final will take place, and it’s a race that will decide this year’s AMA Pro Grand National Championship.
Find more details on the Superprestigio of the Americas at www.superprestigio.com.
