Wild Weekend Of Racing For Monster Energy-Backed AMA Superbike Championship Racers in Daytona!

Monster/Attack Kawasaki’s Chaz Davies awarded the Formula Xtreme Daytona 200 title when fellow Monster racer Josh Hayes is DQ’d

CORONA, Calif., (March 10, 2008) – Monster Energy’s AMA Superbike Championship road racers opened up the 2008 season with enough drama to last the entire summer thanks to a race win-yielding DQ in the Daytona 200 and crash resulting in injury for Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s defending Supersport class champion Roger Lee Hayden.

We’ll being with Hayden. While qualifying for the Superbike event this past Thursday morning, Hayden wadded up and torqued his wrist. But being as tough as they come with three other brothers that are fast as sharks on motorcycles, Roger Lee stepped up and only hours after his Superbike qualifying race would make the podium in the Supersport class (3rd).

“Not the best way to start the Daytona weekend,” said Hayden of his crash which reportedly resulted in a torn ligament and chipped bones in his wrist. “I did have to ride with some pain the rest of the weekend. Pumped we now have some time off now before Round Two at Barber (Motorsports Park, Ala., April 18-20). Should be good-to-go by then.”

Hayden soldiered on through the Supersport class and, only a few hours after his wreck, started in 5th and recorded the second-fastest lap time (1:40.590) to put his Kawasaki ZX-6R on the podium in 3rd place. Attack/Kawasaki’s Chaz Davies would place a solid 4th in the SuperSport class.

Next up for the Monster Energy-backed Davies was the Formula Xtreme Daytona 200. Davies ran well, holding in 2nd place for much of the race before dropping to 6th place on lap 16. Davies then dug deep and got back by Blake Young, Martin Cardenas and Steve Rapp, before catching Neil Hodgson on the last lap to take an apparent 2nd place podium finish.

But in the ensuing tech inspection, the AMA reported an infraction with then winner Monster Energy-backed Josh Hayes’ Erion Racing-tuned Honda CBR600RR bike and he was subsequently DQ’d and the win was given to Davies.

Said Hayes’ Erion/Honda crew chief, Rick Hobbs: “We’ve appealed their (AMA) decision and basically that’s our side of it. We’ve appealed the technical inspection and also the penalty, disqualification.”

In the weekend’s final Superbike class race, Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking had the best showing, placing 5th overall while Hayden soldiered on – despite the injured wrist – in 8th place.

Next up for the Monster Energy-backed AMA Superbike racers is Round Two of the series at Barber Motorsports Park (Ala.), April 18-20.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it road racing, rally, rock crawling, MX, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called “M-80” and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. All the guys running the Monster Energy logo on the AMA Superbike Championship tour dig ‘em – so will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.