Team Graves Yamaha Race Team

Riding a Graves Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R1, Jamie Hacking wrapped up his incredible second 2006 AMA championship by winning the Superstock race at Road Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 3. The win is Hacking’s sixth in Superstock this season, and it makes him only the second rider in history to win Supersport and Superstock championships in the same year.

Hacking took the win in fine style, taking over from pole sitter Eric Bostrom and then leading all 15 laps at the famed Georgia racetrack. Graves Motorsports teammate Bostrom held second for the entire race and finished 0.225 sec. behind Hacking. But third-place Jason DiSalvo, aboard another Graves Motorsports R1, had to work harder for his podium spot. He rode most of the race in fifth before getting past Steve Rapp and Josh Hayes to make it a spectacular 1-2-3 Yamaha sweep.

“The Graves Motorsports crew worked really hard to give me an incredible bike to ride this year,” Hacking said after the race. “I almost have to pinch myself because it’s been such a great season. The Superstock class has been so competitive, and to wrap it up one race from the end is just unbelievable.” Road Race Team Manager Tom Halverson added, “Jamie is really at the top of his game, breaking track records at each race. He had a nearly career-ending injury last year but has battled back from that with a lot of heart. Yamaha stuck behind him and to end up with two championships is just incredible.”

Factory Yamaha racers Eric Bostrom and Jason DiSalvo had to settle for second and third places, respectively, in the Formula Xtreme race at Road Atlanta on Sept. 2. With title rival Josh Hayes winning the pole, leading the most laps and taking home the win, this ensures that the 2006 FX championship will come down to the wire at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sept. 30.

Bostrom trailed Hayes closely throughout most of the 15-lap event aboard his modified YZF-R6, methodically analyzing his opponent and formulating a plan to pass him on the final lap. But a slower rider moved into Bostrom’s line as he prepared to pounce, leaving the Yamaha pilot no choice but to follow him through the corner – and lose critical time in the process. “It’s unfortunate,” commented Team Manager Tom Halverson afterwards. “Eric had something for Hayes and we were confident he could have stuck it.”

Hayes now sits atop the standings with 321 points to Bostrom’s 318 and DiSalvo’s 313 points. It’s statistically possible for any of the three to win the championship, but if eight-time pole winner DiSalvo takes yet another pole then Bostrom must lead the most laps and win. “What happened at Road Atlanta just motivates us even more to go into Mid-Ohio and pull out all the stops,” Halverson adds. “We’ll be going in there with both barrels blazing. We can’t wait.”

Jamie Hacking’s amazing weekend – and season – got even better on Sunday afternoon. After taking the Superstock championship with a convincing race win aboard his potent YZF-R1, he switched bikes to his YZF-R6 Supersport machine and won that race too. Hacking now has seven Supersport wins for the year (just one short of Miguel Duhamel’s series record), and has earned an amazing four Superstock/Supersport “double” victories.

When the green flag waved Michael Barnes grabbed control and Hacking settled into second place – but only for a lap. Then the class champion rider put his Yamaha into the lead on lap two and led the remainder of the 15 laps, ending up a comfortable five seconds ahead of Geoff May after early challenger Roger Lee Hayden’s engine expired. Meanwhile Hacking’s 16-year-old teammate Josh Herrin started 13th and finished a solid ninth, just two weeks after injuring his wrist in Virginia.

“Jamie’s focus this year was to win the championship and to do that you have to win races,” explained Team Manager Tom Halverson. “At the level he has been riding and with the quality of bikes he’s had, he didn’t see any need to change his strategy after taking the championship. I am sure he is going to be out to win at Mid-Ohio and have good momentum going into next season.”

Road Racing September 1-3 | Braselton, GA Results