Tommy Hayden Signs with YES Graves Yamaha for Remainder of 2012 AMA Daytona Sportbike Season

Tommy Hayden has signed on to race the remainder of the 2012 AMA Daytona Sportbike season with  Yamaha Extended Service Graves Yamaha after joining the team as a substitute for the injured Garrett Gerloff.

Hayden joined the YES Graves Yamaha team as a last-minute replacement after Gerloff got injured in the first practice of the Daytona 200. While Gerloff continued his recovery from a broken femur suffered in the high side crash at Daytona International Speedway, Hayden has raced his way to fourth overall in the championship standings after five rounds with two podium appearances. At 140 points, Hayden is two back of M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby. Reigning champion Martin Cardenas of GEICO Suzuki sits in the lead at 66 points with 11 races to go.

So far this season, Hayden has been racing with Gerloff’s #8 on his Yamaha R6 but he will now switch to his traditional #22 for the rest of the season. Pictured below is Hayden with the #22 on the 1999 Yamaha R6.

“All of us on the team and at Yamaha and Graves Motorsports are thrilled to be able to have Tommy remain with us throughout the rest of the 2012 season, and having him on the #22 R6 is icing on the cake,” says Chuck Graves of Graves Motorsports. “Fans know the legacy of the number 22 as it pertains to Tommy, and we’re looking forward to seeing that number on a Yamaha once again and back out on track in AMA Pro Racing competition. Tommy’s been doing a great job for us as a substitute rider for Garrett, and we’re glad to be able to keep the momentum going.”

[Source: Yamaha]

By Dennis Chung