Josh Hayes Finishes A Very Respectable 7th Place Finish In Valencia
It was an up and down weekend for Josh for sure. He finished the second free practice in 10th place in difficult wet/dry conditions. On Saturday for FP3 it was clear and dry and Josh was way off the pace and dead last. On to qualifying where again there were tricking conditions with spitting rain and a damp track where Josh again was at the back of the field and qualified dead last, over 4 seconds off the leaders time. On race day during warm up Josh took a big gamble and went out on slicks on a cold damp track and was the fastest rider by a second and a half! from chump to champ, in the sessions leading up to the race anyway. The race was an exciting one for sure and probably the best race of the season as far as on track action and close finishes. Four riders were taken out on the first turn on the first lap which included Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, Randy DePuniet, and Alvaro Bautista. Josh missed the collision and sat in 10th place for most of the race, but as rain started to fall towards the end of the race and the track being dry in some sections and wet in others Josh put the heat on and worked his way up to 7th. Josh will stay in Valencia for another couple of days and take part in the test session on Tuesday. Well played Josh! way to keep your head and bring it home in one piece!
