Josh Hayes to Fill In for Colin Edwards at Valencia

[KTMrad 508]

From SUPERBIKE PLANET.COM.....LINK HERE

Josh Hayes to join Tech 3 Yamaha in Valencia

by staff

Monday, October 31, 2011

This just in from Tech 3:

Josh Hayes to join Tech 3 Yamaha in Valencia

American Superbike Champion Josh Hayes will replace injured Colin Edwards for this weekend's Valencia MotoGP round in Spain.

The 36-year-old has been drafted in by the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad because Edwards is unable to participate in Valencia while he recovers from injuries sustained during the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on October 23.

Edwards was due to make his final appearance for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit after a long and successful career with Yamaha in the MotoGP World Championship, which started back in 2005.

The Texan though will undergo an operation to repair cartilage damage around the top of the hume rus bone in his left arm after he was involved in an incident with Marco Simoncelli and Valentino Rossi on the second lap of the Sepang race.

Tragically, Simoncelli succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident.

Hayes, who won his second successive American Superbike crown for the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha Team in a dramatic final round in New Jersey, was due to test the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine the day after Sunday's final race.

Yamaha US and Monster Energy arranged the test appearance to reward Hayes for capturing the American Superbike title for the second year in succession in 2011.

Hayes will now join British rider Cal Crutchlow when practice for the Valencia round gets underway on Friday morning.

[paulmbowers 236]

Hayes was the second choice to fill in for Edwards.

But I was too busy here at home taking care of my family, so I had to turn them down. Unbelievable pressure. The calls, the texts the emails- let me tell you they did NOT want to take no for an answer.

And the money they offered?

Very tempting, but no.

I told them no thanks, and threw the opportunity to Hayes.

[Covered in Dust 162]

Hayes was the second choice to fill in for Edwards.

But I was too busy here at home taking care of my family, so I had to turn them down. Unbelievable pressure. The calls, the texts the emails- let me tell you they did NOT want to take no for an answer.

And the money they offered?

Very tempting, but no.

I told them no thanks, and threw the opportunity to Hayes.

You're a big man Mr. Bowers

[paulmbowers 236]

You're a big man Mr. Bowers

Sometimes you have to give the kids a chance.

And that's not the first time I've heard that.

[SteelRain 0]

Josh is a great guy and deserve this opportunity a few years back when I was still racing superbike I had a cracked rotor his wife melissa offered me a roto of her spare bike and instead he went and had a set pulled from his own spares for me. Didnt hurt that melissa was neating me in points either.

Great guy