Source: AMA Pro Racing.

Three-time AMA Pro Superbike champion Josh Hayes took another major step toward updating that descriptor to ‘four-time’ on Sunday afternoon at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as he closed out the GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round with a convincing victory, his fourth in a row.

The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ace moved past the holeshotting Martin Cardenas on the 23-lap race’s opening circulation. The contest was pretty much decided at that point, save for 18 more precision laps executed at breakaway speed. The race was red flagged and called official with 19 laps complete due to a crash by rider Marcel Irnie.

Hayes’ biggest challenge figured to come from rookie teammate Cameron Beaubier, who opened the race from the front of the grid after claiming his second pole position of the 2014 season on Saturday.

However, the 21-year-old failed to capitalise on his prime starting position at launch and was shuffled back to fourth, corralled behind Cardenas and his Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing teammate, Roger Hayden, while Hayes eked out a gap in front.

Beaubier found his way into third on lap four and then moved into second on the following circuit, but by then he already trailed Hayes by more than two seconds. Beaubier demonstrated similar pace at that point but was unable to make significant progress whittling away at the gap, and the consistent 39-year-old eventually wore him down.

Hayes boasted a commanding multi-second advantage with just three laps remaining when the race was red flagged and ultimately called complete. The win is the 46th of Hayes’ remarkable career and his fourth in succession, both on the season and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

As a result, Hayes now leads the title chase with more than a full race’s points allotment in hand and only four contests left in play. Two of those races will take place next weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and it’s not inconceivable that he could lock up the crown as early as Sunday.

“What a beautiful day,” said Hayes after claiming his fifth win of the season. “I can promise you it’s never as easy as it looks. The last few laps I was actually having a pretty hard time. I was just trying to stay focused which can be pretty hard to do when you’re riding by yourself.

“Cameron had a little carrot out there in front of him. I didn’t have much to look at. I was more running like a scared rabbit, looking at the pit board. It’s a little bit of a different game.”

Beaubier was credited with second while Hayden, who passed Cardenas while working lap seven, came in third. With his runner-up result, Beaubier now moves into second in the points as well, 40 back of Hayes (175-135), and one up on Hayden in third.

Once it settled in, the race took on a processional shape with more than a second’s worth of padding separating every rider in the top ten – most of those gaps near the ten-second range.

KTM/HMC Racing’s Chris Fillmore finished in fifth behind Cardenas, while ADR Motorsports/Sic/Motul Fly Racing’s David Anthony suffered his first finish outside the top five all season long in sixth.

Team AMSOIL Hero EBR’s Cory West and Proto-Tech Spain Yamaha’s Bernat Martinez took seventh and eighth, respectively, while third Yoshimura pilot Chris Clark and Porter Racing Kawasaki’s Sebastiao Ferreira completed the top ten.

Hayes will now take his mammoth championship lead and all the momentum across the country into the Buckeye SuperBike Weekend in just a few days’ time.

Jake Lewis won his first AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday. The 18-year-old started strong and won a difficult but decisive victory on his Motosport.com/Meen Yamaha entry in the 20-lap final.

Lewis beat second place finisher JD Beach on the Yamaha Extended Service/Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha machine, making it three runner-up finishes this year for Beach.

The battle for third was a war between Danny Eslick and Jake Gagne, two previous race winners this season. Eslick and Riders Discount Racing Triumph beat Gagne and RoadRace Factory/Red Bull by defending passing attempt after passing attempt over the final three laps.

2014 American AMA Pro Superbike Championship
Round four – Laguna Seca, CA

Superbike race results:
1. Josh Hayes
2. Cameron Beaubier
3. Roger Hayden
4. Martin Cardenas
5. Chris Fillmore
6. David Anthony (AUS)
7. Cory West
8. Bernat Martinez
9. Chris Clark
10. Sebastiao Ferreira

Superbike championship standings:
1. Josh Hayes 175
2. Cameron Beaubier 135
3. Roger Hayden 134
4. David Anthony (AUS) 131
5. Chris Clark 117
6. Martin Cardenas 108
7. Chris Fillmore 85
8. Cory West 79
9. Bernat Martinez 61
10. Trent Gibson (AUS) 55

Click here for detailed results