by: Jared Bolton
Tuesday, July 8, 2014 | 2:15 PM
Zack Hayes has established himself as yet another one of the contenders in the Open-A ranks. Hayes has been putting in a solid 2014 season thus far and sits third in class points. We caught up with Zack to talk about his 2014 season and more.
GNCCRacing.com: How's it going today?
Zack Hayes: It’s going great! Just got home from celebrating the 4th at Myrtle Beach.
Sounds like a great time! So tell everyone a little about yourself.
Well, I’m Zack Hayes, of course, I live in Sumter South Carolina. I have a little brother who races the Super Mini 14-15 class. I’m two years into my college career at USC for a business major. I also work with my family’s tree business.
How did you get started racing?
I started racing about eight years ago. My dad raced when he was growing up, so I always wanted to ride and be like him. I grew up racing as a SETRA boy, and had to race with the Baylor brothers, Ryan Belue, and other very fast riders. Growing up with these guys made me push so much harder.
And what brought you into the GNCC world?
After racing SETRA for over five years, my family decided it was time for a change and we went to a GNCC. We also knew the Baylor's raced all the GNCC's, so we followed behind them. My first race I did pretty bad, I raced 85 12-13 and got waxed. I knew after the very first race, that the GNCC's had some super fast people and I had to step up my game.
So tell us how your 2014 season has been going.
2014 is going much better than last year! I have no complaints. Last year in Florida I broke my collar bone and shoulder blade, so that was a major setback for the 2013 season. Getting back to this season, I had an awesome ride in Florida, I got the early win! But the next few rounds didn't go as planned with the nasty weather. I was able to salvage some points, but I lost the points lead. Skipping some rounds, Snowshoe went really well this year. I ran up front all day, lead a few laps and felt good. I ended up getting second, but I was happy.
You're definitely showing that consistency is key too!
Oh yeah, consistency is huge in GNCC. After three rounds, I knew consistency would be a huge factor for the Open-A championship. In the early part of season the weather was very unpredictable, and the tracks were tough. I want to win every race, but the main focus was a top 5 finish.
How's it feel to be running up front the Open-A class?
It feels awesome to be running up front in the Open-A class! There are lots of very talented riders that can win any race, like Hunter Williams, Bob Dunlap, Timmy Murphy, and a bunch of other fast guys. I have so much respect for every person that I race against.
What's it going to take to challenge those top two guys?
It’s definitely going to take a good bit of training on and off the bike both. Couple that with a good bit of luck and I think it’s doable. Those guys up front are super fast but everyone has their day and I hope I can snag another win before the end of the season.
What is the competition like in Open-A?
It’s tough! Like I said, there’s several guys who can break through to challenge for the class win at any time and that definitely makes things interesting.
What do you hope to accomplish through the rest of the 2014 season?
In the rest of the 2014 season I plan on get a few wins, and stay consistent. It would be awesome to win the championship, so that is what I am going for!
Do you have any plans in mind for 2015 yet?
2015 is still a mystery. I would love to do some more National Enduros. So far in 2014 I’ve only raced the first round, but I was able to win the new AA Expert class! I'm pretty sure the main focus will be the GNCC's again though.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
In the future I’d like to move to XC2 and have the opportunity to race with those guys. Also I’d like to race in the pro class at the National Enduros and see where that road takes me.
What's it going to take to get there?
It's going to take a lot to get to XC2 at the GNCC's and also the pro class in the National Enduros. My mindset will have to change, and I’ll have to put way more time in to training. I feel the main thing will be to get some more confidence.
Alright before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?
I’d like to thank my mom and dad for everything they’ve done! They both have supported me since I first started racing, and they’ll do anything for me. My little brother helps me train a lot and is a huge help as well. Also I’d like to thank Spectro, Kenda, Fastway, Neely Racing, Powersport Grafx, FMF, Battery Park Offroad, Troy Lee Designs, and everybody who helps at the races!