Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Lap times as of 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:51.125
2. Anthony Gobert, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.238
3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:51.394
4. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:52.638
5. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:52.986
6. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:54.969
7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 1:55.098
8. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.209
9. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.307
10. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR600RR, 1:55.599
11. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:55.637
12. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.838
13. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:56.676
14. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 1:57.133
15. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:57.171
16. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:57.325
17. Kurtis Roberts, Honda CBR600RR, 1:58.452
18. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 1:58.555
19. Marty Craggill, Honda CBR600RR, 2:00.836

Most riders have commented that the track is “dirty” and/or “green.”

Opinions on the new chicane layout are fairly consistent. Supersport riders generally like the new chicane. Superbike riders generally don’t like the new chicane.

American Honda’s Kurtis Roberts and Ben Bostrom moved from their CBR600RRs on to testing their RC51 Superbikes Wednesday afternoon. Bostrom is being cheered on by friend and Indy car driver Max Papis. A motorcycle road racer in his youth back in Europe, Papis is trying to negotiate a swap of a ride in his race car for Bostrom for a ride on Bostrom’s Superbike. Bostrom said the problem will be talking Honda into it.

Miguel Duhamel is concentrating on the new CBR600RR Wednesday and suffered a crash at 1:45 p.m. local time. Duhamel lowsiding lightly enough on the left side so as not to break a footpeg, clip-on or lever. Duhamel was uninjured in the fall and rode the bike back to the pits.

HRC test rider Gaku Kamada is spending time on several of the Hondas. Kamada’s mission is to gain knowledge of Daytona International Speedway so he can relate the experience to HRC’s engineers. Kamada is also riding Roberts’, Bostrom’s and Duhamel’s Hondas to get a second opinion on any particular problems the riders may experience, again to help HRC engineers better understand the bikes and the American racers, according to Honda Team Manager Chuck Miller.

Kawasaki riders are trying to dial in the suspension of their new ZX-6RRs. Tony Meiring suffered some sort of mechanical failure early Wednesday afternoon, but no fluids could be seen leaking from his ZX-6RR. Meanwhile, Yamaha riders are concentrating on the fuel-injection system’s power delivery. Honda 600 riders are working on overall set-up. No Suzuki GSX-R600s have gone out on track Wednesday morning.

Looking in better shape than he has in recent years, Anthony Gobert is all systems go on his Ducati Austin Racing 998s and has already started testing tires with some success. Likewise, Jason Pridmore has already offered positive feedback to Dunlop on the rear tires he has tried on his Superbike-spec Attack Suzuki GSX-R1000. Pridmore’s teammate Josh Hayes has already completed multiple successful race-distance runs on some of Dunlop’s new rear DOT-labeled tires.

Bruce Transportation Group Honda’s Marty Craggill spent Wednesday morning breaking in the engine of his Superbike-legal CBR954RR and learning the Daytona track on his Honda CBR600RR.

Roger Lee Hayden expects to get back out on track Wednesday afternoon; he had been sidelined due to a morning crash.