Former World Champion Polen Still Hoping For Elusive Daytona Win DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (March 7, 2005) – Doug Polen has many major accomplishments in motorcycle racing. He’s a former AMA Superbike Champion, a two-time World Superbike champ and also won a pair of World Endurance titles.
The one thing Polen never quite managed to accomplish was winning the Daytona 200 by Honda.
Polen is back at the Speedway and will ride Tuesday as a guest of Triumph in the newly formed Thruxton Cup Challenge, part of the American Historic Motorcycle Racing Association races taking place at legendary Daytona International Speedway.
He said he was excited about getting to ride on the newly redesigned 2.95-mile motorcycle road course. He got a taste of it practicing on Monday.
For most of his racing career Polen was a leading contender at Daytona and he’s considered on of the best riders never to have won the Daytona 200 By Honda. In 10 Daytona 200 By Honda starts, Polen has six top-five finishes including runner-up finishes in 1988 and 1992.
“I had a situation where I was riding for Yoshimura in Japan,” Polen said. “We came over as you normally did in the late ’80s. I was a front running guy. I was faster than anybody else by a couple of seconds. I was out front by a mile and had a part failure and couldn’t finish the race. That was ’89.
“I finished second to Schwantz in ’88 when I was riding for Yoshimura here in the states in Superbike. I finished second in ’92 behind (Scott) Russell. That was close. It’s just one thing after another. I never really was able to bring home the bacon.”
Even though all those near misses were painful for Polen at the time, the Texas native can smile about his misfortune all these years later.
“I think one of these days before I actually die, I think I’ll probably have an opportunity and actually accomplish winning the Daytona 200,” Polen joked. “I maybe 65 years old, but I’m going to do it.”
Monday’s races: In a battle of past AMA Champions, Jay Springsteen edged Gary Nixon in the Formula Vintage final. Springsteen’s Harley-Davidson drove strong out of the corners and held off the top-speed advantage of Nixon’s Triumph.
“It was great riding with Gary like that,” said Springsteen, a three-time AMA Grand National Champion of the late 1970s. “Old Nixon must have been gritting his new teeth as I motored away from him out of the turns.”
The two will have a rematch in Tuesday’s vintage racing action at the Speedway. Nixon said he thinks he has something for Springer in their next showdown. Tickets for any of the motorcycles races are available online at ~http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com~ or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
AHRMA Classic Days Vintage Road Races results
RACE 1 200 GP 1. Dennis Poneleit, Marrietta, S.C., 68 Honda CB 2. Bob Hayes, St. Augustine, Fla., 67 Yamaha 3. Sakis Vasilopoulos, W. Palm Beach, Fla., 67 Yamaha
Pre 1940 1. Art Farley, Chelsea, Mich., 39 Harley WLDR 2. Norbert Nickle, Shawnee, Kan., 39 BMW 3. Scott Olofson, Fairview, N.C., 37 Indian Scout
Production Lightweight 1. Dwayne Fox, Hernando, Fla., 71Honda SL 2. John Regan, San Francisco, Calif., 71 Honda CB
RACE 2 500 Premier 1. Pat Mooney, Sorrento, Fla., 62 Petty Manx 2. David Roper, Hicksville, N.Y., 61 Norton Manx 3. Greg Nichols, Putnam, Conn., 61 Norton Manx
Triumph Thruxton 1. Ted Cobb, Cumming, Ga., 05 Triumph 2. Tim Joyce, Fort. Walton Beach, Fla., Tri Thruxton 2004 3. William Stranahan, Columbus, Ohio, Triumph
RACE 3 BOT Formula 1 1. Robbie Nigil, Canterbury, N.H., 04 Ducati 2. Dario Marchetti, Castel San Pietri, 00 Ducati 3. Yoshio Kasai, Wakimachi Mimi City, 01 Ducati
BOT Formula 3 1. John Staska, Fargo, N.D., 00 Kawasaki 2. Matt Winnacker, Fulton, Mo. 3. Charles Burnett, Las Vegas, Nevada, 88 Honda
Super Mono 1.Fred Eiker, Santa Fe. N.M., 94 Honda Rotax 2. Mike Parker, Goshen, Ark., 04 KTM SMR 3. Edward Wilson, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 1997 mz
RACE 4 250 GP 1. David Roper, Hickeville, N.Y., 66 Aeromacchi 2. Paul Germain, Winnipeg, 68 Yamaha 3. Chuck Davis, Muskegon, Mich., 69 Harley
Class C – Foot 1. Greg Nichols, Putnam, Conn., 49 BSA 2. Fred Mork, Martinez, Calif., 39 Norton Manx 3. Norbert Nickle, Shawnee, Kansas, 39 BMW
Class C – Hand 1. Keith Campbell, Homer, Ga., 37 Indian 2. Art Farley, Chelsea, Mich., 39 Harley WLDR 3. Scott Olofson, Fairview, N.C., 37 Indian Scout
RACE 5
350 GP 1. David Roper, Hicksville, N.Y., 70 H-D Spring 2. Bruce Yoxsimer, Portoa Valley, Calif., 68 AJS 3. Bob Daniels, Gainesville, Fla., 68 Ducati
Formula 125 1. Shannon Silva, Kenner, La., 77 Honda MR 2. Greg Steinbeck, Little Rock, Ark., 77 Honda MT-R 3. Glen Christianson, St. Benifacius, Minn., 73 Yamaha
Vintage Superbike Light 1. Dave Bourbeau, Royalston, Mass., 79 Suzuki 2. Gordon Hamilton, Novi, Mich., 78 Yamaha SR 3. Jim Killy, Oxford, Ohio, 78 Yamaha
RACE 6 Classic 60’s 1. David King, York, 60 Norton 2. Gordon Menzie, San Diego, Calif., 61 Norton Manx 3. Rusty Lowry, St. Mary’s City, Md., 60 Harley
Classic 60’s 650 1. Brid Caveney, Salinas, Calif., 62 Manx Triton 2. John Tibben, Victor, Iowa., 59 Harley KHK 3. John Cooper, Aurora, 1 Purchased
Production Heavyweight 1. Craig Knapp, Wellington, Nev., 72 Triumph 2. Malcolm Dixon, Houston, Texas, 70 Triumph T120
Sportsman 350 1. Buff Harsh, Atlanta, Ga., Honda 2. Scott Turner, Dunedin, Fla., 68 Honda 3. Jason Bessey, Okeechobee, Fla.
RACE 7 Formula 250 1. Jerry Herman, Sanford, Fla., 72 Yamaha RD 2. Craig Breckon, Sparta, Mich., 70 Can Am 3. Karsten Illg, Union, Ill., 71 Yamaha
Formula 500 1. Bob Hayes, St. Augustine, Fla., 76 Yamaha 2. Stuart Carter, Royal Oak, Mich., 62 Norton Manx 3. Charles Easterling, Orlando, Fla., 76 Yamaha
Sportsman 500 1. Buff Harsh, Atlanta, Ga., Honda 2. Tim Joyce, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., 1074 500 TRI 3. Eric Cook, Richmond, Va., 72 Honda CL
RACE 8
BOT Two-Stroke 1. John Long, Miami, Fla., 03 Yamaha 2. Thomas Fournier, Brockton, Mass., 04 Yamaha 250 3. Jorge Corbato, Coconut Grove, Fla., 95 Yamaha
BOT Formula 2 1. Derek Keyes, Jacksonville, ,Fla., 00 Suzuki 2. Wes Orloff, Salem, Wisc., 03 Buell XR 3. Jan Svensson, Troy, Mich., 93 Ducati
SOS Two-Stroke 1. Dave Rosno, Eagle, Wisc., 93 Honda 2. Greg Steinbeck, Little Rock, Ark., 98 Honda RS 3. Douglas Donelan, Rockville Center, N.Y., 95 Honda RS 125
Super Mono 2 1. Chuck Campbell, Hickory, N.C., Yamaha TZ 2. Mike Emery, Orlando, Fla., 03 Yamaha WR 3. Colin Fraser, North York, 01 Yamaha
RACE 9
Bears 1. Tim Joyce, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., 1973 Tri 750 2. Craig Murray, Cedar Crest, N.M., 73 Triumph 3. Greg Nichols, Putnam, Conn., 67 Tri Rickman
Vintage Superbike Heavy 1. John Staska, Fargo, N.D., 76 Suzuki 2. Jeff Hinds, Lewis Center, Ohio, 74 KZ 3. David Evans, Columbia, Conn., 81 Honda
RACE 10
Formula 750 1. Tim Joyce, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., 1972 XRTT750 2. Paul Lima, La Mesa, Calif., 70 Rob North 3. John Ellis, Middleville, Mich., 72 Yamaha
Sportsman 750 1. Jesse Morris, Phoenixville, Pa., 68 Triumph 2. Geir Jacobson, 3150 Tolvsrod, 72 Triumph 3. David Lloyd, Komoda, 72 Norton
RACE 11
Production Singles 1. Mike Emery, Orlando, Fla., 03 Yam WR 2. Robert McLlendon III, Pensacola, Fla., 03 Honda CRF 3. Marty Stalnaker, Vail, Colo., 86 Yamaha
Sound of Thunder 1. Marco Martinez, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 998 DUC 2. Goshi Ashikari, Yokohama-Shj, 02 Triumph 3. Dario Marchetti, Castel San Pietri, 00 Ducati
RACE 12
Formula Vintage 1. Jay Springsteen, Lapeer, Mich., 72 Harley XR 2. Gary Nixon, Phoenix, Md., 72 Triumph 3. Paul Lima, La Mesa, Calif., 70 Rob North
Vintage Superbike Middle 1. Andrew Murray, Woodbury, Conn., 1 Purchased 2. Brian Sawyer, Lexington, Ky., 72 BMW 3. Jeff Hinds, Lewis Center, Ohio, 72 BMW