KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two came down to another duel between Kyle Wyman and Australian newcomer Troy Herfoss. Herfoss pulled the pin and charged forward to lead the final lap, but he overshot the entrance to the chicane. Wyman was able to pass Herfoss in the chicane and held on to win the race on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.

Herfoss had to settle for his second consecutive runner-up finish on his S&S Cycle Indian Challenger.

Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli came home third for the second straight race.

Herfoss’s teammate Tyler O’Hara bounced back from a crash in Race One to claim fourth place in Race Two. 

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s defending Champion Hayden Gillim finished a close fifth behind O’Hara in spite of losing a lot of time in the chicane mid-race.

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Wyman Doubles Up In Mission King Of The Baggers At Daytona

Saturday’s Race Features The Same Wyman, Herfoss, Rispoli Podium At Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 9, 2024) – As an undercard to the iconic Daytona 200, three of MotoAmerica’s season championships kicked off at Daytona international Speedway, with the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship having two feature races. Baggers on the banking is a sight to see, and the fans enjoyed every lap of the race class that has become an international phenomenon.

Saturday’s Daytona Bike Week-concluding Mission King Of The Baggers race two was, in many ways, a carbon copy of Friday’s KOTB race one. The podium for both races was exactly the same, with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman getting the double win on the high banks. For Wyman, it was his 13thand 14th wins in the class and the 19th and 20th victories of his AMA/MotoAmerica racing career.

Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss, the three-time Australian Superbike rider making his debut in MotoAmerica and at Daytona, once again looked like he was headed for the win just like on Friday, but a slight mistake by him enabled Wyman to close the gap and take the checkered flag by .137 of a second.

With Herfoss finishing second for the second day in a row, Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli made it onto the podium in third just like he did on Friday.

In the post-race press conference, Wyman didn’t really think Saturday’s race two was a carbon copy of race one even though the podiums were the same.

“It was definitely a different scenario than yesterday.” Wyman said. “Actually, now that I play it back in my mind, I do see that he got in there way deep and you had to take all of that second curb. So, yeah. That makes a lot more sense to me of why. It felt the same as yesterday to me, except I was way further back approaching it at Mach whatever, because I was just trying to make sure I could sniff the draft. I had a problem in the second-to-last lap. I lost a quick shifter, so I was scrambling trying to shift the thing. It’s not an easy bike to shift, even with a quick shifter, so I had to gather it up and that’s the exact time that Troy put his head down. So, he built, like, a second-and-a-half gap, maybe more. On the last lap, I think I was taking chunks out of that in the infield. I think I ran a pretty good infield split, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to get there, even to have a sniff of the draft. Then the next thing I know, I’m going through the dirt again in the same spot as we did yesterday. Just hoping and praying again I’m going to get to the line first. Threw a little juke off NASCAR 4 and tried to shake him off, and he held on.”

BellissiMoto Twins Cup – Rodio, Again

It seems pretty safe to say that Gus Rodio knows how to win races at Daytona International Speedway. After taking the victory in Twins Cup race one last year, the Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia rider went one better and did the double this year, winning Friday’s BellissiMoto Twins Cup race one and finishing out his Daytona event with a win in Saturday’s race two.

Rodio won each of the two races by more than 11 seconds. On Saturday, second place went to Rocco Landers aboard the brand-new RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R and the third-place finisher was Rodio’s teammate Alessandro Di Mario, the 15-year-old rider recording the second MotoAmerica podium result of his young career.
 
“I did go, I think, three-tenths faster today than the race yesterday,” Rodio said, “Dom (Doyle) got me off the line and led the first full lap. So, I knew I really had to put my head down for that following lap, just because I needed to do double the work now to get myself in front and then to pull at least. I think I needed to pull six-tenths on him to break the draft, around five or six tenths. So, I got that done in the infield and then from there on, it was just stack time, stack time every single lap and hit all your marks. I was just having fun. That’s really it.

“That was a perfect weekend. Led every session and I think led every session by at least four tenths. So, we came in here with our head down and we knew what we had to do. I did re-break my track record in warmup this morning on the race tires from yesterday. So, I was super happy with that. I like Daytona. It’s really cool here. We’ll see what happens next year.”

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – West Gets It Done

Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson’s Cory West came close to getting revenge yesterday for his DQ from last year’s Mission Super Hooligan National Championship with his third-place finish in race one. Today, he got full revenge, giving the Harley-Davidson Pan America its first-ever victory while leading a Harley sweep of the podium.

It was not only his first Super Hooligan win but his first win of any kind in the MotoAmerica Championship.

West came out the best of a six-rider scrap at the front and it came down to the usual Daytona drafting war. That war went to West by a scant .020 of a second over his Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson teammate Jake Lewis and .060 of a second ahead of Kyle Wyman Racing Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman.

Then came the two S&S/Indian Motorcycle FTR1200 who finished first and second in Friday’s race one – Tyler O’Hara and Troy Herfoss – with the third Saddlemen Harley right behind. The top six crossed the finish line separated by just .155 of a second.

Those six were in a class by themselves with Roland Sands Design’s Hawk Mazzotta the best of the rest and 16.4 seconds behind.

“Yesterday was such a scramble that today I kind of got to just play the game,” West said. “Started decent, but just kind of got swamped at the beginning and found myself back in fifth or sixth or something. I just knew I needed to just hold the draft and hang out for a little bit, let a few laps wind down. I think the board was saying three laps to go when I finally got a really good draft, and I came around the outside of everybody going into turn one. It’s a move that I’ve done a long time ago in the 200 on 600s, and it still works. It got me up to the front and then I was just kind of trying to chill in the infield. If I was ahead of the Indians, I knew that it would be good to just kind of slow the pace down in the infield because they were good there. A couple guys drafted me as the race went on, but Cody (Wyman) was just making a push at the front. I knew that we kind of had to keep tabs on him, because he just looked like he wanted to go. So, coming into the last lap, he was leading. I was running second. I followed him through the infield, but I wanted to try to keep a gap between me and him so that I could get that run if I got the draft. If I was too close, I’d pull up beside him and then we would just do this drag race, side by side, looking at each other like, ‘Well, didn’t plan that out very good.’ So, that last lap, drafting him down into the chicane, I knew I didn’t want to lead it. I’ve done that too many times. His brother, Travis (Wyman), he came by me on the brakes. I’m like, ‘well, if one draft is good, maybe two drafts is even better.’ So, I just really tried to hit the brakes and square the chicane up and get a really good drive out of there. Made sure I hit all my shifts perfect and got a good draft off of Travis. As Cody started dropping down the bank, I was getting a little side draft off of Travis. I was like, “Man, I don’t know if this is going to work.’ Then just perfect timing. Cody kind of started drifting up. It just left Travis with no draft, and it gave me the perfect draft. I was just, ‘Come on, baby. Come on, baby. Come on, baby. Bring it to the stripe.’ “

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

Josh Herrin won the MotoAmerica 82nd Daytona 200 Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Riding his Dunlop-shod Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, Herrin led 35 of the last 37 laps and won the 57-lap race by 45.660 seconds.

It was Herrin’s second consecutive Daytona 200 victory and the third of his career.

The margin of victory might have been only about six seconds, but Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante’s GSX-R750 ran out of fuel on the final lap.

This allowed Escalante’s 18-year-old teammate Tyler Scott to come through and take a runner-up finish.

Hayden Gillim ran straight in the chicane early in the race but was able to work his way back up the order to claim third place on his Vesrah Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.

Bobby Fong, riding his Wrench Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R750, challenged Gillim throughout the final stint, but had to settle for fourth place even though he received a three-second penalty for a pit stop procedure violation.

Escalante started the final lap in second place with a 38-second lead over Scott, but due to his motorcycle running out of fuel, the Mexican rider slowed dramatically until he coasted across the finish line in fifth.

FIM Endurance World Champion Karel Hanika was pleased with placing sixth on his Bridgestone-fitted YART – ProKASRO Yamaha YZ-R6 in his first Daytona 200. 

Hanika’s teammate Marvin Fritz got seventh, just ahead of two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch on a third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.

Stefano Mesa ran in the top 10 for most of the race and finished ninth, one lap down, on his Pirelli-equipped Boulder Motor Sports Ducati.

Reigning Canadian Superbike Champion Ben Young rounded out the top-10 finishers on his Team BATTLAX Bridgestone Suzuki GSX-R750.

UPDATE: During post-race technical inspection Bobby Fong was disqualified for having an oversized fuel tank. Revised results are posted below.

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Herrin Captures His Third Daytona 200 Victory

Josh Herrin Earns His Third 200 Victory With A Flawless Performance At Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 9, 2024) – Josh Herrin waited 13 years to win his second Daytona 200 last year, but he only had to wait 364 days to win his third on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

Herrin became the sixth three-time winner of the Daytona 200 with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider joining Dick Klamfoth, Brad Andres, Roger Reiman, Kenny Roberts, and Mat Mladin as those with a trio of victories.

The 82nd running of the Daytona 200 featured the drama and luck, both good and bad, that is a mainstay of a 200-mile race that features two pit stops and 57 laps. This year’s bad luck award goes to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, who spent most of the afternoon trying to chase down Herrin and had second place in the bag until running out of gas on the final lap. Fortunately, Escalante at least managed to coast to the finish line, but he lost three positions in the process and crossed the line a heart-breaking fifth.

For all practical purposes the race was won during the first of two pit stops on the 17th lap when Herrin and Escalante pitted for fuel and tires at the same time. While Herrin’s stop was lightning-fast, Escalante’s was the opposite. When they both rejoined the race, they were no longer close and once the pit stops cycled through, Herrin was in a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

Escalante didn’t give up and he got to within five seconds of Herrin after the second pit stop, but he would run out of laps in his pursuit and then he simply ran out of gas. His misfortune moved his teammate and pole sitter Tyler Scott to second, 45.660 seconds behind Herrin. It also propelled Vesrah Racing’s Hayden Gillim to third, for his first career Daytona 200 podium in his third attempt. It was also 18-year-old Scott’s first podium in the “Great American Motorcycle Race.”

The final rider to pass a coasting Escalante was Wrench Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong, one of those who took a turn at the front of the pack early in the 200. Fong also incurred a three-second pit-lane violation penalty. Things got worse for Fong post-race when he was DQ’d for having a fuel tank that was over the 19-liter limit.

As a result, Fong’s DQ moved Escalante up to fourth.

YART’s Karel Hanika and his teammate Marvin Fritz were fifth and sixth, respectively, with the Czech and the German finishing some 11 seconds apart as they led the large international contingent in their first-ever 200s.

Two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch was seventh on the third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki with the New Jerseyan just .115 of a second behind Fritz.

Boulder Motor Sports’ Stefano Mesa rode the team’s Ducati Panigale V2 to eighth with Team BATTLAX’s three-time Canadian Superbike Champion Ben Young ninth and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs rounding out the top 10.

Forty riders finished the race with 17 failing to do so. Notables amongst those DNFs included Peter Hickman, Josh Hayes, David Anthony, Richard Cooper, and Xavi Forés, with the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R6 expiring on the opening lap.

82nd Daytona 200

Josh Herrin (Ducati)

Tyler Scott (Suzuki)

Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)

Richie Escalante (Suzuki)

Karel Hanika (Yamaha)

Marvin Fritz (Yamaha)

Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)

Stefano Mesa (Ducati)

Ben Young (Suzuki)

Teagg Hobbs (Suzuki)

Quotes

Josh Herrin – Winner

“That was two dream pit stops. I’m not going to lie. I didn’t have much faith in my team going into the race after the pit stop challenge yesterday and some of the practice we did yesterday. I was nervous. But they impressed me. I owe them an apology for doubting them, for sure. They’ve been working super hard this week to make everything as perfect as they can. That was as close to perfect as we could have gotten. I owe the entire race to those guys for doing those two amazing pit stops. To have my teammate, Loris Baz, doing the fuel… I don’t know when the last time that happened. When your teammate and a MotoGP podium finisher was the fuel guy in the 200. So, that was cool to see. It was the second pit stop when I was by myself. I ran out of fuel entering the pits. The bike was just sputtering all the way. I had to have lost two, three seconds for the sputtering, because it happened before I got to pit lane. I was scared. At some point during the second stint, my pit board guy, who it was his first ever time I think doing my pit board, decided to switch the number from white numbers to green numbers. And I cannot see the green numbers. That’s been a thing the last two years on this team is don’t use green numbers for me. For some reason, the green numbers came out and I thought the whole time it was a different guy in front of my guy, so I literally had no idea when to come in, other than the last lap. I told the guys this week before the race. Let’s add something to the pit board. So, we added another piece of plastic cardboard, and we put my smiley face on top of it, so it was a little bit different when they threw the in board than all the others. That was the only reason I saw my in-board. So, for whatever reason that I thought of that, I’m super happy that we were able to get it done. They didn’t do it until today after the first practice, so it was last second. Without that, we would have been screwed. A lot of drama for me, even though it seemed like there wasn’t. But that was a dream finish. I don’t remember what the finish was like in 2010 when I won, but it was a little bit of a gap. I don’t know how big. But it’s hard doing 30 plus laps, 40 laps by yourself and trying to stay focused and thinking about fuel. Right before the race, my crew chief said, ‘Don’t lead the race. I’m too nervous about the fuel. Do not lead the race.’ And then I ended up in a position where I’m leading for the last two stints. We got lucky; I think. I owe it all to my team. Ducati USA, Ducati Corse for putting me on an amazing motorcycle for the last three years. Warhorse Racing, HSBKRacing.com. I’m so bummed that we weren’t able to run OnlyFans on the bike. It is what it is. At least I got to run the helmet, so I’m happy that I got to support them, because that’s three years in a row that we’ve had OnlyFans on the helmet. Three Daytona pole positions, two wins, and countless laps led. I feel like they’re a little bit of good luck. So, thank you to Dylan and everybody there for their support. Thank you to my family. I’m just so happy to be up here.”

Tyler Scott – Second Place

“Yeah, the race was good. Got a decent start. Made a big mistake coming across the start/finish the one lap. I went really sideways. Maybe it was because there were so many people around drafting. It kind of put me at the back of the lead group there. A little bit later in the race, I kind of lost Richie’s (Escalante) draft and I feel like that would have helped me to stay close. Most of the race, I was just riding by myself. Rode with Bobby Fong before the one pit stop there. It was good. The pit stops, we were really clean. No issues. Just rode by myself in third the whole race. Unfortunately for Richie (Escalante), he ran out of gas, but we secured second.

Hayden Gillim – Third Place

“I felt good. I was just kind of chilling in the back of the group, just hanging out. Halfway through the first stint, a couple guys came by me going into the chicane and kind of came across me towards the wall and I had to kind of avoid them. Ended up having to go through the chicane and the hay bales. Luckily, came out with (Josh) Hayes and I think one of the YART guys. Was able to kind of get going again but wasn’t able to run the pace that these guys were going, so I wasn’t losing a ton of time. But I had lost a bunch with that mistake. Then we had a couple really, really, really good pit stops and was able to make some time up. Every time Bobby (Fong) would get away from me, I would make it up in the pits and be right back on him. Then the last couple laps, I was kind of by myself and then Bobby caught up to me. I thought we were fighting for fourth place. So, I was kind of ready for the race to be over. I’m just hanging out. I let him go by. I kind of just played with the draft to the line to make sure I could get there. On the last lap, he (Fong) made a little mistake on the infield and so I pushed and came across the line and looked at the score board and was in third. So, it was a lot of luck. I think the crew, having the Vesrah Racing guys come back into this, and put a bike out there for me and being able to wear the pink and yellow for them was pretty special. To be able to put it on the box for those guys was awesome. One up from last year with fourth last year. I wish I wouldn’t have made those mistakes and could have tried to at least be a little closer to these guys, but that’s all right. This is only my third 200, so I’m good with it. Slow progress.”

More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Josh Herrin Captures Back-to-Back DAYTONA 200 Titles at Daytona International Speedway

Herrin’s third win overall in prestigious race caps action-packed 83rd annual Bike Week Presented by Monster Energy

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 9, 2024) – A nearly perfect race by Josh Herrin and his No. 2 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team gave him a dominant performance in winning his second straight and third overall DAYTONA 200 at Daytona International Speedway.

Herrin had to wait 13 years between his first two championships at The World Center of Racing, but less than a year later for his third. He became the sixth rider to capture three DAYTONA 200 victories.

As the first stint of the race wound down and pit stops loomed, Herrin, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Richie Escalante and Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong pulled away from the rest of the lead pack.

Herrin and Escalante were the first to break off for pit road coming to Lap 17, but a lightning fast stop by the Warhorse Ducati team allowed Herrin to head back out on track first and take a solo lead after pit stops cycled through.

Fuel strategy became the name of the game as contender and two-time DAYTONA 200 champion Brandon Paasch sputtered around for a lap before coming in for his first pit stop, and the eventual race winner Herrin faced a similar issue coming to pit road for his second stop coming to Lap 38.

But it was a non-issue for the now three-time champion as his lead was too great to overcome.

In the final laps, the question became who could make it to the finish on fuel. That question ended in heartbreak for Escalante, who held a 38-second lead on Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott heading into the infield portion to start the final lap of the 57-lap event.

Escalante’s bike started to sputter as he rounded the International Horseshoe and couldn’t stay up to speed while completing the 3.56-mile course. As he exited the final turn on the oval portion of the track, Scott blew past him to finish second after starting on pole. Shortly after, Vesrah Racing rider Hayden Gillim caught and passed Escalante to complete the podium.

Fong finished fourth and Escalante finally crossed the line in fifth.

Roland Sands Mission Super Hooligans Class

The second and final weekend of the 83rd Bike Week at DAYTONA Presented by Monster Energy kicked off Friday, March 8, with the first round of the Roland Sands Mission Super Hooligans Championship. Rookie and three-time Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss of S&S/Indian Motorcycle edged out teammate Tyler O’Hara by 0.491 seconds to claim his first MotoAmerica road racing win of his career. Cory West with Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rounded out the podium with his third-place finish.

The second round of the Mission Super Hooligans took place on Saturday, March 9. After being disqualified last year after a technical infraction, No. 13 Cory West redeemed himself and claimed the first spot on the podium and this served as the first Super Hooligan win for Harley-Davidson at Daytona. Harley-Davidson swept the podium with No. 85 Jake Lewis and No. 34 Cody Wyman finishing second and third, respectively.

BellissiMoto Twins Cup Class

The BellissiMoto Twins Cup kicked off on Friday afternoon and we saw a dominant performance from No. 96 Gus Rodio of Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering. Rodio would be victorious in the nine-lap race and was an astonishing 11.493 seconds ahead of No. 25 Dominic Doyle with Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing when he crossed the finish line. No. 99 Avery Dreher rounded out the podium with his third-place finish for the TopPro Racing Team. Rodio also won the first Twins Cup race at Daytona International Speedway last year.

Rodio’s dominance continued into race two of the BellissiMoto Twins Cup on Saturday. He was able to build up another massive lead in race two and never looked back. Rodio claimed another victory in the BellissiMoto Twins Cup Class. No. 97 Rocco Landers with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson finished in second place, with Rodio’s teammate No. 27 Alessandro Di Mario taking third place in the podium.

Mission King of the Baggers Class

The Mission King of the Baggers Championship returned to Daytona International Speedway for more thrilling racing on the famous high banks. On Friday, No. 33 Kyle Wyman of Harley-Davidson Factory Racing made a late-lap pass in an intense battle with S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle’s No. 17 Troy Herfoss. Wyman barely bested Herfoss by .018 seconds in an epic showdown to the finish line. Wyman’s teammate No. 43 James Rispoli rounded out Friday’s podium.

The second race in the Mission King of the Baggers class wrapped up the weekend action early Saturday evening, capping off another great weekend of MotoAmerica racing. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s No. 33 Kyle Wyman took advantage of No. 17 Troy Herfoss of S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s last-lap mistake as he looked over his shoulder on the backstretch chicane to see where Wyman was. Wyman’s Harley-Davidson teammate, No. 43 James Rispoli, finished third making Saturday’s podium a duplicate of the first race on Friday.

About Daytona International Speedway   

Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By Monster Energy, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts (Welcome to Rockville, Heroes Honor Festival, etc.), sporting events (DAYTONA Soccer Fest, CLASH DAYTONA, etc.) civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.      

About the American Motorcyclist Association  

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.  

More, from a press release issued by CSBK:

Young charges to ninth as five Canadians finish at Daytona 200

Daytona Beach, FL – The 82nd running of the historic Daytona 200 concluded with five Canadians taking the chequered flag on Saturday, as three-time Bridgestone Canadian Superbike champion Ben Young led the group with a ninth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway.

After qualifying tops amongst CSBK riders in 20th on Friday, Young returned to DIS for the 57-lap feature race on Saturday and quickly settled in at the front, climbing to 16th after the first two laps with four Canadians inside the early top-30. 

The group of nine CSBK entries would rapidly shrink to five, however, as both Sebastien Tremblay and Brad Macrae got tangled up with four other riders in a chaotic lap-one crash at the chicane, as Tremblay was collected by another rider and Macrae crashed while taking avoiding action. Both were thankfully uninjured.

Shortly after, a pair of mechanical issues would bring the event to an early end for both Trevor Dion and Sam Guerin, who were each running firmly inside the top-30. 

It was an especially crushing result for Dion, who had put his Warhorse HSBK Ducati into 19th in the opening battle and began to catch the lead group when he suddenly ran into front brake issues. The Ducati team tried to fix the problem, but were unable to manage it and Dion was forced to retire on only lap four.

Guerin would continue through most of the first stint and climb as high as 27th, but a Friday night engine swap proved to be unsuccessful as he bowed out with a motor failure on lap 13.

That left the Team BATTLAX Suzuki duo of Young and Trevor Daley, Matt Simpson, Alex Michel, and Mavrick Cyr on-track approaching the end of the first stint, with the first round of pit stops projected between lap 17 to 21. 

Both Daley and Young would manage to extend their first shift on the Bridgestone tires toward the later end of that period, making up valuable time on the midfield behind a pair of excellent pit stops. 

Young would really make his gains in the second stint, however, again squeezing the most out of his tires to stay out later than majority of the field and pit for a final time on lap 40, avoiding a three-stop strategy that proved to be disastrous for a handful of other riders. 

With fresher BATTLAX rubber in the final phase, Young managed to string together a batch of strong laps to climb into the top-ten, nearly catching Stefano Mesa for ninth after exiting the pits down more than 20 seconds to the Ducati rider.

Ultimately he would fall just six seconds shy of Mesa at the line, but managed to bring home a spectacular tenth-place finish in what was considered one of the strongest fields in Daytona 200 history, scoring higher than names like PJ Jacobsen and four-time Daytona winner Danny Eslick. 

The tenth-place finish would later become ninth, however, as provisional fourth-place runner Bobby Fong was disqualified for a fuel infraction, moving each of the Canadian riders up one spot in the end results. 

As for Young’s teammate, Daley was working inside the top-20 himself when he was forced into a longer second stop than usual due to a loose tail-section, coming back out in 25th position.

Daley would fight his way back through a handful of riders during the pit window to claim 21st on-track and later 20th overall, an impressive finish that would put him second amongst the CSBK entries and secure an excellent result for the Team BATTLAX Suzuki program. 

Making up the most ground on Saturday was Evans Racing Yamaha rider Matt Simpson, who avoiding the early chaos and settled into a strong middle stint to climb from 46th on the grid to 25th in the final table.

Simpson ran into engine problems of his own in the morning warm-up but was able to nurse his YZF-R6 machine to the end, leaving Daytona with a strong effort to finish as the third Canadian and fifth-best Bridgestone rider on the day. 

Rounding out the field of Bridgestone CSBK riders were fellow debutants Alex Michel in 28th and pro rookie Mavrick Cyr in 30th, helping establish five Canadians inside the top half of the order after a whopping 62 riders took to the grid. 

Michel rode a quietly steady race, moving inside the top-35 early on and avoiding any major moments compared to the rest of the midfield aboard his SpeedFactory67 Kawasaki. As for Cyr, the 18-year-old showed early flashes before a few key mistakes left him further down the order, but the Rizzin Racing Triumph rider clawed his way back to end the day well inside the group of 40 finishers.

Also representing Bridgestone in the final order was the Yamaha Austrian Racing Team duo of Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz, who put their World Endurance machines fifth and sixth respectively (third team member Niccolo Canepa was unable to race due to injury). 

As for the overall star of the day, a dominant showing gave Josh Herrin his second consecutive Daytona 200 victory for Warhorse HSBK Ducati and third win of his career, with pole-sitter Tyler Scott and Hayden Gillim joining him on the podium. 

Full coverage of Saturday’s race – including a more in-depth look at Herrin’s historic Daytona 200 victory – can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.

More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:

DAYTONA 200

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2024 | RACE

The first race of the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport season, and Rahal Ducati Moto’s inaugural event concluded today under the sunny skies at Daytona International Speedway. The 82nd Running of the Daytona 200 crowned its newest winner with Josh Herrin and Ducati taking the title.

With the challenges faced during the initial stages of the weekend, Rahal Ducati Moto saw all three Ducatis cross the finish line for the 57-lap race. While the weekend served as a learning experience for the whole teams, the welcome of Rahal Ducati Moto into the Moto America paddock was overwhelming.

KAYLA YAAKOV

No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 18

FINISHED: 12

NOTES:  Led the Rahal Ducati Moto team to the finish line // Drove a solid race, her first Daytona 200, showing speed and skill // Made 3 pit stops, taking only fuel on the final stop

WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “My first ever Daytona 200 was definitely a bit intense. It was a really tough race, but I had a lot of fun. It was a pretty big group but we separated pretty quickly because of a bike blowing up in front of us pretty early on. Overall, we know what we need to improve on now which is a big help and we honestly took this weekend as a test run. We accomplished everything we needed to, and now we go on to more testing at Road Atlanta and delivering .”

PJ JACOBSEN

No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 31

FINISHED: 14

NOTES:  Suffered through electronically issues throughout the weekend, however, those problems were solved ahead of the race and was racing at speeds comparable to the leaders // Was served a 15 second penalty for a pit lane speeding violation // Climbed 17 spots from the start to claim a 14th finishing position // Came in for three pits stops, taking only one tire and fuel for the final stop

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a pretty rough race for us, to be honest. As a team, we learned a lot and will have to move forward and use what we’ve learned from this first experience entering into MotoAmerica. It was good that Kayla, Corey, and I got laps around here on the bikes. I think it’s time to go back to the drawing board now and figure everything out to be prepared for this MotoAmerica season, where points matter and the championship matters.”

COREY ALEXANDER

No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 19

FINISHED: 16

NOTES:  Drove a solid, competitive race despite encountering two engine failures ahead of him which sprayed oil on his machine and helmet early in the race // Entered pit lane for service three times, taking only fuel and one tire on his final stop

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “We were very happy to finish our first Daytona 200 with all three bikes – definitely not the result we hoped for but to be able to finish without any major mechanical issues and get a decent result was positive. We learned a lot heading into the season and we are excited for Atlanta and continuing to build up from where we finished at the end of this race”.

BEN SPIES

RAHAL DUCATI MOTO TEAM PRINCIPAL

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a pretty decent day. We came in here, which was a big feat to get the results that we wanted, and we know that. With all things considered, it went pretty well. PJ lost two days and had one real practice session this morning. He showed a lot of potential in the race with some good lap times. We couldn’t hold the pace that we wanted but they showed some promise with it. Kayla, riding in her first Daytona 200, being 16 years old, and with the field she was against, did exactly what we talked about. She executed her race perfectly. Corey had a really good race too. It was really unfortunate for him because two engines got blown right in front of him, so he had oil on his windscreen and pretty much ran off the track, which cost him lots of time. With all things considered, from what we faced and what we had to work through during the weekend, both bikes finished the race, pit stops were solid, we just needed more time at the end of the day. This was a big test session for us and we got the data we needed to lead with and will keep taking steps forward.”

Next, the Series enters its official points-earning races, and the team’s campaign to claim the series championship begins. The first stop will be a double header weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Rounds 1 & 2 of points competition will be held Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, respectively.

Keep up to speed with all things Rahal Ducati Moto by following our social channels (@rahalducatimoto) and visiting our website (www.rahalducatimoto.com).

More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:

Josh Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Team Show Perfection For The 2024 Daytona 200 Win

Daytona, Fla. March 9, 2024 — Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin rode into the history books at The World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway, by taking a dominant third career Daytona 200 victory and the second in a row as a Ducati rider.

After qualifying fifth on the Ducati Panigale V2, Herrin immediately established himself in the lead group, taking the lead at the International Horseshoe corner ahead of pole-sitter Tyler Scott.

Herrin was thus embroiled in an intense 12-rider battle for the lead in the first third of the race, but a flawless performance from the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team in the first pitstop round marked a turning point. 

Led by team manager Bobby Shek, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team got Herrin out of the pitlane and into a 10.7-second lead by lap 22 ahead of Richie Escalante. From there, it was a matter of keeping the mind focused and the laps ticking over for Herrin. Consistent 1:49 lap times and a couple of 1:48 lap times had Herrin in the box seat for the win.

However, it almost didn’t happen, as Herrin ran out of fuel coming into the pits for the second stop. The number 2 had enough momentum to get back to his pit and a waiting tank of gas, and once again, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati did everything perfectly to get him back on track in the lead and on his way to the checkered flag.

Thus, Herrin took the win by a massive 45.660s ahead of Tyler Scott and Hayden Gillim. He joins legends like Kenny Roberts, Mat Mladin, Scott Russell, and Miguel Duhamel as three-time Daytona 200 champions.

Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati – #2)

“I cannot thank my team enough for this win,” Herrin enthused. “I was riding as hard as ever, but the team put together two perfect pit stops, which made such a difference for us today.

“This is my third year on the Ducati Panigale V2. The bike is amazing; I think many people have been sleeping on it for the past few years. This year, there were many more on the grid, which is awesome. It’s a great motorcycle, and I’m just so happy to be here riding for this team and making a little history with them by taking two Daytona Ducati wins in a row. Next year, we’ll go for three in a row. I love this place!”

More, from a press release issued by Dunlop:

Dunlop Riders Sweep the Podium at Daytona 200 with Josh Herrin Backon Top!

Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Josh Herrin and Ducati conquered the 82nd running of the Daytona 200 once again, followed by three racers on Dunlop tires!

This year’s Daytona 200 marked the 82nd anniversary of the event, renowned for its unmatched racing action. With the immense talent pool from over thirteen countries, the 2024 race was no exception. Josh Herrin, supported by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC, started on the second row and followed up his 2023 win on his Dunlop-supported Ducati Panigale V2.

Forty-five seconds behind Herrin was fellow Dunlop racers Tyler Scott on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, Hayden Gillim backed by Vesrah Racing, and pole sitter Richie Escalante on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rounded out the top 4, all on Dunlop tires!

Thanks to the efforts of MotoAmerica, the Daytona 200 continues to flourish, attracting premier competitors like Pirelli and Bridgestone, all vying for the win at one of the most arduous and celebrated events of the year. Dunlop’s unwavering commitment to excellence and winning is evident, making victory a predictable outcome. We honor and support control tire programs, yet eagerly anticipate the next opportunity to demonstrate Dunlop’s unmatched quality. This year, Dunlop has once again proven that their technology and performance are unparalleled, particularly with the introduction of the new Sportmax Slick line of race slicks.

Dunlop’s profound passion for victory, coupled with an unyielding commitment to technological innovation and rigorous testing, has solidified their status in the industry. As the exclusive tire provider for the MotoAmerica Championship, we’ve harnessed our extensive racing knowledge and engineering prowess to craft tires capable of clinching championships. Our unique position as the sole tire manufacturer with complete design, development, testing, and production facilities in the United States is our pride. This domestic excellence allows us to say with certainty that Dunlop tires are conceived by our engineers in Buffalo, refined by specialists in Huntsville, and produced by our dedicated workforce right here in the United States.

About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:

Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit: www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com . Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook and X for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

Gus Rodio won MotoAmerica BellissiMoto Twins Cup Race Two Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, in Florida. Riding his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, the New Jersey racer won the nine-lap race by 11.022 seconds.

Rocco Landers finished second on his new RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R just ahead of Rodio’s teammate Alessandro Di Mario.

Rossi Moor was a close fourth on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R just ahead of fifth-place Ben Gloddy, who rode a third Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia.