Daytona 200

The Daytona 200 is a 68-lap, 200 mile (322 km) Motorcycle race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach, Florida.

HistoryEdit

The race evolved from a 3.2-mile (5.15 km) Daytona Beach Road Course in 1937 to the 2-mile (3.2 km) Daytona International Speedway course in 1961.

Due to increasing concerns over speeds and reconstruction of the West Banking (NASCAR Turns 1 and 2) after the 2004 season, Daytona made two changes for 2005. First, the premier AMA Superbike class race was changed from 200 miles (322 km) to 100 kilometers (62 miles), and the Formula Xtreme class was promoted to the Daytona 200. Second, the track configuration was changed such that the motorcycles would run through a short link after passing the Pedro Rodriguez hairpin, then run across the International Horseshoe anticlockwise, and then pass through the infield, rejoining the track on the Superstretch. This eliminated a half mile from the track, eliminated the west banking segment of the course, and thus increased the number of laps required for the race.

The race has been one of the toughest in American motorcycling because of its endurance-like qualities of pit stops for tires and fuel, and safety car periods, and nine FIM world champions, including seven 500cc/MotoGP World Champions -- six Americans and one Italian -- have won the race. Of recent American world champions, only Kenny Roberts, Jr. did not win the Daytona 200. Finnish and Venezuelan FIM world champions in smaller classes have also won the 200.

Scott Russell (Kawasaki in 1995, Yamaha in 1998) and Miguel Duhamel (Honda) are tied for most Daytona 200 wins at five each. It should be noted that Russell, known by the nickname "Mr. Daytona"[1] because of his achievements at the famed track, won all his Daytona races in the Superbike class (750-1000cc). Duhamel's fifth victory came in the new-for-2005 class, Forumula Xtreme (600cc) [2].

Steve Rapp's 2007 victory was the first win for Kawasaki since 1995 and the first win for a non-factory rider since John Ashmead won in 1989 [3].

ReferencesEdit

  1. "Mr. Daytona Bids Farewell", SuperbikePlanet.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  2. "A Moment With Mat: Can Somebody Please Explain...", SuperbikePlanet.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  3. "DIS Release: Rapp Wins 2007 D200", SuperbikePlanet.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.

External linksEdit