3,693
edits
Difference between revisions of "Daytona 200"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
m |
|||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | ||