Josh Herrin makes history with an incredible fourth Daytona 200 victory on the Panigale V2
Josh Herrin etched his and Ducati’s name in the history books by securing his fourth Daytona 200 victory and third consecutive win for Ducati, marking the first time in the race’s history that a rider and manufacturer have achieved this feat.
The 2025 Daytona 200 was disrupted by two red flags: one for rain just before the halfway point and another for a crash during the restart. However, regardless of the challenges faced by the red number 2 Ducati, Herrin rose to the occasion.
Herrin’s blistering speed through the infield remained a cornerstone of his attack as he consistently gapped his opponents before the first banking. At that point, the Celtic/Economy Lube & Tire by Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2 took over to keep him at the front of the pack.
The last quarter of the race saw Herrin at his best performance by setting a phenomenal new lap record of 1:47.879 on lap 51. He leveraged his experience to maneuver around lapped riders, breaking free from any potential slipstream created by the pursuing riders and securing a controlled 5.33-second victory over Escalante and Scott.
The 2025 victory puts Herrin tied for third with Danny Eslick on the all-time Daytona 200 win list with four triumphs, with only AMA legends Miguel Duhamel and Scott Russell ahead on five wins each.
2025 Daytona 200 Results
1. Josh Herrin (Ducati)
2. Richie Escalante +5.330
3. Tyler Scott +5.338
4. Peter Hickman +35.963
5. Brandon Paasch +44.906
Josh Herrin (Celtic/Economy Lube & Tire by Warhorse HSBK Ducati – #2)
“Man, what a crazy weekend,” Herrin said with enthusiasm. “It’s my fourth win and third with Ducati; it doesn’t get much better than this. I see this as the biggest race in the United States and one of the largest in the world. Being the only person to win three in a row and rank in the top four of all-time wins is incredibly special.
“It’s a very difficult race to win once, let alone four times, and we’ve had some problems here in the past so it shows you need a bit of luck on your side. The bike felt incredible all weekend and I have an amazing crew behind me, so I really need to thank the whole Warhorse HSBK racing Ducati team, Brew Watch Co., Economy Lube and Tire, Ducati USA, and Ducati in Italy. I am so happy to be on the Panigale V2, and hopefully, we’ll see a surge in 2025 Panigale V2 sales!”
More, From Suzuki Motor USA:
SUZUKI TAKES ON DAYTONA AS ESCALANTE, SCOTT, AND CHAPIN SHINE
Suzuki Enjoys Strong Season Opener with Pole Position, Podium Finishes, and Twins Cup Sweep
Suzuki Motor USA kicked off the 2025 MotoAmerica season in outstanding fashion, with the Suzuki GSX-R750 claiming pole position and two podium positions in the 83rd Daytona 200 and the Suzuki GSX-8R sweeping both Twins Cup victories.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike regular Richie Escalante capped off a near-flawless weekend for the team by earning second-place in the iconic Daytona 200 aboard the team’s next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750 Supersport machine. Escalante was in the mix, at or near the front throughout despite a rain delay and second red flag stoppage due to a crash. The Mexican born racer was calm and fast, aided by his team’s pit stop acumen that earlier won the squad the Pitstop Challenge victory. He ultimately edged teammate Tyler Scott for the runner-up position by a scant 0.08-second margin at the checkered flag.
“Honestly, it was a difficult weekend for us,” Escalante admitted. “I didn’t have the best feeling during the weekend, especially during the Time Attack. I wasn’t confident this morning, so I said, ‘Okay, let’s go back to the setting from last year.’ And I was very strong in the race. I felt really good, and we battled with so many different riders.
“I’m happy to finish on the podium. Of course, I want to win, but that’s not always possible. I’m super happy. Big thanks to my entire Team Hammer Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew.”
Scott finished on the podium after earlier taking the Suzuki GSX-R750 to pole for the second consecutive season. He led at the start and at several other points along the way before crossing the stripe side-by-side with his teammate in third.
He said, “It was a difficult day for sure with the rain and everything, but the whole Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki team put in so much effort from the end of last season to today. A lot of hard work, so much training, and a lot of testing. The bike we have here today is a way better motorcycle than we had last year, and I’m more fit than last year.
“Overall, it was a very good race. The pit stops were perfect. I can’t give enough thanks to all my guys. I’m really excited because the bike feels amazing going into the first round of the MotoAmerica Supersport championship.”
Reigning Junior Cup champion Matthew Chapin scored a pair of dramatic Twins Cup victories in his first race outing aboard the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R. Chapin came out on top of a four-rider scrap to win on Friday by a narrow .087-second margin and then upped the stakes with a five-rider, 0.019-second triumph on Saturday.
Chapin said, “I think my whole plan was just to be patient until the last lap let those guys fight it out at the front. I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks; I knew I had the bike underneath me to do it. So I just used the draft at the end and got it done.
“Huge thanks to everyone at RevZilla, Motul, and Vance & Hines for believing in me.”
About Team Hammer
The 2025 season marks Team Hammer’s 45th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 134 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 375 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol and won four F-USA Championships.
About Vision Wheel
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
About Suzuki
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
