Kyle Wyman rode his Pirelli-shod N2
Racing/BobbleHeadMoto/KWR Yamaha YZF-R6 to a thrilling victory in the 78th
Daytona 200 Saturday at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), in Daytona Beach,
Florida.
On the 54th lap of the 57-lap race, the race was
stopped when Jason Aguilar suffered a strange crash in Turn One and needed
medical attention. Aguilar was later treated and released from the infield
medical center at the track, according to DIS spokesman Andrew Booth.
At the time the race was stopped, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby
Fong and TSE Racing Yamaha’s Brandon Paasch were battling for the lead well
ahead of Wyman, who in turn had a large lead over MP13 Racing Yamaha’s Josh
Hayes, Ameris Bank/AMSOIL Yamaha’s Geoff May, and Fong’s teammate Sean Dylan
Kelly, the pole-sitter.
On the track, however, Kelly was with Fong and Paasch and fighting
to get ahead of them and onto the lead lap. Kelly lost nearly a lap when he suffered
an extended second pit stop due to a problem with his front axle.
When the red flag came out, Kelly was just ahead of Fong and
Paasch and therefore on the lead lap, which was huge because officials with
ASRA and DIS decided to restart the race for a final, four-lap shootout.
This meant that Fong, Paasch, Wyman, Hayes, May, and Kelly –
the only riders remaining on the lead lap — would decide the winner with a
sprint to the finish.
At the start of the final lap, Wyman took the lead going
into Turn One, and in a bold move, the 28-year-old New Yorker put his head
down, ripped through the infield portion of the track, gained a significant
lead, and then held that lead all the way to the finish line to take his first
Daytona 200 victory.
The rest of the leaders held a mad scramble on the final lap,
and 16-year-old Kelly edged ahead of the pack to grab the runner-up spot in his
Daytona 200 debut. Fong was right beside Kelly at the line and got third.
Four-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion Hayes took fourth, while Paasch – who was
celebrating his 18th birthday on raceday – slipped back to fifth.
May crossed the line in sixth.
The official margin of victory for Wyman was 0.213 second and
just 0.295 second covered the top five finishers.
Tyler O’Hara was the top-finishing rider not on the lead lap
and took home seventh on his Floyd’s of Leadville Kawasaki ZX-6R. Right behind
O’Hara at the checkered flag was Jason DiSalvo in eighth on his Apex
Manufacturing Yamaha YZF-R6. Jody Barry was ninth on his Farrell Performance
Kawasaki ZX-6R, and Ryan Jones rounded out the top 10 finishers on his Coaching
by Jones Kawasaki ZX-6R.
78th Daytona 200
ASRA Sportbike
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
March 16, 2019
Final Race Results:
1. Kyle Wyman (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 57 laps, Total Race Time 2:05:39.576, Best Lap Time 1:49.288, Purse Winnings $25,000
2. Sean Dylan Kelly (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -0.213 second, 1:49.514, $20,000
3. Bobby Fong (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -0.242, 1:49.574, $15,000
4. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -0.278, 1:49.506, $12,500
5. Brandon Paasch (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -0.295, 1:49.562, $10,500
6. Geoff May (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -1.206 seconds, 1:49.848, $9,000
7. Tyler O’Hara (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -1 lap, 1:49.986, $8,000
8. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), Michelin, -1 lap, 1:50.222, $7,000
9. Jody Barry (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -1 lap, 1:51.013, $6,000
10. Ryan Jones (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -1 lap, 1:51.679, $5,000
11. Tony Storniolo (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -2 laps, 1:53.309, $4,500
12. Max Flinders (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -2 laps, 1:53.710, $4,000
13. Alen Gyorfi (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, 1:53.427, $3,500
14. Pat Mooney Sr. (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -2 laps, 1:54.751, $3,200
15. Jason Farrell (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -4 laps, 1:50.067, $2,900
16. Joseph Blasius (Tri Daytona 675R), Michelin, -4 laps, 1:52.335, $2,600
17. Gabriel Wingard (Yam YZF-R6), -4 laps, 1:57.445, $2,300
18. Adam Wingard (Yam YZF-R6), Michelin, -4 laps, 1:57.638, $2,000
19. Rick Lind (Yam YZF-R6), -4 laps, 1:58.243, $1,800
20. Anthony Fania Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), -5 laps, 1:56.544, $1,600
21. Daniel Spaulding (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -5 laps, 1:56.468, $1,500
22. Tyler Wasserbauer (Kaw ZX-6R), -5 laps, 1:56.741, $1,500
23. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -5 laps, 1:58.816, $1,500
24. Timothy Wilson (Kaw ZX-6R), -5 laps, 2:00.274, $1,500
25. Mikal Pechota (Suz GSX-R600), -5 laps, 2:01.901, $1,500
26. Antal Halasz (Suz GSX-R600), -5 laps, 2:00.278, $1,500
27. Patrick Ryan (Kaw ZX-6R), -5 laps, 2:00.125, $1,500
28. Ross Patterson (Kaw ZX-6R), -6 laps, 1:52.971, $1,500
29. Bradley Moser (Kaw ZX-6R), -6 laps, 1:56.580, $1,500
30. Russ Intravartolo (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -6 laps, 1:59.126, $1,500
31. James Barry (Yam YZF-R6), -6 laps, 2:01.001, $1,400
32. William Finnerty (Tri Daytona 675), Pirelli, -6 laps, 2:02.583, $1,400
33. Roosevelt Wright Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), -6 laps, 2:01.894, $1,400
34. Andrew Abel (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -6 laps, 2:02.564, $1,400
35. Alex Arango (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -8 laps, 1:57.399, $1,400
36. Dorsey DJ Birch (Suz GSX-R600), -8 laps, 2:01.056, $1,400
37. Bob Berbeco (Suz GSX-R600), -8 laps, 2:03.559, $1,300
38. Jason Aguilar (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -9 laps, DNF, crash, 1:49.773, $1,300
39. Chris Sullivan (Yam YZF-R6), -14 laps, DNF, 2:00.841, $1,300
40. Gwen Giabbani (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -15 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:52.849, $1,300
41. David Moser (Duc 848), Bridgestone, -16 laps, DNF, 2:05.548
42. Alexander Guilbeault (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -17 laps, DNF, 1:59.087
43. Kristofer Knopf (Yam YZF-R6), -18 laps, DNF, 1:56.288
44. Armando Ferrer (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -19 laps, DNF, 1:53.605
45. Darrin Klemens (Kaw ZX-6R), -23 laps, DNF, 2:00.058
46. R. Scott Briody (Kaw ZX-6R), -26 laps, DNF, 2:00.463
47. Ryne Snooks (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -28 laps, DNF, 1:56.429
48. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -30 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:50.100
49. Justin Holderman (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -33 laps, DNF, 1:56.101
50. Christian Miranda (Yam YZF-R6), -34 laps, DNF, 1:50.898
51. Zoltan Nemes (Suz GSX-R600), -43 laps, DNF, 2:02.662
52. Carl Soltisz (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -44 laps, DNF, crash, 1:51.829
53. Danny Eslick (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -47 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:49.671
54. Max Angles (Yam YZF-R6), -49 laps, DNF, 1:51.385
55. Daniel Weems (Yam YZF-R6), -49 laps, DNF, 1:58.752
56. Joseph Giannotto (Yam YZF-R6), -50 laps, DNF, 1:52.592
57. John Ashmead (Kaw ZX-6R), -52 laps, DNF, mechanical, 2:00.137
58. Barrett Long (Duc 848), Dunlop, -56 laps, DNF, mechanical, no lap time recorded
59. Darren James (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, 1:54.173, DQ, illegal air filter
60. Alejandro Rei (Yam YZF-R6), -4 laps, 1:57.089, DQ, illegal air filter
More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:
Kyle Wyman Emerges from Late-Race Shootout to Win DAYTONA 200
· 16-Year-Old Polesitter Sean Dylan Kelly Finishes 2nd
· Danny Eslick’s Quest for 5th DAYTONA 200 Victory Ends Early
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 16, 2019) – Kyle Wyman, riding the N2Racing Yamaha, emerged from a late-race, four-lap shootout to win the 78th DAYTONA 200 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Wyman edged polesitter Sean Dylan Kelly (M4 Ecstar Suzuki) and Bobby Fong (M4 Ecstar Suzuki), who started second in the 60-bike field. The overall margin between Wyman and sixth-place finisher Geoff May (Yamaha) was only 1.206 seconds. That statistic illustrated the closeness of the four-lap battle that ensued following a red-flag period.
The red flag was brought out by a Lap 53 incident involving third-place starter Jason Aguilar (Yamaha) that set up a four-lap shootout to the finish. The restart came on Lap 54. After several swaps of the lead among the frontrunners, Wyman took control for good coming out of the chicane on the 57th and final lap, pulling away from his rivals as the cycles climbed the 31-degree banking in the speedway’s Turn 3 and Turn 4. Wyman took the checkered flag 0.213 seconds ahead of Kelly.
“To win it like this, Daytona, in a four-lap sprint race, it’s just unreal,” said Wyman, who said the red-flag period was fortuitous.
Worried about running out of fuel before the race ended, he was conserving fuel down the stretch, just trying to finish or at best carve out a podium (top three) result.
“I’m speechless – what a race … the high and lows of a 200-mile endurance race, you know,” Wyman said. “I ran out of fuel on the last lap the second stint and I was just gutted. I was riding around in third place [toward the end] but the red came out and I had another shot.”
Kelly also could credit some luck for his finish. Due to earlier mechanical issues and an extended pit stop that cost him valuable time, he fell a lap down and stayed that way – until the red-flag period. The red flag allowed him a “wave-around” that put him back onto the lead lap for the restart.
“That restart saved the whole 200 for me,” said Kelly, a 16-year-old from Hollywood, Florida who was trying to become the youngest winner in the race’s history. On Friday he had become the youngest-ever polesitter.
Josh Hayes finished fourth on a Yamaha. The accomplished 43-year old rider – a four-time (2010-12, ’14) AMA Superbike champion – returned this year to the DAYTONA 200 for the first time since 2009. He was declared the winner in 2008 but his bike failed post-race inspection and his finish was disallowed.
Four-time champion Danny Eslick’s quest to become the third five-time champion of the DAYTONA 200 ended early. Eslick was running in the top 10 when he went off-course on Lap 11. After getting back onto the track, he came down pit road and eventually left the race due to mechanical issues, ultimately finishing a distant 55th.
The DAYTONA 200, sanctioned by the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA), was the final major race of the 78th Bike Week At DAYTONA; ASRA and Championship Cup Series races on Sunday will be the final competition of the week at the speedway.
Sanctioned by ASRA, the DAYTONA 200 is an integral part of Daytona Beach’s rich racing history, dating to 1937 when it was held on the Daytona Beach-road course that utilized both the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and State Road A1A. It quickly became a companion to the course’s stock-car races that were first held in 1936. The DAYTONA 200 moved from the beach-road course to the speedway in 1961, the facility’s third year of existence.
Racing returns to DIS on the Independence holiday weekend, with the annual midsummer/midseason NASCAR under-the-lights doubleheader. On Friday, July 5, the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 will be held, followed on the evening of July 6 with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Tickets for the Coca-Cola Firecracker 250, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and other speedway events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:
KELLY AND FONG EARN SECOND AND THIRD IN 78TH DAYTONA 200
(Above) Sean Dylan Kelly (311), Bobby Fong (50) and Brandon Paasch in action during the 78th Daytona 200.
Team Hammer backed up its 1-2 qualifying showing with a spectacular double podium performance in the 78th Daytona 200 on Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.
Sean Dylan Kelly, who a day earlier became the youngest pole sitter in the storied history of the prestigious event, fought through adversity to emerge the runner-up at the conclusion of the arduous 57-lap race. He hit the stripe with the front wheel of his Suzuki GSX-R600 only fractionally ahead of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Bobby Fong, who took home third.
At one point, 16-year-old Kelly actually found himself a full lap down and seemingly out of contention. However, a late red flag provided him a second chance to make history. Kelly and Fong were among six riders who battled it out in a restarted four-lap shootout to decide the 200 miler. The two each took their turns at the front as riders in the tight pack slipstreamed one another while working out a variety of potential final-lap drafting strategies on the fly. Ultimately, both Kelly’s and Fong’s efforts proved good enough to end the day in Victory Lane.
Young gun Kelly said, “The race was going well, and I felt really good on the bike, but it got interesting for us there for a bit. We ran up front the first couple of stints, but on the second stop we had a problem with the front axle. When I got back out there, I noticed I was a whole lap down, even though I was racing on the track with the leaders. It was pretty disappointing at the time, and when I saw the red flag, I really thought the race had ended. I was even more disappointed then.
“But when I got back to the pits, they told me I might have another chance, because I was ahead of the leaders across the line on the lap they backed scoring up to when they did the red flag, which meant I had at that point unlapped myself and was back on the lead lap. When I heard that I felt like getting the boxing gloves out! I’m really happy we were able to recover. Those last laps really fun. I’m just happy I was able to show the pace and show that I could run up there. I’m pretty happy with the P2. We were pretty close to the win, and we’ll try to go one better next time around. The entire M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team, crew, and bike were absolutely amazing. I really want to thank the team for making this possible.”
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Fong established himself a contender for victory throughout the contest and led a string of laps just before the red flag was thrown. After taking a close third in the end, he said, “I have to give it up to my M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew — they gave me a great bike and a chance to win this thing. I’m a little bummed not to get the victory after running so strong, but it’s still great to be on the podium. We’ll get them next time.”
Team Hammer will now turn its attention to start of the 2019 MotoAmerica season, which kicks off on April 5-7 at Road Atlanta.
About Team Hammer
The 2019 season marks Team Hammer’s 39th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 70 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 202 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 135 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.