Editorial Note: All six of the disqualifications were due to technical rule violations related to airboxes.
77th Daytona 200/ASRA SportBike
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
March 17, 2018
Provisional Race Results (3.51-mile course):
1. Danny Eslick (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 57 laps, Total Race Time 2:05:15.659, Best Lap Time 1:49.659, $25,000
2. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -26.294 seconds, 1:50.151, $20,000
3. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -32.478, 1:49.969, $15,000
4. Geoff May (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -32.651, 1:50.048, $12,500
5. Shane Narbonne (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -101.651, 1:50.666, $10,500
6. Max Angles (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -1 lap, 1:51.208, $9,000
7. Darren James (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -1 lap, 1:52.211, $8,000
8. Bailey Cox (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -1 lap, 1:51.992, $7,000
9. Joseph Giannotto (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -1 lap, 1:52.801, $6,000
10. Jody Barry (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -2 laps, crash, 1:52.273, $5,000
11. Daniel Spaulding (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -2 laps, 1:54.714, $4,500
12. Jeremy Kolewski (Kaw ZX-6R), Michelin, -3 laps, 1:55.554, $4,000
13. Krunal Jadhav (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -3 laps, 1:56.064, $3,500
14. Jason Dai (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -3 laps, 1:56.095, $3,200
15. Alexander Guibeault (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -3 laps, 1:57.312, $2,900
16. John Ashmead (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -3 laps, 1:56.012, $2,600
17. David McPherson (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -3 laps, 1:56.936, $2,300
18. Anthony Fania (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -3 laps, 1:56.749, $2,000
19. Joshua Marino (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -3 laps, 1:57.626, $1,800
20. Eric Helmbach (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -3 laps, 2:00.304, $1,600
21. Norman Pomerleau (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -4 laps, 1:58.089, $1,500
22. Antal Halasz (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -4 laps, 1:59.868, $1,500
23. Gino Angella (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -4 laps, 2:00.012, $1,500
24. Roosevelt Wright, Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -4 laps, 2:00.944, $1,500
25. Magnus Mossburg (Yam YZF-R6), Bridgestone, -4 laps, 1:59.562, $1,500
26. Timothy Wilson (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -5 laps, 1:58.970, $1,500
27. Salvatore Ruffino (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -5 laps, 2:00.316, $1,500
28. James Barry (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -5 laps, 1:59.902, $1,500
29. Carl Soltisz (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -5 laps, crash, 1:52.633, $1,500
30. Zoltan Nemes (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -5 laps, 2:02.301, $1,500
31. Patrick Ryan (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -5 laps, 2:01.013, $1,400
32. Darrin Klemens (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -5 laps, 1:59.246, $1,400
33. Richard O’Connor (Duc 848EVO), Pirelli, -6 laps, 2:02.094, $1,400
34. Arthur Kowitz (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -7 laps, 2:01.339, $1,400
35. Jason Zelibor (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -7 laps, 2:02.615, $1,400
36. Aaron Stein (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -8 laps, 2:04.175, $1,400
37. David Campbell (Hon CBR600RR), Pirelli, -8 laps, 2:03.041, $1,300
38. Joseph Blasius (Tri Daytona 675R), Dunlop, -10 laps, crash, 1:53.030, $1,300
39. Brian LaSalle (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -10 laps, 2:05.225, $1,300
40. Max Flinders (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -10 laps, 1:54.601, $1,300
41. Justin Holderman (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -12 laps, 1:55.695
42. Jason Farrell (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -24 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:49.975
43. Andrew Abel (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -29 laps, DNF, 2:00.278
44. Michael Barnes (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -32 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:50.092
45. Shane Richardson (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -32 laps, DNF, mechanical, 1:50.322
46. Chris Sullivan (Yam YZF-R6), Bridgestone, -32 laps, DNF, 2:02.347
47. Barrett Long (Duc 848EVO), Dunlop, -44 laps, DNF, crash, 1:52.970
48. Valentin Debise (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -48 laps, DNF, crash, 1:48.982
49. Harry Wilson (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -48 laps, DNF, 2:02.963
50. Ross Patterson (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -52 laps, DNF, no lap time provided
51. Gene Buonomo (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -56 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded
DQ. Joel Lenk (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -2 laps, 1:56.641
DQ. Cooper McDonald (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -2 laps, 1:54.536
DQ. Kristofer Knopf (Yam YZF-R6), Michelin/Pirelli, -3 laps, 1:55.799
DQ. Ryan Martin (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -4 laps, 1:58.293
DQ. Daniel Weems (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -5 laps, 2:00.787
DQ. Dustin Ducote (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -6 laps, 2:02.748
More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:
Danny Eslick Wins Fourth DAYTONA 200
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 17, 2018) – Danny Eslick added to his already-considerable DAYTONA 200 stature on Saturday, winning the 77th running of the famed motorcycle road race at Daytona International Speedway in dominating fashion on the No. 69 TOBC Racing Yamaha R6 600.
For Eslick, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was his fourth DAYTONA 200 victory, following his successes in 2014, ’15 and ’17. He becomes the third rider to win the DAYTONA 200 at least four times. Five-time champions Scott Russell (1992, ’94-95, ’97-98) and Miguel Duhamel (1991, ’96, ’99, 2003, ’05) share the all-time record for DAYTONA 200 victories.
Cory West (Yamaha R6 600) of Eureka Springs, Arkansas finished second in the 57-lap/200-mile race on the 3.51-mile road course, 26.294 seconds behind Eslick. In an emotion-packed effort, Miami Beach rider Robertino Pietri (Suzuki GSXR 600) rounded out the podium via a last-lap pass of Geoff May (Yamaha R6 600) to match the third-place finish posted by his father Roberto Pietri in 1982.
“We’ve kind of set our name in the books here at Daytona … we’ve done pretty well,” Eslick said. “The biggest thing is the crew here at DIS; this is the only race [of the season] where we do pit stops.”
Eslick, who averaged 95.834 mph, also credited his crew with their preparation of a spare engine forced into use after the team’s first engine failed during Friday’s qualifying.
“Again, it goes back to the team,” Eslick said. “They busted their butt last night. I don’t know what they did but they found a couple horsepower in that thing and it definitely made my life easier.”
Polesitter Valentin Debise – a native of France now living in Lake Elsinore, California – was leading the race when he crashed entering the course’s “International Horseshoe” turn on Lap 10. Debise was taken to a local hospital where on Saturday afternoon he was undergoing further evaluation. Debise was seeking to become the second French rider to win the DAYTONA 200. Patrick Pons (1980) is the race’s only French champion.
Second-fastest qualifier and 2016 race champion Michael Barnes, a veteran rider from Boca Raton, Florida, had a strong run until Lap 24, when his Yamaha R6 600 was retired due to mechanical problems. Two years ago, Barnes came out of retirement to become the oldest DAYTONA 200 champion, at the age of 47. Prior to Saturday, Barnes hinted that this year would be his last appearance in the race.
John Ashmead (Kawasaki ZX6R 636) of Palm City, Florida – the 1989 DAYTONA 200 champion – extended his record for career miles completed in the Daytona 200. Ashmead finished 18th and now totals 4,533 miles.
The DAYTONA 200, sanctioned by the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) was the final major race of the 77th Bike Week At DAYTONA; ASRA and Championship Cup Series races on Sunday will be the final competition of the week.
The next major event at Daytona International Speedway will be the third annual Country 500: The Great American Music Fest at Daytona, on Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27. The all-star lineup is headed by Toby Keith, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley and Sugarland.
Racing returns to DIS on the Independence Holiday weekend, with the annual summertime NASCAR midseason doubleheader. On the night of Friday, July 6, the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 will be held, followed on the evening of July 7 by the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Tickets for all Daytona International 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.