Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
Anthony Gobert led the restart of the Daytona 200 at about 1:48 p.m. Sunday, after taking the point from Kurtis Roberts in turn one.
But before the lead pack reached the chicane, Roberts and Nicky Hayden blew past Gobert.
Gobert made up time on the brakes for turn one and started the second lap of the restart in second place.
The lead group is Roberts, Duhamel, Gobert and Hayden at the start of the third lap of the restart.
Miguel Duhamel just sat up and slowed across the finish line to finish lap 10 of the race (lap four of the restart), then coasted to a halt exiting turns one-two.
Duhamel is pushing his Honda back toward the pits, counter-course. Meanwhile, Gobert is back in front on lap 11 of 57.
Roberts, Gobert and Hayden are the lead group, the Hondas faster accelerating up onto the banking and Gobert very quick in the infield and into turn one.
Running order lap 12:
Roberts
Gobert
Hayden
Hacking
Yates
Bostrom
Picotte
Barnes
Mertens
Deatherage
Nicky Hayden ran wide into turn one after drafting past Roberts to lead, to start lap 14, leaving Roberts to lead Gobert.
Larry Pegram and Eric Wood have pitted with machine problems. Dean Mizdal has crashed.
Running order lap 15:
Roberts
Hayden
Gobert
Yates
Bostrom
Hacking
Picotte
Barnes
Mertens
Haskovec
Deatherage
Livengood
Jacobi
Conicelli
Orlando
Picotte pitted after lap 16, with mechanical problems after running off at the chicane. HMC Ducati mechanics worked on the shift linkage/left footpeg; Picotte rejoined the race after losing about two laps.
Gobert has lost touch with Roberts and Hayden, Gobert is visibly sliding, and Gobert has been caught by Hacking. Gobert pits on lap 20 for a tire and fuel, Hacking is now third from Yates, Bostrom and Gobert, back on track after his pit stop.
Picotte is back in the pits on lap 20.
Roberts and Hayden went through turn one side by side to start lap 23 and nearly collided, with Hayden having to stand his bike up and pull in his knee to avoid contact.
Hayden retakes the lead into turn one to start lap 24, riding around and outside Roberts at the entrance.
Kurtis Roberts has just paid the price for spining his tire wildly, his tire has shredded with cords flying, Roberts is riding back to the pits on the grass inside the apron, on lap 24.
Roberts made it to his pit and his crew is refueling the bike and changing the wheel; a mechanic put a tire warmer on the removed wheel to try to hide the tire damage from TV cameras.
Roberts is back on track in seventh, just ahead of Hayden; Hayden pits on lap 26.
Hayden rejoins in third to start lap 27 but has the lead again by the end of the lap, from Yates, Bostrom, Gobert, Hacking and Roberts.
The running order on lap 29, halfway point in the race, is:
Hayden
Yates
Bostrom
Gobert
Hacking
Roberts
Hayden has lapped through seventh place.
Running order on lap 33:
Hayden
Gobert, -25 seconds
Hacking, -26
Yates, -27
Bostrom, -27
Roberts, -74
Barnes, -1 lap
Deatherage
Livengood
Martinez
Orlando
Conicelli
Mertens
Fitzpatrick
Haskovec
Schmidt
Dugan
Krebs
Purk
Mennenga
Rojas
Holden
Hacking/Yates/Bostrom nose-to-tail for third on lap 35, to start lap 36 it’s Yates/Hacking/Bostrom, racing through traffic.
This news just in from pit lane: Pascal Picotte’s problem was an internal shifting problem, with the transmission stuck in third gear.
Gobert is back on pit row on lap 38, for fuel and tires, and is back out, with 19 laps remaining. Gobert should be done with his pit stops.
Running order to start lap 40:
Hayden
Yates
Hacking
Bostrom
Gobert
Roberts
Barnes
Deatherage
Orlando
Livengood
Barnes in for his final pit stop on race lap 40 (his lap 38).
Roberts pits on lap 40 for his final stop.
Yates/Hacking/Bostrom still locked together nose-to-tail on lap 42, before their last pit stop. They are 27 seconds behind Hayden.
Hayden is closing on sixth-place Roberts and may lap him on lap 43; Roberts’ bike may have lost a carbon-fiber muffler, which could have been damaged by his flailing rear tire earlier in the race.
Hacking pits lap 44 for the final time, and rejoins the race in fifth behind Hayden, Yates, Bostrom and Gobert and ahead of Roberts.
Hayden pits lap 45 for the last time. Both wheels and fuel. Hayden back away, still ahead of Yates and Bostrom.
Bostrom pits lap 47, both ends and fuel.
Running order start of lap 49:
Hayden
Yates, -3.3 seconds
Gobert, -19
Hacking, -24
Bostrom, -25
Roberts, -76
Deatherage, -2 laps
Barnes
Orlando
Conicelli
Yates pits on lap 49, both ends, fuel.
New running order on lap 51
Hayden
Gobert, -19
Hacking, -24
Bostrom, -28
Yates, -28
Roberts, -67
Mertens retires.
Hacking is putting on a charge on Gobert, and is pulling away from Bostrom.
Michael Barnes’ Suzuki just blew up in a cloud of smoke.
Hacking less than a second behind Gobert on lap 55 of 57.
White flag is out for Hayden. Hacking is drafting Gobert toward turn one, but may not be close enough. Halfway through the last lap, Goberts till has a second on Hacking.
Nicky Hayden has just won the 61st Daytona 200 by Arai, and Hacking drafted past a weaving Gobert, crossing the line in second.
Hayden wins by 18.225 seconds and turned the fastest lap of the race, 1:49.933.
Unofficial results
Hayden
Hacking
Gobert
Yates
Bostrom
Roberts
Deatherage
Livengood
Conicelli
Orlando
Fitzpatrick
Martinez
Haskovec
Dugan
Jacobi
Schmidt
Holden
Mennenga
Rojas
Krebs
Pearson
Ray