YOSHIMURA SUZUKI FACTORY RACING CAPTURES SUPERBIKE VICTORY AT DAYTONA Yoshimura Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas wins & podiums, teammate Chris Clark celebrates first top-five result

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team had more than its fair share to celebrate after the season-opening round of the 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championships this weekend at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Yoshimura Suzuki’s newest rider Martin Cardenas raced his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a victory and a podium finish at the event, while teammate Chris Clark picked up the best result of his AMA Pro Superbike career.

For Yoshimura Suzuki’s Cardenas, the weekend was a successful one through and through. The Colombian rider started the weekend by qualifying on the front row of the grid and getting good starts in both Superbike races. In the first 15-lap race, Cardenas pushed hard on every lap and was there to capitalize on other riders’ mistakes and finish second. In the weekend’s second race, Cardenas redoubled his successful efforts from the day before, turned in a flawlessly aggressive ride and captured the win.

“I’m very happy and I want to thank the Yoshimura Suzuki team for giving me the opportunity to race for them,” said Cardenas. “The weekend was good for us. In Friday’s race, I got a good start on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and got into second. I planned to make the pass for the win on the last lap but I made a mistake and that didn’t work out for me. On Saturday, I was able to get into the lead and I tried to keep a good pace and not make mistakes. We ended up winning and now I’m looking forward to Road America.”

Likewise, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Clark left the famous Daytona banking on a high note. In the weekend’s first race, Clark turned in 15 solid laps to pick up his first-ever top-five AMA Pro Superbike result. The next day, he followed up that performance with another respectable race to bring home a sixth-place finish.

“It was good to get the first race out of the way,” admitted Clark. “I was able to get the best finish of my career with fifth, so I was really happy about that. It was a little tough the first few laps because I didn’t get a good start but I was able to get around some guys on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. I made a few little mistakes in the middle of the race but overall I was happy. In the second race, I finished sixth and we wound up fifth in the points so this was the best race weekend I’ve ever had. Now I’m just excited to get to Road America.”

The Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team’s next event of the 2013 AMA Pro Superbike Championship series is at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, the weekend of May 31 – June 2, 2012.

Check out the Daytona Superbike “Behind The Scenes Race Report” at http://youtu.be/nZ5hH5lIQ24

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Daytona Superbike Results, Race 1:
1. Josh Herrin 2. Martin Cardenas 3. Larry Pegram 4. Danny Eslick 5. Chris Clark 6. Robertino Pietri 7. Geoff May 8. David Anthony 9. Taylor Knapp 10. Chris Fillmore

Daytona Superbike Results, Race 2:
1. Martin Cardenas 2. Josh Herrin 3. Larry Pegram 4. Roger Hayden 5. Danny Eslick 6. Chris Clark 7. Robertino Pietri 8. Chris Fillmore 9. Chris Ulrich 10. Bernat Martinez

2013 Superbike Standings:
1. Josh Herrin – 56 2. Martin Cardenas – 55 3. Larry Pegram – 42 4. Danny Eslick – 34 5. Chris Clark – 31 6. Robertino Pietri – 29 7. Chris Fillmore – 24 8. David Anthony – 20 9. Bernat Martiniz – 20 10. Geoff May – 19

More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports:

MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS CELEBRATES TOP-FIVE SUPERBIKE FINISHES AT SEASON-OPENING DAYTONA ROUND

MJM’s National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki podiums in SuperSport, finishes top 10 in Daytona 200

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Round one of the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championships was definitely a cause for celebration for the Michael Jordan Motorsports team. Racing their Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000s to multiple top-five finishes at the famed Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL, MJM’s Danny Eslick and Roger Hayden rode hard and battled at the season-opening event.

Although Eslick admittedly struggled in qualifying, he pulled out all the stops when it came race time. In the weekend’s two 15-lap Superbike events, the Jordan Suzuki rider put his head down and overcame less-than-stellar starts to finish in the top five. In race one, Superbike rookie Eslick finished fourth and he brought home fifth in race two.

“The Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 was running great at Daytona,” said Eslick. “I felt like I was knocking some of the cobwebs off from the winter. In the second race, Rog and I ran around by ourselves for the last half of the race, but that’s good in its own way because we’re learning stuff riding with each other. Hopefully, at Road America we’ll come out and fight for a win.”

National Guard Jordan Suzuki teammate Hayden shined brightly in Daytona qualifying and picked up a front row position on the starting grid. Unfortunately, he suffered a minor get-off in race one and was unable to finish. In race two, however, Hayden turned in a solid performance, dicing back and forth with his teammate Eslick and eventually finishing fourth.

“Danny and I had a pretty good race and we struggled with the same things,” said Hayden. “Fourth isn’t where we want to be and we need to be a little stronger for the next one. But we got out of here with some points and we’ll move on. We’re a lot better than fourth; we had the speed in practice and qualifying, and we just had some bad luck in the races. Hopefully, we got all of that out of the way and I can’t wait for Road America.”

MJM’s 600cc contingency also enjoyed a strong showing at Daytona. In the AMA Pro SuperSport class, National Guard Celtic Racing’s Corey Alexander piloted his Suzuki GSX-R600 to an impressive podium finish, while teammate James Rispoli picked up a seventh-place result in the Daytona SportBike class. The latter marks the first time that MJM has raced the prestigious Daytona 200.

“We started off this weekend not really sure what was going to happen,” said Alexander of SuperSport. “The National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 was good all weekend but we didn’t have a good qualifying effort to put us up on the front row. I’m happy with third, especially after making my way up from 11th.”

Of his performance in the Daytona 200, where he ran in a podium position for several laps during the lengthy race, Rispoli added, “I’m really happy. For the first 19 laps, we were all battling and it was really fun to race with those guys. The National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 was running really strong and we were right there drafting with the boys up front. Now I’m looking forward to Road America. I’ve done really well there in the past.”

In the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series rider point standings, Eslick sits in fourth place and Hayden is 12th. In AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike, Rispoli is seventh while Alexander is sixth in AMA Pro SuperSport. The Michael Jordan Motorsports team’s next event of the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, the weekend of May 31 – June 2, 2013.

About Michael Jordan Motorsports: Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on MJM, please visit www.23race.com, www.twitter.com/23race and www.facebook.com/23race.

About the Army National Guard: The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land.

Michael Jordan Motorsports is proud to partner with: Jordan Brand (a division of Nike), National Guard, American Suzuki, Hanes, Gatorade, Bazzaz, Vortex Racing Components, FMF Exhausts, Gemini Racing, K-Tech Suspension-Orient Express Racing, Maxima Racing Oils, K & N Air Filters, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Armour Bodies, DID Chains, Oakley, Roclun International, STAR Motorcycle School, Motion Pro Tools, Zero Gravity Windscreens, with transportation provided by Eastside Trucking.




More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Yamaha Dominates as the AMA Season Kicks Off at Daytona

The Yamaha YZF-R6 and YZF-R1 proved to be the machines to beat last weekend at Daytona Beach as the 2013 AMA season got underway on the Daytona International Speedway. The title race of the weekend, The Daytona 200 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona Sportbike, run for the 72nd time, is a 57-lap ‘endurance’ race with riders allowed to pit stop.

Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier dominated from his pole position start, leading 50 of the 57 laps on his YZF-R6 to record a stunning victory over 22 seconds clear at the front. Beaubier’s teammate Garrett Gerloff was the next rider home, securing second on the podium and followed by a further three Yamaha machines, the manufacturer claiming the top five in the standings.

Three-time Champion Josh Hayes had dominated all practice sessions of the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike class on his Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1. In the end though race one glory went to teammate Josh Herrin, the young American taking his first ever AMA Superbike National win after Hayes suffered a technical issue. Race two saw more impressive performance from the team with Hayes leading for the majority and Herrin following close behind. Disaster would strike again for Hayes, forced to retire with a technical issue that allowed a rival to pass. Race one winner Herrin made a small error selecting neutral into turn one but recovered to put his YZF-R1 back on the podium in second place.

The AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore SuperSport series continued the podium run for Yamaha, the YZF-R6 totally dominating in race one, Stefano Mesa taking the win on his Motorsport Yamaha, the R6 taking the first seven positions in the results and making eight in total of the top ten. Race two was again a Yamaha affair, Tomas Puerta taking first on his RoadRace Yamaha. Second on the podium belonged to the YZF-R6 and again a total of eight of the Supersport machines in the top ten.

Cameron Beaubier
“I’m pretty tired right now but I’m trying to soak in everything. I rode as hard as I could in the first stint and then tried to be super consistent. I had one little mess up running wide in Turn one but after that I calmed down and kept clicking off lap times.”

Josh Herrin
“I felt like I was tip-toeing through the chicane because I had been getting spanked by Josh [Hayes] the whole first part of race one. Coming out of there he was gapping me by 10 bike lengths and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I guess he’s just charging way harder than any of us. I thought for sure Martin [Cardenas] was going to get me on the last lap. I was trying to get him to pass me and it didn’t work. I don’t want to beat up on myself, but it almost feels like it wasn’t a win because Josh [Hayes] was out, Roger [Hayden] was out. It kind of sucks whenever I think about it, but it’s still a win and the Monster Energy Graves Yamaha R1 was working good and they’ve been putting in hours trying to get this thing working good, or better because it’s already good. I can’t really thank them enough and I’m really grateful that the thing was fast enough to keep Martin behind me on the last lap cause I know he was right there. Good job to these guys! In race two I made a mistake going into turn one and went into neutral. After that I just tried to regroup and get some points.”

Tomas Puerta
“Today, I was going to be in the lead as much as I can. On the last lap, I put my head down and I just thought about what I was doing and I didn’t care where they went in the draft. I looked back after the horseshoe on the last lap. I saw that I had a little draft and I kept pushing all the way towards the finish line.”

Stefano Mesa
“The bike felt awesome, the team put together such a great bike for me. I was leading going into the last lap so I backed it down going into turn one. Somebody passed me, which was what I wanted. When we got to the banking at the end I made my move. This win feels good; I hope to have a lot more of them this year.”




More, from a press release issued by Concepts Unlimited:

ROBERTINO PIETRI TAKES SIXTH OVERALL IN THE AMA PRO NATIONAL GUARD SUPERBIKE SEASON OPENER

Daytona Beach, Fla…Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike season opener, March 14-16 at Daytona International Speedway proved to be good for well-known two-wheeled road racer Robertino Pietri.

Deftly piloting his TeamMotoVenezuela PC4x4 Store by Prieto Performance ZX10R, Pietri took 6th overall on Friday and 7th overall on Saturday.

“We are extremely pleased with the results this weekend,” says Pietri who hails from Venezuela. “This was my best finish at Daytona in the Superbike class. To be able to run in the top 10 and be able to mix it up with the big factory bikes says a lot. My crew did an awesome job and I am extremely proud of the entire team.”

Running in the first practice, Pietri crashed.

“Luckily for me it was a slow crash, but it still did some damage to the bike,” explains Pietri. “We went to our second bike which was no problem since both bikes were built identically. We made a lot of improvements before the first race and found the right balance. We knew we would be good to go for the race.

Powering off the Grid in 11th, it didn’t take Pietri long to move up. He ran a very consistent and smooth race and it obviously proved that his many hours of training definitely paid off.

Friday’s race was also very special to this standout racer as it was 30 years to the day that his father Roberto Pietri raced at Daytona.

“My family is very important to me,” says Pietri. “They are behind my racing career 100% and without them I would not be able to compete. My dad was so proud of me this weekend and that makes it much more special. Unfortunately, my dad was not able to be here, but my mom and sister were on hand to cheer me on.”

On Saturday, Pietri got a bad start and ended up at the back of the field. “I made a mistake in the first lap,” he said. “And the next thing I knew, I was dead last. I knew I had to put my head down and concentrate and that is what I did.”

Showing the style and skill that he is known for, Pietri managed to power his way from last to 7th place before the race ended. With his 6th and 7th place finishes, Pietri now sits in 6th place overall in the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike standings.

“I really have to thank my entire crew. They are the ones that made this weekend’s top finishes possible. I couldn’t have done it without them. Erik Gray built us two phenomenal machines and our crew chief James Lickwar, our project manager Sean Prieto and the rest of the crew had them running in top form.”

Next, Pietri is off to Almeria, Spain for pre-testing on March 25, 26 and 27 for the Spanish CEV Championship where he will ride for Team Laglisse.

In addition to PC4x4 Store, Pietri is sponsored by Gobierno Boliivariano de Venezuela, Ministerio Popular Para el Deporte, Bell Helmets, TCX Boots, Dainese Leathers and Five Gloves.




More, from a press release issued by BP Racing:

BP Racing’s Sebastiao Ferreira takes two top ten finishes in Daytona

San Jose, Calif. – BP Racing’s Sebastiao Ferreira takes two top ten finishes in the Geico AMA Motorcyle-superstore.com supersport class in Daytona finishing 6th in race 1 and 7th in race 2. In addition to Ferreira taking 2 tops tens BP Racing’s newest supersport rider Charles Weaver takes home his first National podium with a hard fought second place.

Team Owner Mike Hammett and Team Manager Ken Chewey comment: “We could not have been any happier with the results from both Sebastiao and Charles. Sebastiao showed great form in race 1 battling for the lead the whole race and showing the field he can lead in race 2. Charles also showed great form starting from 13th place on the grid and fighting his way and using the draft to gain his second place finish.”

“I am very pleased with how race 1 and race 2 went this weekend. In race 1 I was battling the whole race with the lead group and in race 2 I gained the lead and was comfortable up front. I am happy to be leaving Daytona 3rd in points and I am ready for round 2 Road America. I am ready to keep fighting each week for the win,” comments Sebastiao Ferreira.

Charles “CJ” Weaver states, “I am really excited for the opportunity to work with BP Racing, they have helped me so much this weekend. I am also excited to be team mates with Sebastiao Ferreira this year. I have known Sebastiao for a long time now and I think we can help each other out a lot this year. I am very excited to go into road America 4 points behind Sebastiao!”

BP Racing would like to thank Mach 1, Optimal Racing, Life in Christ, Moto D, Ricondi Leathers, NEXX Helmets, EDR Performance, Ktech Suspension, Leo Vince Exhaust, Galfer Brakes, Vortex, Ignited Soul Apparel, Zero Gravity, Pacific Track Time, Drastikk Graphics, StitchTech Designs and Redzone Racing.

Become a fan on Facebook Search: Sebastiao Ferreira
Become a fan on Facebook Search: CJ Weaver

If interested in being a partner/sponsor please contact Ken Chewey at: [email protected] for more info.




More, from a pres release issued by Celtic Racing/Orient Express:

Celtic Racing Enjoys Podium Finish & Solid Results At Daytona

Celtic Racing is pleased to report a successful visit to Daytona for the opening round of the AMA Pro Road Racing 2013 season. National Guard Celtic Racing’s Corey Alexander rode hard in Saturday’s AMA Pro Road Racing SuperSport race and finished a strong third place on his #5 Suzuki GSX-R 600. Teammate James Rispoli finished seventh in the Daytona 200 in his first attempt competing in the historic race, enjoying a race long battle in the lead pack on his #43 National Guard Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600. Caroline Olsen worked hard all week with limited practice laps and cold weather to finish twenty-fifth in Saturday’s SuperSport race on her #44 Celtic Orient Express Racing Suzuki GSX-R 600.

In SuperSport, both Corey Alexander and Caroline Olsen saw limited practice and qualifying time at Daytona. Cold ambient and track temperatures, combined with a heavily packed SuperSport field and several red flags reduced the number of pre-race laps dramatically. Alexander worked carefully to secure eleventh place on the starting grid. In Friday’s SuperSport race, Alexander’s bodywork was damaged by another rider and Corey was forced to ride the entire race using his knees to keep the bodywork in place at speed – an incredible show of grit and determination! Corey would finish fourteenth under these challenging conditions on Friday. Saturday’s race saw Alexander at the front for several laps in a hotly contested race for the finish among seven riders. Ultimately Corey would capture third place and a podium finish! Alexander stated that “after a long off-season recovering from an injury I am very excited to conclude my rough weekend at Daytona with a podium finish. I felt like we had the speed all weekend to win, and we finally put the pieces together for the second race. My National Guard Celtic Racing bike ran phenomenally well all weekend and I can’t thank my crew and everyone supporting the team enough. Hopefully there are many more podium finishes to come this season, but only at the top step of the podium in the future!” Corey’s personal sponsors include: Hudson Valley Motorcycles, Arai Helmets, Spidi Leathers, XPD Boots, and AMMO NYC.

James Rispoli moved into the Daytona Sport Bike class for the 2013 season after back to back SuperSport championships in 2011 and 2012. This was the first time Rispoli had raced in the Daytona 200, and despite limited track time before the race, James was able to qualify in tenth position – only a few tenths behind the fifth fastest qualifier. Rispoli has been training hard in the off season, to prepare for his 2013 season, and the test of endurance that comes with racing in the Daytona 200. All the work by the Celtic crew and Rispoli’s smart riding would help him bring home a strong seventh place finish for the team. Rispoli said that “to start the season with a 7th at Daytona, and to be running the top guys in the U.S. is an amazing feeling. Daytona didn’t give us a lot of track time, and we didn’t get the kind of draft we were looking for in practice and qualifying, so we didn’t post up a good lap time and ended up P-10 on the grid. I knew going into the race I had to get a good start and get on with the lead group if I was going to have a shot at a good result. I got a pretty good start and for the first 19 laps I ran in the top five. The first pit stop was clean but I could tell in the second stint I couldn’t get the bike to turn the way I wanted it to, so I just rode as best as I could until the second pit stop. The second stop we had a bit of a problem but the boys still got me out, and I was on my way into 7th about five seconds on Rapp. For the last 15 lap sprint race I closed the gap to Rapp until we just ran out time. The team is working well together, overall a great weekend! James’ personal sponsors include AGV Helmets, Dainese Leathers, Monster Energy, and Techmount.

Caroline Olsen, in her AMA SuperSport debut, rode carefully and wisely, trying to maximize her track time despite cold track conditions and an abundance of red flags in her practice and qualifying sessions. There was a great deal for Olsen to learn in a very limited time frame before each of the races. Additionally, the SuperSport field was fifty-two riders deep, adding traffic to the mix as well. Olsen was able to qualify in thirty-sixth position, gaining experience and speed with each lap. In both races, Olsen rode well, and improved from her qualifying position in each race to finish twenty-seventh on Friday, and twenty-fifth on Saturday. Caroline’s enthusiasm was only strengthened with the results and stated “Daytona was awesome! The track was new and challenging, but the team was working great. I’m happy with the overall first weekend with Celtic Orient Express Racing, knowing we have a lot of potential together. I’m already looking forward to the next race at Road America.” Caroline’s personal sponsors include Arai Helmets, Cato Composites, and LOXY.

Celtic Racing is proud to partner with: Army National Guard, Michael Jordan Motorsports, Orient Express Racing, Hudson Valley Motorcycles, American Suzuki, Armour Bodies, Bazzaz, Chicken Hawk Racing, DesignStar3, D.I.D. Chain, FMF Exhaust, Galfer, GB Racing, K-Tech Suspension, Maxima Racing Oils, Motion Pro, Pit Bull Products, Saddlemen, Signs Ink, Star Motorcycle School, Vortex Racing, and Zero Gravity.

CELTIC RACING
Celtic Racing was established in 2001 by Barry Gilsenan, and over the past 12 seasons has established itself as a premier privateer racing team. Development of riding talent began with two-stroke 125cc, and 250cc machines competing in professional and regional championship events. More recent Celtic Racing efforts have focused on AMA Pro Road Racing in the Daytona SportBike and SuperSport classes with Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha four stroke motorcycles. Gilsenan’s talent for coaching racers of all ages and abilities has brought Celtic Racing worldwide attention and recognition, with many former Celtic Racing riders now competing on World Championship levels. Please join Celtic Racing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CelticRacing.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
The National Guard is the oldest military branch. Today, Citizen-Soldiers hold civilian jobs or attend college while training part time, staying ready to defend America in the event of an emergency. The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard companies deployed overseas may see combat, but are often found building schools and hospitals, training local peacekeepers or teaching local farmers more efficient techniques and better uses of their land. Please visit http://www.nationalguard.com to find out more.

ORIENT EXPRESS
Established in 1973, Orient Express is a high performance motorcycle parts and accessories warehouse distributor; offering dyno tuning, engine building services and precision machine work. Orient Express has an extensive history of racing, including support of both professional and amateur race series and individuals. For more information regarding Orient Express, or to find out what Orient Express can do for your racing success, please call 800.645.6521 or 631.231.9552 (NY/International), visit http://www.orientexpress.com or join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OrientExpressRacing.




More, from a press release issued by Thrashed Bike Racing:

Thrashed Bike Racing’s AMA Pro XR1200 Daytona debut difficult

Thrashed Bike Racing principal Tim Ivanoff reports that Daytona took a toll again on the team’s psyche after team rider Walt Sipp encountered a severe headshake and ultimate tumble at the infield kink during the first round of practice Thursday morning. The team scrambled to put the yellow XR back in order only to discover that Walt’s right hand was swollen double size and that he would be unable to compete. Walt was aware that David Estok might be available, contacted him and Dave came in to take the reins. It was a real pleasure to work with Dave and he was able to help the team develop the bike a little further. Dave qualified 16th and then brought the Thrashed Bike Racing entry home in 13th place. A DQ from another team ultimately placed the team in 12th. I want to thank David Estok for coming in with no notice and help us develop the bike and make the grid in Daytona. It would have been very disappointing to have to go home with no time on the bike. We are looking forward to the next round at Road America and expect Walt to be back in great shape. I want to also thank Arrow Aviation, Avcal Decals and Cycle Gear for their continued support.




More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:

Strong second place finish for Wyman in Daytona season opener

Daytona Beach (March 17) – Revolution Performance rider Kyle Wyman rode to a solid second place finish on Friday in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series opener at Daytona International Speedway. Wyman nearly bested the 11-rider lead pack and earned his twelfth-career XR1200 podium result.

“It was a crazy race,” said Wyman. “There was a huge pack of us all strung together, and the drafting made it impossible for anybody to break away. I just wanted to try to put myself in the right place at the right time on that last run to the stripe.

“Hats off to my Revolution Performance/Millennium Technologies guys, because they assembled a great motorcycle for me,” Wyman added. “Along with Ballistic Performance Components and Spyke’s Harley-Davidson, we all kind of came together to assemble this program last minute, but the strength of our team was reflected in our results. I love coming to Daytona, and it feels really good to score another podium finish.”

Wyman, a two-time winner of this event, rode strategically throughout the 7-lap final. With riders swapping positions at every turn, he found himself in every position between first and tenth at different times in the race. He eventually finished a mere 0.075 seconds behind winner Tyler O’Hara, just missing short of a third consecutive victory at Daytona.

“Coming out of the final chicane on the last lap, I was in seventh place,” Wyman said. “That’s right where I wanted to be. With only seven laps to figure things out, I knew time was of the essence, and over the course of those laps I had figured out that I wanted to be in the fifth-to-seventh range there to give myself the best shot at victory.

“Everything seemed to be playing in my favor, and I grabbed the lead as we tipped into the tri-oval, but Tyler came around me with just a few feet to spare. It was a really close finish. I want to personally thank each and every rider in that pack for playing it safe, because a lot of things can go wrong when we’re riding that close at 150mph. It was a lot of fun.”

Wyman currently sits second in the overall Harley-Davidson points series, yet has no plans of competing in any additional rounds. He is seeking sponsorship to continue.