50 Riders Entered for 74th Daytona 200 on Saturday, March 14
~ Entry List for America’s Most Historic Motorcycle Race Includes Five Past Champions ~
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Five former DAYTONA 200 champions are among the 50 riders entered in the 74th DAYTONA 200 on Saturday, March 14 at Daytona International Speedway, which will be sanctioned for the first time by the American SportBike Racing Association (ASRA).
Fifty riders are on the final pre-entry list including former DAYTONA 200 champions Danny Eslick (2014), Josh Herrin (2010), Steve Rapp (2007), John Ashmead (1989) and Dave Sadowski Sr. (1990). For a complete entry list, click here.
The DAYTONA 200 will be a 57-lap race on the 3.51-mile road course showcasing 600cc sportbikes battling for a purse of $175,000 with the race winner also being awarded a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.
Qualifying for the starting lineup for the DAYTONA 200 will take place on Friday, March 13 with the race going green the following day at 1 p.m.
The DAYTONA 200 is America’s most historic motorcycle race with the inaugural event being held on the sands of Daytona Beach before the race moved to Daytona International Speedway in 1961.
Competing in such a prestigious event was a no-brainer for Herrin, who will ride a Yamaha for Meen Motorsports.
“Whenever we found out it was going to be (held), it was really important to me,” Herrin said. “Not only because I won it before, but I also want to be like some of my heroes like Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel who have won it multiple times. I think that’s a really big accomplishment.”
In addition to the prestige of becoming a multiple winner of the DAYTONA 200, Herrin is also gunning for the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, which has traditionally been awarded to the pole winner of the DAYTONA 200 but will now be presented to the race winner.
“I’ve never been a good qualifier so getting the Rolex has always been out of reach for me,” Herrin said. “Now that it goes to the race winner, that’s something I’d like to get. It would be really important to me.”
While the DAYTONA 200 will have a new sanctioning body this year, the ingredients to win the grueling race that features multiple pit stops remains the same.
“The most important thing is going to be staying calm,” Herrin said. “It’s definitely the longest race that any of us do in our career. I’m working with the same crew chief that I won the DAYTONA 200 before so that’s a big thing for me. I know good decisions are going to be made in the pits and our pit stops are going to be really fast. It’s going to be exciting for sure.”
Reserved grandstand tickets for the DAYTONA 200 are $45, unreserved grandstand/infield tickets are $45 and unreserved grandstand tickets are $35. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas.
Tickets for all motorcycle racing events are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com
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