Jason DiSalvo rode his Latus Motors Racing Ducati 848EVO to victory in the 70th running of the Daytona 200 Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. DiSalvo not only became the first rider to win America’s biggest road race on a Ducati, he also became the first privateer rider to do it since John Ashmead won on a privateer Honda Superbike in 1989. The victory of DiSalvo and his team was tarnished somewhat by a series of problems during the race, including a red flag and lengthy delay in the middle. AMA Pro Racing stopped the race as the leaders completed lap 28 of the 57 scheduled laps at the urging of control tire supplier Dunlop. According to Dunlop Vice President – Motorcycle Mike Buckley, due to unusually high track temperatures some racers experienced “overheating issues” with front tires during the first segment of the race, and considering they knew that a “substantial amount of the field planned to run a single front tire for the entire race,” they decided to ask AMA Pro Racing to stop the race out of concerns for rider safety. During the red flag break riders were required to switch to a more durable, backup specification front tire that Dunlop had held in reserve. AMA Pro Racing gave a substantial amount of time (the delay lasted over two hours) for the teams to get the new front tires mounted and heated with tire warmers before the race was restarted. Although there were officially 30 laps remaining in the race (after the running order was reverted to lap 27, the last lap completed by the entire field), a restart of 15 laps was called for because that was a distance that Dunlop felt the replacement front tire could safely cover, according to AMA Pro Racing Director of Communications John Szymanski. The delay was a headache for most in the field, but it was a gift for DiSalvo as his Ducati had dropped a cylinder one lap before the red flag came out. DiSalvo’s team was able to replace his engine during the break, and he was able to restart the race from third place, where he was running on lap 27. DiSalvo then went on to win a wild, multi-rider battle in the ensuing 15-lap sprint race to the finish, just edging out Vesrah Suzuki’s Cory West, Project 1 Atlanta’s Jake Zemke, Cycle World Attack Performance Kawasaki’s J.D. Beach and Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin. Only 0.364 second covered the top five finishers. The dramatic finish was marred by a heart-stopping crash coming into the tri-oval. Herrin and Team M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby were both trying to get into another rider’s slipstream and something on Herrin’s bike hit Westby’s front brake lever. Westby was sent over the handlebars at well over 150 mph, and West’s teammate Taylor Knapp could not avoid Westby’s bike, hit it and also crashed. Westby, Knapp and their motorcycles tumbled and slid for hundreds of feet into the tri-oval. Luckily, both riders were able to walk away from the incident, although Westby did break his left thumb. Westby and Knapp were listed in the provisional results as finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, but after further review of the rulebook, AMA Pro Racing ruled the two riders’ crashes caused the red flag and demoted them to 13th and 14th, respectively. AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida March 12, 2011 Official Race Results (3.5-mile course, all on Dunlop tires): 1. Jason DiSalvo (Duc 848EVO), 42 laps* 2. Cory West (Suz GSX-R600), -0.029 second 3. Jake Zemke (Yam YZF-R6), -0.155 second 4. J.D. Beach (Kaw ZX-6R), -0.219 second 5. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), -0.364 second 6. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap 7. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), -1 lap, 13.890 8. Cameron Beaubier (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 13.924 9. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 13.960 10. Paul Allison (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 15.144 11. Kris Turner (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 25.724 12. Huntley Nash (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 25.837 13. Dane Westby (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 25.837, crash 14. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 25.837, crash 15. Joey Pascasrella (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps 16. Jason Farrell (Kaw ZX-6R), -2 laps, 10.619 seconds, crash 17. Tyler O’Hara (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, 11.287 18. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, 40.984 19. David Sadowski, Jr. (Duc 848), -2 laps, 41.017 20. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-6R), -2 laps, 41.124 21. Reese Wacker (Suz GSX-R600), -2 laps, 41.793 22. Pat Mooney (Buell 1125R), -2 laps, 43.966 23. Anthony Fania (Suz GSX-R600), -2 laps, 59.589 24. Luiz Cerciari (Suz GSX-R600), -2 laps, 59.952 25. Sam Rozynski (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, 74.107 26. David McPherson (Yam YZF-R6), -2 laps, 75.069 27. Lyles Sanders (Yam YZF-R6), -3 laps 28. Giuseppe Messina (Yam YZF-R6), -3 laps, 14.339 seconds 29. Scott Decker (Suz GSX-R600), -3 laps, 22.846 30. Ray Hofman (Hon CBR600RR), -4 laps 31. Jake Holden (Duc 848EVO), -5 laps, DNF, mechanical 32. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600), -15 laps, DNF, crash 33. Matthew Sadowksi (Duc 848), -15 laps, DNF 34. Barrett Long (Duc 848EVO), -17 laps, DNF, crash 35. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), -18 laps, DNF, crash 36. P.J. Jacobsen (Duc 848EVO), -24 laps, DNF, crash 37. Les Moscariello (Duc 848), -32 laps, DNF 38. Eric Bostrom (Kaw ZX-6R), -40 laps, DNF 39. Bostjan Skubic (Yam YZF-R6), withdrew * The race was shortened due to safety concerns with Dunlop’s control front tires. More, from a press release issued by GEICO: Eslick unhurt in accident that ends his Daytona weekend early DAYTONA, Fla. (March 12) — For 25 laps around historic Daytona International Speedway Saturday afternoon, GEICO Sportbike rider Danny Eslick looked like the man to beat at the season-opening AMA Daytona 200. But then disaster struck, with Eslick coming off his powerful Richie Morris Racing Suzuki at 160 mph as he rode through Turn 4 of the NASCAR track. The cause of the accident was quickly determined to be the Dunlop tire on the front of his bike, and the problem was so widespread that the race was stopped two circuits later as other riders began reporting the same issue. Officials from the AMA huddled with Dunlop representatives for two and a half hours before reaching the decision to shorten the race to just 15 more laps. Already two laps down with the potential to gain only a minimal amount of points, Eslick smartly retired from the event. “I’d have to get around 16 riders to gain back one point and we just don’t think the risk is worth the reward,” said Eslick, who suffered minor road rash but was otherwise unhurt during his wreck. “Plus, they’re still not entirely sure what’s up with the tires. “I sensed a problem with the front tire right before the first pit stop (on Lap 19) and then obviously we had a big issue there when I wrecked. It’s a shame because you want to start the season strong for GEICO and all our other sponsors but this was out of my hands for the most part.” Eslick, a 24-year-old from Broken Arrow, Okla., started quick and remained in a foursome of riders that led the race up until the first pit stop. He had even found a favorable outside line on the front stretch of the tri-oval where he routinely passed his opponents to assume the lead seemingly at will. “That’s kind of my spot here,” Eslick said. “I take the draft and just come around the outside. I guess you could say that’s how I roll at Daytona.” After his pit stop, Eslick cycled back into the No. 4 spot with the three riders ahead of him all needing fresh rubber, almost assuring him of re-taking the lead he held at several points in the race. But then he went down, and his day was effectively over. “I felt great on the bike,” he said. “I liked the way I was riding and the competition up front was pushing us all to ride smart and fast. It was a great race. Hopefully, they’ll get everything fixed and we’ll be able to provide a better show for the fans in Sonoma.” The AMA Daytona Sportbike circuit returns to action May 13-15 at Infineon Raceway in California’s picturesque wine country. More, from a press release issued by Run 1 Racing: Joey Pascarella Makes Spirited Sprint Finish in Daytona 200 DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 12, 2011) Run 1 Racing’s Joey Pascarella made a spirited run to the long-delayed checkered flag in Saturday’s wild and crazy Daytona 200, grabbing a well-earned 16th place finish aboard his #825 Yamaha YZF-R6. After starting 16th, Pascarella waited until after all the SportBike leaders before making his pit stop, so he was running seventh when he pitted. However, a slow stop to change the rear tire dropped him to 21st place, and a lap down. Then the race was red-flagged in the interests of safety after concerns were raised after the first series of pit stops by the leaders about overheating in the spec front tire that Dunlop had provided, prompting race officials to stop the race so every team could make a mandatory front tire change to a new compound tire. The delay lasted more than two hours, and Pascarella restarted in 20th place. Run 1 Racing was one of the last teams to get a new front tire delivered by Dunlop. “I have never done an endurance race, so I’m not really sure if I have yet,” Pascarella said about the shortened race, which was originally scheduled for 57 laps. “This was really strange.” Re-starting on lap 28 after the mandatory tire change, AMA Pro Racing Officials decided to reduce the race length to 42 total laps, with a 15-lap sprint to the finish. It actually took two re-starts after two hours and 31 minutes of delays — to run the final 15 laps around Daytona International Speedway. On the track in the final segment, Pascarella, 16 from Vacaville, Calif., passed four riders to finish 16th and he completed 40 total laps around Daytona International Speedway’s 3.51-mile long road course, two laps behind Jason DiSalvo’s winning Ducati 848. “That was fun,” Pascarella said. “The bike was better in every session I ran. The only unfortunate thing was our pit stop. We could have been 10th but for the pit stop problem.” Salenius Retires from Superbike Race in Interest of Safety An injured Skip Salenius retired from the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike race Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in the interest of safety for other riders. “I knew the leaders were coming up and I just wanted to get out of their way,” said the rider of the #63 Karma Tequila Yamaha R1 entry from Run 1 Racing Motorsports. “I didn’t want to mess up their race. “I did everything I could but it was just too painful. It is very disappointing but it was the best thing to do.” Salenius suffered a severely sprained right wrist after getting knocked down by another rider during qualifying Friday. He used a drill to relieve pressure on his right thumb nail, and started the first SuperBike race Friday, but could only manage to run two laps before he had to retire. Saturday, he completed 10 of the race’s 15 laps before retiring. “I got a shot for the pain Saturday morning, but it still hurt terribly in the hard right hand turns. That just put too much pressure on my wrist. It’s too easy to make a mistake here without having a physical problem.” Salenius was credited with 21st place finishes both Friday and Saturday. Miles Thorton Drops Out of SuperSport Race Run 1 Racing’s Miles Thorton dropped out of Saturday’s AMA Pro Racing Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race 2 with an apparent engine problem after just one lap. That completed a double dose of Daytona Disappointment for the 16-year-rider from West Point, GA. Thorton started both SuperSport from the pole position, which he earned Thursday with a fastest lap of 1:54.888. But he made a horrible start in Friday’s race and wound up 11th. Saturday, he got a much better start, but fell back to sixth on the first lap and then pulled off with apparent engine problems on his #72 Run 1 Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. “It just went pop,” Thorton said. “I thought I had a flat tire because the bike stepped out (got sideways) and then it did it again. I got going and I heard a loud pop and I had no power. “It is very disappointing to start the season like this. I am so focused on this season.” Run 1 Racine’s fourth rider, Antoine Richards of Bermuda, missed both SuperSport races after his crew discovered a broken engine mount bolt on his #45 Suzuki GSX-R600. The Run 1 Racing team returns to action May 13-15 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway: Team Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo wins Daytona 200 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Team Latus Motors Racing rider Jason DiSalvo underwent an engine change and survived a furious 15-lap sprint to win the 70th Daytona 200 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday. DiSalvo, whose victory was his first in the Daytona 200 and also the first for Ducati, was among eight riders jockeying for position in the lead pack during the final 15 laps that followed a pair of red flags. He held off runner-up Cory West by 0.030 seconds while pole winner and 2006 Daytona 200 winner Jake Zemke settled for third. The race, which was halted for the first time at Lap 27 for a mandatory front-tire change, was reduced from 57 laps to 42 laps setting up a final 15-lap restart. The red flag gave DiSalvo a second chance at winning the historic motorcycle race. At the same time the first red flag came out, DiSalvo’s motor expired on his No. 40 Ducati. During the extended red flag, DiSalvo’s crew was able to change engines with the back-up bike and have him prepared to return to the track when racing resumed. “After what the team went through today with everything with the engine, those guys worked so hard,” DiSalvo said. “That was probably the biggest thrash in all of motorcycle history to get that bike back together and ready to rock on time to start. It’s just amazing. I’m almost speechless as to how I feel about winning this race. I don’t think it has sunk in yet.” In the National Guard SuperBike round, defending champion Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes led every lap except the last lap as Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider Blake Young pulled the slingshot at the start/finish line to complete the sweep of both rounds of the SuperBike at Daytona. The margin of victory was 0.072 seconds. “I’m happy for my guys,” Young said. “I want to be a contender this year for the championship and get through all of the rounds. It’s nice to get out of here with a couple of wins and get some points. “I saw Josh put his head down. He rode a really smart and tough race. More than once in that race, I thought he was gone. He was getting around that infield really, really well. It was everything I could do to stay near him.” Hayes’ strategy was to be the leader and try to breakaway from the field. “I did my game plan,” Hayes said. “I told the guys at the truck that I’m going to try to do .37s. Hopefully that’s enough to breakaway from these guys and they won’t be able to catch me. I got away with it for 14 laps. I rode the best I could. The last lap was a good lap. I did everything right. I did exactly what I was wanting and trying to do. You get beat sometimes. “That’s a hard pill to swallow. I had done everything right for so long. To get nipped at the line was pretty tough. But this is glorious compared to how I left Daytona last year.” Notes: In the 10-lap SuperSport race, it was a 1-2 Colombia finish with David Gaviria nipping Tomas Puerta at the start/finish line by 0.048 seconds “¦ During the Daytona 200, Ricky Orlando of Boulder, CO, surpassed Rick Shaw as the new mileage leader in event history on Lap 3 “¦ The one-hour conclusion of the Daytona 200 will air on SPEED Channel tonight at 11 p.m. ET. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter (www.twitter.com/disupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).