Privateer Dane Westby was the fastest rider during a challenging wet-then-drying-then-soaking-wet AMA Pro Daytona SportBike practice session Sunday morning at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana, California. Westby rode his rain-tire-shod TWC/Kneedraggers.com Yamaha YZF-R6 around the 2.3-mile infield road course in 1:33.580 to lead all 20 riders who braved the conditions. The session started on a damp track, and riders were split in using rain tires and DOT-labeled racing tires. The sun and rain sprinkles battled for position over the track during first half of the 30-minute session, and the track almost began to dry out. Heavy rain and wind toward the end of the session, however, soaked the surface and caused many riders to end their practice early. Of the four top riders Roadracingworld.com surveyed, all said the amount of available traction from the wet tarmac ranged from OK to excellent. Privateer Garrett Carter, the first man to go out in the practice, said the grip was “not bad, not horrible, but it’s kind of sketchy going through the transitions onto and off of the banking.” Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas, a rider with extensive experience in the wet and on European Grand Prix circuits, said the traction was “excellent.” Cardenas’ teammate Jason DiSalvo, another rider with experience on Europe’s best tracks, said, “This is one of the best track’s I’ve ever ridden in the wet. The grip level is amazing here.” “The track surface itself is not that bad,” said Bruce Rossmeyer’s/RMR Buell’s Danny Eslick, the winner of Saturday’s Daytona Sportbike race, “but it’s still dangerous with all the walls and stuff. I was surprised by it [level of grip], and most of the paint lines you cross while you’re straight up and down.” In light of the challenging weather conditions forecast for Sunday, AMA Pro Racing has relaxed its restrictions on usage of back-up bikes and will allow back-up bikes to be used as “rain bikes,” according to officials. If conditions are officially declared dry again, the normal restrictions for back-up bike will be reinstated. No riders were known to have crashed during the Daytona Sportbike practice. AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Presented by AMSOIL Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California March 22, 2009 Warm-Up Results (wet conditions, all on Dunlops): 1. Dane Westby (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.580 2. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.589 3. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.846 4. Chris Peris (Hon CBR600RR), 1:33.887 5. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), 1:33.919 6. Danny Eslick (Buell 1125R), 1:34.452 7. Chaz Davies (Apr RSV1000R), 1:35.781 8. Michael Barnes (Buell 1125R), 1:36.688 9. Garrett Carter (Yam YZF-R6), 1:36.959 10. Ben Thompson (Apr RSV1000R), 1:37.228 11. Jason DiSalvo (Suz GSX-R600), 1:37.714 12. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), 1:37.913 13. Leandro Mercado (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:37.935 14. Damian Cudlin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:39.270 15. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), 1:39.461 16. Robertino Pietri (Yam YZF-R6), 1:40.254 17. Ricky Parker (Yam YZF-R6), 1:41.082 18. Dylon Husband, 2:00.023 19. Shea Fouchek (Hon CBR600RR), 2:02.309 20. Sahar Zvik (Suz GSX-R600), 2:36.113