By GODWIN KELLY , Motorsports editor
March 6, 2010
Josh Herrin holds his Daytona 200 trophy high in Victory Lane Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. N-J Lukas Harden
Daytona 200
Race results from the 69th Daytona 200 AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike event held on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway with position, rider, make of motorcycle and laps completed:
1. Josh Herrin, Yamaha, 57 laps
2. Dane Westby, Yamaha, 57
3. Steve Rapp, Ducati, 57
4. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 57
5. Kev Coghlan, Yamaha, 56
6. Cory West, Suzuki, 56
7. Geoff May, Suzuki, 56
8. Shawn Higbee, Buell, 56
9. Taylor Knapp, Ducati, 55
10. Eric Wood, Honda, 55
Race time: 1:47.17.612; Margin of victory: 7.964 seconds; Winner's average speed: 113.16 mph; Lead changes: Five different leaders, 22 lead changes; Laps led: Herrin 32, Westby 12, Eslick 5, Rapp 5 and Coghlan 3.
DAYTONA BEACH -- The Daytona 200 started with a disaster Friday night -- seven motorcycles crashed on the opening lap -- and ended with defining victory for a 19-year-old rider.
Josh Herrin goes into the record book as the second-youngest winner of the 200 after an overpowering ride and a couple of quick pit stops from his Team Graves Yamaha crew.
"It's an awesome feeling to bag this bad boy," Herrin said.
In the closing laps, it was a gut-check for the Dublin, Ga., rider, who could feel Dane Westby, also Yamaha mounted, closing in on his exhaust pipe. At one point, Westby was just 2 seconds behind the teen sensation.
"I knew Westby was coming," said Herrin, who won the last four Daytona SportBike races of the 2009 season. "I just kept putting in the laps and pushing as hard as I could. Dane rode an awesome race."
Herrin beat Westby by 7.964 seconds after 57 grueling laps over Daytona International Speedway's 3.51-mile motorcycle road course.
Herrin led 32 laps, including the final 17, when he pulled away from his nearest challenger. Westby backed off to stay off the grass. Many other riders were not as fortunate.
"I saw the gap open and close," Westby said of his attempt to catch Herrin. "I didn't want to do something stupid and throw away second place."
Westby led 12 laps before settling for runner-up honors. Steve Rapp, who won the 2007 Daytona 200, was third aboard a Ducati.
"We put the best effort we could," Rapp said. "It was a good effort for a two-year-old team to get to the podium.
"This is the Daytona 200. How many times can you say you had a chance to win the 200? There's not many chances you get to be competitive in this race. I am happy to be on the podium."
Rounding out the top five were Danny Eslick, on the No. 1 Richie Morris Racing Suzuki that started from the pole position; and Kev Coghlan, who crashed on the last lap but still finished fifth, a lap down to the top four bikes.
Eslick led five of the first 19 laps but lost contact with the riders ahead of him.
Herrin never felt threatened, except on his last pit stop, when the bike ahead of him on pit road had a fuel spill.
"That freaked me out," he said. "They were telling me, 'Don't go through (the gas)', then (they) pushed me through it."
The start of the race was pure madness.
On the first lap Martin Cardenas, who was the second-fastest qualifier, dumped his No. 36 Suzuki in the east horseshoe.
Seconds later, five riders crashed exiting road course Turn 1. Among those involved were Clinton Seller, Ponce Inlet's Mark Crozier, Bostjan Skubic, Russ Wikle and P.J. Jacobsen.
Seller, Crozier and Wikle were treated and released from the Speedway's infield care center.
Jacobsen and Skubic were transported by ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center. Jacobsen was treated and released. Skubic was described as awake and alert.
The race was red-flagged for a short time to clean up the course. The first start did not count as a lap, as there was a complete restart.
On the restart of Lap 1, Josh Day spilled going into Turn 1. Before the first lap was over, Shawn Higbee had a fall in the infield course.
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