And Now the 69th Daytona 200
Starting from the second row, Brett McCormick settled into seventh for the first 10 laps, last of the front running group and hanging on to the draft of the front runners as they swapped positions and created a big hole in the air for McCormick to ride through. On lap 11, McCormick was up to fifth when he was forced to run through the chicane, slowing him down enough to lose the draft of the front runners.
That small error dropped him to eight, but McCormick clawed his way back to the leaders, establishing the fastest lap of the race in the process. McCormick beat that record lap on lap 15, having made it back to the lead group and playing the waiting game while he managed his tires. The first pit stop, for fuel and tires is scheduled for lap 19.
The first series of stops saw McCormick emerge in fifth, 8 sec behind the two leaders, a fantastic performance by the Picotte team as the bike is not equipped with quick change equipment.
McC continued to establish quick laps in the middle relay, until lap 31 when drama stuck. McC dropped the bike, regained the track in ninth place, and was then forced to stop in the pits, as a broken brake line put him out of the race. He told Colin Fraser after the race that he was quick enough to win until he made that small error that caused the crash.
At the front, Dean Wesby and Josh Herrin exchanged the lead alone at the front for all of the middle relay, a few seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. They made their second stop at the same time, then tried to continue their drafting at the front through to the end of the 57-lap race.
Josh Herrin won the lottery on this last stop, emerging 3 sec ahead of Dean Wesby, and ten seconds ahead of the rest. The next 15 laps saw a see-saw battle between the two leqaders as the gap varied according to race traffic encountered by the two riders.
Over the last three laps, Herrin pulled away by one second per lap on Wesby, winning his first Daytona 200, with Wesby and Steve Rapp (Ducati).
Starting from the second row, Brett McCormick settled into seventh for the first 10 laps, last of the front running group and hanging on to the draft of the front runners as they swapped positions and created a big hole in the air for McCormick to ride through. On lap 11, McCormick was up to fifth when he was forced to run through the chicane, slowing him down enough to lose the draft of the front runners.
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| Brett McCormick (photo: Philippe Champoux/Moto123.com) |
That small error dropped him to eight, but McCormick clawed his way back to the leaders, establishing the fastest lap of the race in the process. McCormick beat that record lap on lap 15, having made it back to the lead group and playing the waiting game while he managed his tires. The first pit stop, for fuel and tires is scheduled for lap 19.
The first series of stops saw McCormick emerge in fifth, 8 sec behind the two leaders, a fantastic performance by the Picotte team as the bike is not equipped with quick change equipment.
McC continued to establish quick laps in the middle relay, until lap 31 when drama stuck. McC dropped the bike, regained the track in ninth place, and was then forced to stop in the pits, as a broken brake line put him out of the race. He told Colin Fraser after the race that he was quick enough to win until he made that small error that caused the crash.
 |
| Brett McCromick (photo: Philippe Champoux/Moto123.com) |
At the front, Dean Wesby and Josh Herrin exchanged the lead alone at the front for all of the middle relay, a few seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. They made their second stop at the same time, then tried to continue their drafting at the front through to the end of the 57-lap race.
Josh Herrin won the lottery on this last stop, emerging 3 sec ahead of Dean Wesby, and ten seconds ahead of the rest. The next 15 laps saw a see-saw battle between the two leqaders as the gap varied according to race traffic encountered by the two riders.
 |
| Josh Herrin (photo: Philippe Champoux/Moto123.com) |
Over the last three laps, Herrin pulled away by one second per lap on Wesby, winning his first Daytona 200, with Wesby and Steve Rapp (Ducati).
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