Penalized for one contact, Josh Herrin leads the Panigale V2 to victory after the second start: this is Ducati's second victory in the Daytona 200.
Alessio Piana / Corsedimoto.com
The Daytona 200 was controversial, thrilling and exciting in its 81st running. Nothing was missing at the most prestigious race in overseas motorcycling, which brought Josh Herrin and the Ducati back into the " Victory Lane » amid the controversy. At the end of a close race, interspersed with a red flag and controversial decisions from race management, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York team was celebrating. For the red from Bologna, this is a second victory at the 200 miles in Florida after the (lucky) success of 2011, and a similar story for Josh Herrin himself, already winner in 2010.
A CONTROVERSIAL DAYTONA 200
Controversial, we said. With all the reasons in the world. The winner Josh Herrin himself celebrated his victory in a tail of endless controversy. In the middle of the race for victory, with 9 laps to go, he was the protagonist of a controversial contact in turn 1 with
Richie Escalante (M4 Suzuki), sending the latter to the ground. A decisive and discussed maneuver, which is the subject of an investigation by race officials and which ends with a fortuitous “slap on the wrist”. Four rounds later, an incident at the International Horseshoe involving
Teagg Hobbs et Jason Waters resulted in the display of the red flag.
10 LAP SPRINT RACE
The consequence ? According to the regulations of MotoAmerica, we leave with a “new race” to compete over a distance of 10 laps, with everything that happened previously (or almost) as if it had never happened. For contact with Richie Escalante, Josh Herrin was penalized by six boxes on the starting grid, thus going from pole to seventh place. In short, nothing serious (or rather nothing at all) for the reigning MotoAmerica Supersport champion. That aside, he deserved the victory for his performance, for the excellent work of the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team (this year impeccable in his two stops) and for a problematic restart.
217 MILES FROM DAYTONA
In this 10-lap race, thanks to the regulations, everyone was in contention for victory. Doubles from the previous 47 laps of the race included. Basically, everyone, but really everyone, from the sixth to the last. A lottery which favored the winner of the two previous editions Brandon Pasch
(initially penalized 15″ for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane) and, above all, Cameron Petersen. Due to various problems, the Attack Yamaha rider had made three stops. The last stop almost came under the red flag, but he found himself at the restart with fresher tires than his opponents, knowing that the regulations did not provide for a tire change.
A DAYTONA SPRINT
In this crazy race of 200 miles (or rather 217: five more laps than expected having been completed...), Josh Herrin held on, winning a 6-man sprint through strength and strategy. Leading by only 70 thousandths Josh Hayes (for whom Daytona remains a taboo) and Brandon Pasch, and 0″140 the aforementioned Cameron Petersen. An adrenaline-filled finale, the pure essence of a legendary race, even if it is eventful and, on this occasion, distorted by regulations that most people cannot understand.
DUCATI FESTIVAL
With the verdict in hand, Josh Herrin took his second victory at the Daytona 200 following his 2010 success with Graves Yamaha. A reminder also for Ducati, 12 years after the equally disastrous 2011 edition, at the time with the private 848 EVO driven by
Jason DiSalvo. For the Panigale V2, a success that gives continuity to the recent world victories and the 2022 combativeness in MotoAmerica, repaying the investments of the powerful and ambitious Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team. The only downside was the premature exit of
Xavi Fores, out of the race due to a technical problem on the 4th lap. Thanks to the potential expressed by the bike, he will have an excellent opportunity to catch up throughout the MotoAmerica Supersport season.
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Alessio Piana
Daytona 200 standings:
The press conference:
