The night of the great North falls, we fly over the last white pieces of the ice floe to penetrate the sky of the far northeast of Canada. In 6 hours, it will be Florida spring…
Florida in March in Paddock-GP? Why, or rather why not?
Because if the Paddock-GP site will focus more than 90% on the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, namely the Grands Prix, it would be blindfolded not to observe and report other interesting experiences involving French speakers, whether they are young people in the making, or more experienced but also rookies in a new adventure…
This is therefore the case today with that undertaken by a French driver at the Daytona 200. The legendary race that revealed to the world the Roberts, Spencer and other Schwantz, Lawson and Rainey before they come to dominate the Grands Prix in Europe and elsewhere.
2016 will see the 75th edition of this race which was born on the beach of fine, hard sand at low tide and then migrated to what has become the most famous American circuit with Indianapolis.
America has fallen asleep a little on its old laurels since the Lawson generation, Nicky Hayden even left MotoGP this year, but the 200 Miles of Daytona remains the biggest American race, so why wouldn't a Frenchman come and taste it and why not show the Americans what to do like Patrick Pons, winner in 1980, did in his time?
This Frenchman of today is Cédric Tangre, the reigning French Supersport champion. He has never run there and his task will be difficult because Daytona 200 is a race like no other.
A pilot, a motorcycle, 320 km, 2 refueling points, 2 tire changes, $260 prize. In short, a great and long speed race of 1h50! But not only…
The route is unique in its kind. It is made of one part of one ring with banked turns of 32 degrees borrowed on two thirds and on the other hand from a more classic internal circuit. The bikes are at full speed on the ring, the banking, the tacticians of group aspiration are the kings there.
Scott Russell, multiple winner of this race and incidentally the Superbike world champion, called Mister Daytona, may explain to the rookies who are willing to listen to him how to do it, Cédric knows well that nothing beats experience here because the game interior, the Infield, is not selective enough to make a difference when driving.
He will gradually give us his impressions, the difficulties he encounters and how he resolves them one by one.
And as you know that aspiration on the famous banking is the key to this race, you understand that the motorcycle is very important there. Its engine, of course, and also suspensions which are depressed by 80% at full load on the raised ring but who must work properly in the Infield too.
An impossible compromise which forces the pilot to adapt to banking, which reinforces the advantage of the specialists in this exercise.
Cédric will get to know his mount on Wednesday evening to adjust his position on his bike before the first free practice sessions on Thursday morning and will have until Saturday 13:30 p.m., the start time of the race, to get the most out of it.
Champion of France on a Suzuki 600 GSXR, he will not be completely disoriented because he will also have a Suzuki 600 GSXR and not just any one since it is purely and simply the one that won last year in the hands of Dany Eslick, already three times winner here including the last two editions. A customer !
And yes, Cédric Tangre is a pilot TOBC, winning team in 2015 of the Daytona 200 and which is also one of the best teams in the AMA/MotoAmerica American championship because it is the reigning 1000 Superstock vice-champion just behind the official Yamaha. Something to note, the owner of this team is a woman, Michelle Lindsay, passionate and very involved.
To make matters worse, Cédric's teammate will be the famous Dany Eslick but who will be on a Yamaha R6 because TOBC is a Yamaha support team this year. Another local peculiarity, align two top riders on two different bikes in the same team. Not common!
We will make you experience this adventure from the inside with presentations and interviews with the key men and women, the bikes, the spectators and the progress of the tests and the race... without forgetting a little nod to Daytona Beach Bike Week, this cult motorcycle festival of all kinds which brings together 500 bikers over 000 days.
See you soon…
Photo: Daytona Beach in 1957. Part of the dream…
