In Daytona Sportbike race one, Jake Gagne crashed in a nine rider pileup. Jason DiSalvo lost the brakes. It came down to a battle between Martin Cardenas and Dane Westby. Westby wins his first race of 2012. Jake Gagne will do better this season and has finished in the top ten when he has finished. Jason DiSalvo's crash in yesterday's race was a mechanical problem and not rider error. This race will be 21 laps. The start is coming up, real soon.
Jason DiSalvo is on pole. At the start, Jason DiSalvo and Martin Cardenas battle as the field shuffles. Cameron Beaubier, J.D. Beach, Jake Gagne and others battle. Here comes Cardenas and he passes DiSalvo for the lead with Dane Westby in third. Jake Zemke and Bobby Fong had a battle yesterday and they've resumed it. Huntley Nash is up in the running order, too. The bikes go four wide! Cameron Beaubier and Dane Westby shuffle Cardenas back to fourth as Jason DiSalvo takes the lead. But, Westby gets him! DiSalvo is shuffled. Fong and Jake Zemke are right in this fight, too.
Jason DiSalvo is out of the race. He can no longer contend for the championship. He had a master cylinder/braking problem yesterday. It is an L bracket that's the culprit as Dane Westby leads. Maybe the fuel tank on DiSalvo's Triumph is punctured. That could be real trouble. Westby won yesterday's race. Can he do it again? It's Suzuki vs. Yamaha as Cameron Beaubier takes over the lead on lap four. Jake Zemke runs fastest lap at 1:29.1. Bobby Fong on another Yamaha now is fourth. He will go after Cardenas. Jason DiSalvo is back on track. Dane Westby will try reeling in Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier runs a 1:28.8 maintaining his lead.
Cameron Beaubier has got an issue. What's happening? He was cutting really quick lap times. It's drizzling now. The race will be red flagged. Actually, half a dozen riders have thrown their hands in the air, concerned about weather. It's a short red flag. The race will restart. Riders could work on the bikes and put fuel in them, but they couldn't change tires. On the restart, Bobby Fong sweeps into the lead. He's opening a gap on the Yamaha. Cardenas passes Fong for the lead. Tommy Hayden and Jake Zemke are also in this battle.
Seven laps are complete. Beaubier and Fong go after Cardenas as Jake Zemke passes Tommy Hayden. Huntley Nash is right behind Zemke. Down the hill, the 600cc bikes really wind up. Cardenas is back in the lead and Bobby Fong gets sideways a little bit. Jake Zemke is going all over the place. Zemke is looking to pass Dane Westby and can't do it. Bobby Fong passes Cardenas, slides, and then goes wide and he slots back into third, but gets passed by Westby. From first to fourth in one fell swoop. Dane Westby is hugging the corner, not squaring it.
Ten laps have been run, so, it's essentially the halfway point in the race. Westby runs wide and Fong is right behind him. Zemke on the V twin Ducati has issues with maneuvering the bike. It's heavier than the four cylinder bikes. Cardenas still leads over Westby, Beauvier and Fong. Fong wants by Beauvier and nails the spot. Benny Solis crashes and is out. He slides down into the gravel trap. Dane Westby passes Cameron Beaubier for the lead. Eight laps left to run. Dane Westby takes the lead from Cameron Beaubier. Bobby Fong is still going for it. Beaubier retakes the lead from Westby.
Fong steps out the rear end but stays in it. These 600cc bikes on a street tire, work very well. But, the Superbikes are a lot more demanding to ride as they are bigger. Bobby Fong must get through to the top two in order to have a shot as the bikes run through a section of the track called Thunder Valley. Cameron Beaubier sets a new lap record at Mid Ohio with a 1:28.3. Jake Zemke is out of the race. It's a mechanical problem. Six laps left now. Bobby Fong runs a 1:28.1, lowering the track record another time! Throw caution to the wind, and fly! Fong must stay in touch with Westby and Beaubier to have a shot here.
Only three laps left to run. Cameron Beaubier has the lead. Beaubier has a gap, running a 1:28.4. Westby and Fong MUST push to get by Beaubier. Bobby Fong doesn't have the horsepower to catch Westby. Meanwhile, Beaubier has a handling advantage on the Yamaha. Fong tries drafting by Westby but can't pass. Two laps left. This is the last lap. Beaubier will win this race. But, can Fong get by Westby. Fong moves out to pass but cannot get by Westby. Does he have one more shot? Can Fong make the move? Nope. Beaubier wins with Westby second, and Fong, third. In sixth spot, Cory West will beat Huntley Nash to the line.
#6 Cameron Beaubier Yamaha YZF R6
Superbike race number two is on deck as are highlights of race one.
In race one, Josh Hayes was on pole. At the start, it was the battle between Young and Hayes. Josh Herrin was second, shifted wrong, and crashed. It was Blake Young vs. Roger Hayden. But, Josh Hayes held on for the win.
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Larry Pegram is having a wheel issue. It's hopping badly and the tire is out of round.
At the start, Josh Hayes looks to get the jump. Josh Herrin tried the outside and ran wide. The same thing happened in race one. Blake Young got swamped. Hayes and Herrin lead into turn six. Roger Hayden and Geoff May battle, as does Steve Rapp. Geoff May goes wide and Steve Rapp on the Kawasaki, passes. The fuel loads need to burn off. This race will be 21 laps. Josh Herrin challenges Josh Hayes for the lead and he successfully passes him! Wow!
Roger Hayden is also coming quickly. Don't panic shift the bike. Roger Hayden slides sideways. Blake Young runs seventh, way down in the pack. Danny Eslick battles EBR team mate Geoff May. Josh Herrin still leads and most of these guys are running in the 1:25 to 1:26 range. Young ran a 1:25.7. Can Herrin hold pace to the end of the race? That's the question. Steve Rapp leads Ben Bostrom. Blake Young is also in this scrap, trying to get on the podium.
Herrin still leads over Hayes and Hayden. Roger Hayden is doing well after heat cycling the new tires. In the old days, the tires were heat cycled and scrubbed by the riders. Blake Young passes Steve Rapp. Rapp is a former Daytona 200 winner. Herrin may have touched Josh Hayes. Can Herrin keep going? Don't get flustered. It was very close between the two Monster Energy Yamaha's. Herrin wnats to pass Hayes but can't. He could not slow up into turn six. You cannot give Hayes a break. Blake Young is right up on Herrin now.
Blake Young needs to get confidence back. Maybe Hayes is scaring his competition. Roger Hayden sets fast lap of the race at 1:25.360. The race is going to be half over soon. Roger Hayden sets another fast lap at 1:25.2. Blake Young has crashed! He's second in points. How did he crash? He just slid off the bike as the front end washed out 3/4 of the way through the Keyhole. Young is a retirement. Can Roger Hayden win a Superbike race? He's never done it before. Josh Hayes retakes the lead over Roger Hayden. The race is half over.
Hayden should not force the issue unless there is an absolute weakness for Hayes. Blake Young is back on the bike. He's still racing, but out of contention. Ten laps to go. David Anthony on the #25 Suzuki crashes in the keyhole. The keyhole is calamity corner on this track, in this race. Roger Hayden is gaining on Hayes, but struggles through the keyhole. Larry Pegram on the BMW is running well with a fresh rear tire. Pegram runs a 1:26.8. Nine laps left to run. Hayes and Hayden continue to run 1-2. Different bikes have different electronics systems. Both bikes have good systems. Yamaha uses Magnetti Marelli and the Jordan Suzuki uses a Pizazz system.
Hayden's team mate Ben Bostrom is being harried by Steve Rapp on the Kawasaki. Steve Rapp is going for it. He's got the horsepower. The laps are winding down. Roger Hayden slides past Josh Hayes. He wants to lead and to win. Six laps left now. Hayes slides back into the lead and Hayden will have to redo his work. Roger Hayden still might have something. Blake Young will be lapped in fourteenth place. He cordially moves over for the leaders. Just four laps left. Roger Hayden harries Josh Hayes even more. But, the race is winding down. So, it will come down to who is the craftiest rider. Josh Herrin may get a podium place.
Hayden stays glued to Hayes' rear tire. Ben Bostrom on the sister Jordan Suzuki is slowing, and will not finish. Steve Rapp inherits fourth place. Hayden can close on the brakes. But, can he make a move that sticks. Hayes wants a seventh consecutive win. It's the last lap. Can Hayden do it? This is it. The last lap. Into the keyhole, Roger Hayden gets a run. Hayden took over for a minute but then Hayes passed again. This is it. Hayes is going to win another race more than likely. Hayden runs wide again. He can hold it, but Hayes is going to win it.
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Dustin Dominguez and Brian Kerr battled in Supersport with
Dustin Dominguez winning on his Triumph. In race two, James Rispoli
led as Dustin Dominguez made a move and ended up winning this race. In
XR1200, Michael Barnes started from pole, but Tyler O'Hara took the race
win.
The next race on the schedule is the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix with Superbike as a support race for MotoGP. That race will be run in two weeks.
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