Here are the highlights of race one of the 2013 AMA Superbike season. It's race one of two, at Daytona International Speedway. This is race one. Race two takes place later in the weekend, and will be blogged here, Sunday night. Stay tuned for more 2 wheeled action. For now, let us focus on race one for the Superbikes.
Josh Hayes is still the man to beat, after dominating last year, and winning the last three consecutive championship titles. The guy set records last year. However, there are some more good riders. Chris Ulrich, Dustin Dominguez, Martin Cardenas, and others, are in it to win it, this season. Martin Cardenas ran Superbikes a few years ago, but he's back. He ran Daytona Sportbike last year. Danny Eslick is now running for Michael Jordan Racing on the Suzuki. Aaron Yates is making his return to AMA Superbike after a big crash at Auto Club Speedway years ago.
The west banking has been eliminatied, but the back straight chicane (the Bus Stop) is still there. Many riders have fallen. But, it's been clean in practice and qualifying. Larry Pegram laid down his Yamaha, but qualified sixth. Martin Cardenas put in some good laps, too. Roger Hayden is back with his same Suzuki mount this year. Josh Herrin, is Josh Hayes' team mate. He passed Cardenas in qualifying, going for it. But, he was having handling issues with the bike through the washboard surface of turn six on the road course. Danny Eslick did a wheelie, and got into the wall. Josh Herrin brough him back to the pits.
The bikes are rolling off on their warmup lap. The bikes are behind the safety car, running their pace laps. They are taking up their starting places on the grid. This race will be 15 laps.
At the start, Josh Hayes gets a launch and so does Martin Cardenas. Roger Hayden crashes immediately into the grass. What happened? Oh. He got caught out in turn four, overcooked the corner, and slid off the bike. There is a gap between the two Monster Yamaha's. Hayes leads Herrin. Larry Pegram goes to fourth on the Yamaha. Chris Clark a nd others are gaining places. Twenty bikes started this race. These bikes fly down the straight and on the banking. They are twenty miles per hour faster than the Daytona Sportbikes that will run the Daytona 200 tomorrow.
Hayes and Herrin still run 1-2. Into the chicane, these two are hounding each other. Hayes goes very tightly into the double right hander on the back part of the course. He can't drift out to the dirty line. The emphasis is on the exit of the corner. Eslick, Chris Clark, and Geoff May are running up front. May might be the only EBR in Superbike this year. This is the 15th year for Chuck Graves and Yamaha. Graves is a former rider. Herrin runs a 1:37.748. He's quicker than Hayes.
Cardenas runs a 1:36 flat, and Larry Pegram, a 1:36.8. Josh Herrin takes the lead into the chicane. Five laps run, ten remain. Yamaha is having some issues. Josh Hayes is the one with issues on his bike. He did not pit. He needs points for the championship, right from the get go. Herrin runs a 1:38.9 and Martin Cardenas, a 1:38.3. He has pressure from Cardenas. Herrin runs a 1:37.5. Danny Eslick gets around Josh Hayes, but both bikes run off the road, slightly. Eslick was trying to pass through turns four and five. Hayes will pit. The three-time defending champion is in trouble. Cardenas wiggles, but holds onto the bike. Chief Mechanic Jim Roach, is looking at the handlebars, and the traction control system. But, Hayes' race is run. The engine is shut off.
Cardenas is running 4/10ths quicker than Herrin, and Herrin, is 2/10ths up on Larry Pegram. Cardenas eats 3/10ths of a second out of Herrin's lead. This race is half over. Pegram could get a podium place out of this. He's been racing for a long time, and he keeps going. His run with a BMW S1000RR was not too good last year. But, the Yamaha R1 seems to be fitting Pegram well. There's a giant battle for sixth. Chris Fillmore, Roberto Pietri, Geoff May, and others, are in it. Josh Hayes scores no points today. He'll come back for tomorrow's race.
Cardenas continues chasing Herrin. Larry Pegram, on an identical Yamaha, is still in this fight. Cardenas reels in Josh Herrin. He's getting better towards the end of the race. Five laps remain. Cardenas runs a 1:38.9. The pace is frantic. Herrin is unstable in the corners. He's got to finesse the throttle. Aaron Yates is way back. He's been in Superbike before, and has won a championship. But, he's not having a good race today. Dustin Dominguez runs 20th. Caboose on the field. This race is nearly over. Herrin leads Cardenas. Larry Pegram will likely score a podium.
Herrin's bike is still really jumpy. He's still going through trying to find good setups. But, he cannot get a hold of this bike right now. Maybe, it will be better in race two. Chris Clark and Roberto Pietri scrap for fifth. Geoff May is also there. This is another good battle, right off the lead. But, there only two laps remaining. Roberto Pietri has a new motorcycle for this season. One lap remains. Will it be Cardenas or Herrin? Pegram, is third, Eslick is fourth. Cardenas is sizing up Herrin.
Aaron Yates is actually coming back. It's Yates, Chris Fillmore, and Taylor Knapp. Knapp and Fillmore, are KTM team mates. Herrin runs wide. Is he challenging Cardenas? This is the last lap., and it will be the final corner. Cardenas drops a wheel, losing ground. It's going to be Herrin. Herrin wins Superbike race one!
#2 Josh Herrin Yamaha R1
What a great race. What a win for Josh Herrin. It was thought he was going to be a sitting duck. But, Cardenas' wheelie, is what made the difference. Herrin is champ in race one. Race two comes up on Sunday night, after the Daytona 200. So, the motorcycle action from Daytona, is far from over. Stay tuned, fans.
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