This year’s Daytona 200 reminded me of “back in the day,” in a number of ways. The field was deeper, stronger, and faster than it has been since the very start of the “tame Daytona” era when the old AMA switched to Formula Xtreme (600 cc Superbikes) way back in 2005, when Miguel Duhamel won on a very special CBR600RR Honda.
But prior to that era, when a small selection of class appropriate machinery meant most of the bikes in the field were 600 Supersport “DOT class” racers with slicks, Daytona was a wild west show, with all the possible good and bad connotations that you might imagine.
In the hey day of Superbikes at the banked facility, the field was deep and competitive, with the American factory racers, the best privateers, the visiting stars (sometime from World Superbike on Euro works machines) and then the top club racers from every region in North America.
In the third year of the revamped, non-points, MotoAmerica-run new look 2024 Daytona, the field was impressive, with lots of visitors and a record number of Canadians. Hope is a powerful motivator, and this attractive development has a downside – almost every racer entered had unrealistic expectations of results.
I have often said that with this Daytona, even after Friday’s Qualifying, there would be over twenty entrants who could rightly believed they were in with a shout of the win. I think I guessed low.
The Canadian’s performed on two echelons. Our three recognized top Pros went into practice and Q “Group A,” with the other recognized potential winners. Battlax Suzuki runners Ben Young and Trevor Daley, as well as upstart 200 rookie Trevor Dion on a works American WarHorse Ducati backed by Econo Lube, earned their spot with the aces. They didn’t do as well as expected on the opening sessions, but still were the best Northerners after two days of action at D.I.S.
Meanwhile, the second group played out like a good day at a Canadian National, with Sebastien Tremblay setting the pace on his borrowed for the purpose Kawasaki, and Samuel Guerin staying close on another Ninja – and “slamin’ Sammmy” only decided to attend at the last minute.
In the race, the pack that battled for the lead were many of the usual suspects, and once again Josh Herrin seemed just slightly more comfortable with the requirements of the task compared to his rivals. The fact that the two-time winner, former AMA Pro Superbike Champ and Moto2 racer has a factory Ducati doesn’t hurt either.
Did we mention that Herrin also was the most touted of the Dunlop-equipped entrants?
Herrin relaunched his career in 2022 aboard the Ducati 955 cc twin in Supersport, taking the tile and then returning to Superbike in style last year. He again backtracked to the middleweight Panigale for Daytona 2024, and his major drama involved the requirement by the event officials to remove the OnlyFans logos from his machine.
The internet content subscription service provider has been a Herrin sponsor for the past two seasons, and he posts riding videos on the site. However previously the OnlyFans logo was on his helmet, not the major side panels of his Ducati.
In the lead of the 200 heading into the first round of pit stops on Saturday, March 9, Herrin’s didn’t produce any drama (maybe a little ruthless in traffic?), although he later admitted he was running out of fuel when he made it to Daytona’s famously long pit lane – an issue that ruined his race in 2022.
Other front runners, particularly the juggernaut Vision Wheels M4 ECSTAR Suzuki foursome, had minor issues with the first stop, and from there Herrin controlled the event in ideal if undramatic circumstances. Herrin’s closest challenge came from his bitter rival from last year, Suzuki pilot Richie Esclante, and at one point the quick Mexican cut Herrin’s lead down to just under four seconds, with about 10 laps to go.
However, Herrin responded in style, and took his third career 200 win with a margin of 45 seconds from pole sitter Tyler Scott’s second placed Suzuki – Escalante faded back to settle for fifth after running out of fuel. Fastest lap went to the Suzuki at 1:48.6, not too far from a Q time, while Herrin’s best was close at 1:48.8.
The race went flag to flag, with no red flag stoppages – not at all what was expected. Many of the riders were clearly exhausted late in the race, with no opportunity to relax over 200 miles and close to two hours – way more riding than most experience consecutively during their typical season.
Tall guy Hayden Gillim once again proved that larger humans can succeed around the high banks, leading the reborn Vesrah Suzuki squad to a solid third, less than ten seconds behind Scott. Veteran Bobby Fong was fourth on yet another GSX-R750 but lost the result in post race Technical Inspection when his fuel tank was found to be slightly oversized.
Young played it safe early, then proceeded to march steadily forward, in a similar style that showed so well on a rented, very slow Yamaha last year. Up to 12th after a solid first stop, he would earn an impressive ninth. This respectable effort almost certainly doesn’t satisfy Young, who it rightly confident he can run with the top runners at Daytona.
Next best Canadian was Trevor Daley, who had an exciting race, including a minor fall mid-race due to an issue with his front end. Daley placed 21st in his first 200 appearance and gained solid support for the quality of the build on the two Bridgestone-supported Team Battlax Suzukis.
Dion looked very good early, inside the top 20, but soon ran into brake problems. His factory-backed team, also serving Herron, checked things out and sent him back on track, a tactic that didn’t sit well with Dion, who soon parked the Ducati for good. He certainly showed he could run with the pack of top Americans, even though none of them knew who he was!
The mid field was a mess from lap one, when a five-rider incident at the Chicane took down Tremblay and Brad Macrae fell trying to avoid the mess. Tremblay was shaken, Macrae was scooped up in the melee, his second tumble of the day, but neither was badly hurt. However, the mid-field Canuk plan to run with the ever-smooth Tremblay was no longer a possibility.
Guerin was flying in the early going, but soon ran into trouble with the stock Kawasaki engine he borrowed from Alex Michel, likeable Guerin retiring with blue smoke trailing the Kawasaki.
2023 CSBK Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike title contender Matt Simpson was worried about his engine after the morning warm-up, and suggested he would “see how things go” and likely pull out early. After the expected conservative start, Simpson netted a respectable 25th in his 200 debut, and his team of Canadian racers crew can be satisfied with their efforts in the pits.
One Canadian racer who can be justly proud of his debut was rookie Pro Mavrick Cyr, age 18, the third-generation Canadian competitor aboard a Triumph triple. He faded after a good start and wound up 30th. Twenty-year-old Michel had a few adventures, but made it through the storm for 29th, five laps down but almost a minute ahead of Cyr on the road for 28th.
Forty racers were classified as finishers, with 21 “Did Not Finshers.” Overall, the Canadian effort was respectable, and will serve for many as an education in the ways of Daytona.
- From Colin Fraser / Presented by AIM Insurance
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