Many of the top Canadians planning to compete in this Saturday’s 82nd running of MotoAmerica’s season-opening Daytona 200-miler attended JenningsGP in North Florida on Tuesday, March 5, for the second annual pre-race test. Last year, three riders took part: Ben Young, Elliot Vieira, and a playing-through Brad Macrae.
This time, there were way more racers, but a couple of notable absentees. Word went around the paddock mid-morning from CSBK spec-tire provider Bridgestone that Vieira would not be able to attend the test or Saturday’s big race. No details are so far available.
As well, one of the interesting, developing Canadians-at-Daytona story involves Trevor Dion and the Economy Lube & Tire Ducati squad. This group took part in three tests last week at JenningsGP and Roebling Road in Savannah, Georgia, with the same Ducati Panigale 955cc Desmo L-twin that Andrew Cooney briefly campaigned at the end of 2023 in the CSBK Amateur national ranks.
Yesterday Dion was back at Roebling, now aboard the Warhorse HSBK works Ducati that he will campaign, again with Econo Lube backing, at Daytona in support of teammate and reigning Champ Josh Herrin. Formerly supported by suspension giant Ohlins, the Roebling test was for Dunlop equipped competitors, and Dion will use “brand D” since that is what his squad is used to as spec in MotoAmerica.
Crucially, the Daytona 200 is the only major open tire event of the year outside the World Endurance Championship.
(This season in Canada, Dion will compete on Bridgestone’s during the second year of their current spec agreement/title sponsorship with the National series. In the World Championship, Ducati use spec Pirelli on their Supersport entry, and last year Nicolo Bulega earned the middleweight Championship for the twin before moving to the Superbike class this year with immediate success.)
Reports from Savannah suggest that Dion was among the fastest in attendance, and that very strong group included former winner Brandon Paasch, Richie Escalante, Teagg Hobbs, Tyler Scott (the entire Vision Wheels M4 Suzuki GSX-R750 program), ever-popular Josh Hayes and of course, last year’s maximum attack victor, Herrin.
The fascinating element of Dion’s efforts, not a surprise to Canadian fans, is that almost no one in the U.S.A. has a clue of his story, or capabilities. Dion had a strong outing last fall in Daytona with the Championship Cup Series (CCS) club tour, and his recent multiple day warm up in Florida suggest he should join the long list of riders to watch in the next few days.
Meanwhile, 2022 Daytona 200 winners Pirelli have confirmed the group using their rubber on Saturday, and as expected this list contains the reigning MotoAmerica Supersport number one Xavi Fores of Spain. A non-factor at Daytona last year, he went on to score an impressive debut class Championship for Warhorse HSBK Ducati.
Xavi’s plans for 2024 are unclear, but his absence might help Dion with Warhorse. Fores did ink a deal to join Attack Yamaha at Daytona, the current top team in MotoAmerica Superbike, for a one-off for the non-points paying opener. Attack typically maintains a strong relationship with Pirelli, even though they work with Dunlop most of the time.
Canadians Jon Cornwell and Darin Marshal are major components on the technical side of Attack’s considerable recent success. However, last year former Flat Track ace and 250 cc GP hero Cornwell freelanced at Daytona since his Superbike pilot Jake Gagne opted not to race in the “support class” at Daytona. “Corndog” spent considerable time with the Ruthless Racing effort of Darren James – the BC racer is back at Daytona with Pirelli support this year, a scene of considerable career success.
But, back to JenningsGP Tuesday, a fourth straight day of rain meant very little useful running took place. The previous day, most of the Canadians got out for a dry session or two during someone else’s private test, even though Bridgestone hadn’t arrived to supply rubber yet.
Ben Young got out on his brand new OneSpeed built Suzuki GSX-R750, as part of the Team Battlax program backed by Bridgestone for CSBK pilots, and expansion of their support from Daytona 2023. Unfortunately, he didn’t have fresh rubber, and that had to share tires, and borrow a wheel, so bike builder Trevor Daley could get some riding in with their Economy Lube-backed program.
Daley confirmed he was happy with the initial sessions with the brand new Gixxers, and that he didn’t see any potential bugs that could interrupt the upcoming busy three days of Thursday-Friday-Saturday (if no rain) further southeast on the Atlantic coast. Everyone is watching the weather.
Today, the Battlax super team worked on Daytona planning and issues, with Daley focused on detail preparations involving the stock front Brembo brake calipers and quick pit stops. Meanwhile, Young stalwart Willie Vass of Alberta was updating the measurement potentiometers for the chassis data system, and then helping Yamaha pilot Brad Macrae deal with a head gasket issue on one of his two fluorescent YZF-R6s.
Sebastien Tremblay, the current top gun of the Suzuki Canada middleweight effort, was out yesterday on his borrowed Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, a machine he has had considerable success north of the border with in the recent past. Tremblay confirmed that he was satisfied with his preparation, although the bike is maybe not quite as well built, certainly in the weight department, as “his” recent Ninjas.
Tremblay also had a Canadian-spec Sport Bike GSX-R750 on hand in case dry running allowed some development time for this summer’s program. He won’t be able to ride the Suzuki at Daytona since the latest version of the FIM’s World Championship Supersports regulations mean you can not run the stock induction set-up.
Suzuki competitors are now mandated to arrange (or buy the kit) for the use of the homologation (approved) fly-by-wire computer and fuel injection. Even though the Suzuki is restricted, recent events at Daytona suggest it should be the strongest of the many packages available – but I am certain Ducati wouldn’t agree!
Some might argue that the various versions of Triumph’s triple are also a strong choice, and two Brits will come to Daytona with works-backed bikes: TT star Peter Hickman and veteran Richard Cooper. Paasch won on a Pirelli-equipped Triumph with a bold strategy in 2022 but is now on Suzukis.
Matt Simpson rode briefly in the dry and is now focused on preparations for his Daytona debut with the Evans Racing Yamaha, while Alex Michel has a strong crew and two immaculate SpeedFactory67 Kawasakis for his first stab at pit stop racing. Samuel Guerin left north Florida early to get busy setting up his garage and pit at Daytona – another fast Canadian making his debut in the challenging 200-mile race.
Alex Coelho made a brief appearance but didn’t bother to unpack his Kawasaki, while first year Pro Mavrick Cyr ventured out on Bridgestone rain tires with his R2R/Rizzin Triumph 675. Later his father, Jean-Francois Cyr, a former top Canadian Pro, turned some quick laps in the wet on his son’s Daytona.
- From Colin Fraser / Presented by AIM Insurance
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