There is lots of excitement associated with the upcoming 82nd running of the Daytona 200, the first MotoAmerica event of 2024 season.
The historic 200 format began on the coastal beach, then transitioned to the infield of the new, now famed NASCAR venue before eventually taking over part of the banking on a simple road course.
Over time, Daytona “Bike Week” evolved from the traditional AMA “Class C” flat track type production rules to Formula 750 for two-strokes, and then Formula One to include pretty much every type of large displacement racers. Meantime, a strong set of support classes evolved around Daytona International Speedway road course, not to mention the Supercross event in the tri-oval and the opening flat track Nationals held nearby.
This series of rules and class developments at the road course covered the advent of the big four-cylinder Japanese bikes, and the eventual arrival of Supersport-type street-based machines for the Superbike category.
Ironically, the owners of the Speedway invested in the development of the World Superbike Series, but when this category became a FIM Series in 1988, Daytona opted not to join in. Gradually, Daytona lost the lustre of world-class fields, and then ran into issues due to the ever-increasing speed of the new 1000 cc Superbikes.
As well, the stars of the American tour came to understand that the risk of this specific event were problematic: three times longer than a regular National and requiring fuel stops and tire changes, the early season Daytona event could ruin your season – just ask 1990s Daytona superstar Miguel Duhamel.
The focus of tire development, and the risks associated with race rubber tolerating the demands of the steep banking, have been a factor at Daytona since the 1960s. Tire concerns forced the AMA to move the race from Superbike to Formula Xtreme (600 cc Superbikes, but grids mostly made up of Supersport machines) in 2005.
However, the expected swing of world racing toward middleweight didn’t pan out, and instead it was announced in 2014 that the next year’s event would change track configuration and return to Superbike as the Feature class for the sagging 200 miler.
Instead, Wayne Rainey’s MotoAmerica took over the US National series with AMA and FIM backing, and opted not to make a deal to race at D.I.S. This led to a period when the event was more of a club race, with multiple red flags and a variety of minor controversies with entries short on star power.
The gradual decline of the 200 was hastened by the COVID crisis, and these developments led to a major re-think and gamble: bring the race back into focus for the mainstream National racers in the US and attract racers from other countries as well.
The solution was two-fold. Get the MotoAmerica middleweight racers to take part, but eliminate the points concerns – now a season opener, but really more of a preview. The key decision, doubted by many at first (including me) was to go with an open tire structure, when almost all current race categories have a specific spec requirement and sponsor.
2024 will mark the third year with the revamped format, a structure that has worked better than anyone could have imagined. In 2022, Brandon Paasch won for Triumph with a tire gamble the attracted plenty of attention for Pirelli; last year the status quo was reinstated when reigning class champ Josh Herrin fought a strong field to win for Dunlop aboard a works supported Ducati v-twin.
I grew up in a world where Canada’s top racers would head to Daytona full of optimism and usually earn poor results, burning out budgets and equipment well before their home series started. Racers like Lang Hindle, Steve Gervais and especially Rueben McMurter had some strong showings, but all three also had days that they would much rather forget.
Eventually, as support increased in Canada, team’s preferred not to chomp through equipment at the start of the season. Canadian teams testing at American rounds tended to attend tracks where the conditions and layout were similar to northern venues; of course, Canadians who earned rides with US squads, like Duhamel, Pascal Picotte, Steve Crevier and Jordan Szoke, earned considerable success at the famous Speedway.
This year has perhaps the strongest-ever Canadian entry for the 200, at least in terms of numbers. However, the typical issues of the demanding track, unusual format and limited pre-season testing mean that all the old concerns are coming back to the surface.
Daytona is a place that rewards experience. Competitors need to nurse their bike to the end of 57 laps, survive the aggressive pack drafting on the banking, keep tires in decent shape and exercise caution during pit stops.
The Canadian racer with the obvious experience edge is Ben Young, who was a regular at the Speedway early in his career and showed so well on a weak machine last year. For 2024, Young is part of a “super team” backed by Bridgestone, joined in Team Battlax by fellow superbike star Trevor Daley.
Both Young and Daley will ride brand new Suzuki GSX-R750s, bikes that, as restricted by current FIM “generation two” middleweight rules, seems to have an edge at Daytona. Insiders suggest the bikes built by D.I.S. rookie Daley are immaculate, so the key might be getting up to speed with the fly-by-wire mods required for the new mandated electronics. This team should be testing by the time you read this blog.
Last year, Elliot Vieira had a trial by fire at the Speedway, but survived to be the top placed Canadian on a rented, Florida-based Yamaha. That experience should help when he runs his own, GP Bikes backed Ducati v-twin this year.
The Canadian Ducati racer attracting the most attention will be Trevor Dion, a 200 newcomer who made his Daytona debut last fall in the CCS Club races with considerable success. The Economy Lube team, dedicated Ducati enthusiasts, have struck a deal to place Dion on the works-backed WarHorse squad that supports reigning 200 winner Josh Herrin.
This means that Dion will have to acclimatize to Dunlop slicks, having spent 2023 in Canada with Bridgestones on Ducati and Kawasaki superbikes. But the team has been down south for a week, running at JenningsGP and Roebling Road, and they are in mid-season form.
In recent years, veteran privateer Alex Coelho has shown well at the Speedway, and last year he charged on his MTRS Kawasaki after the final restart, challenging Vieira. Coelho, an CSBK Amateur Champ a decade ago, has the experience to earn another top placing in the 200.
Sebastien Tremblay will also be making his 200 debut, the established star of Sport Bike middleweight action in Canada running a borrowed Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja for Turcotte Performance. Tremblay also tested last fall, and it is interesting that he is a Suzuki racer in Canada (three wins in a row and counting) but couldn’t find the funding to rent the electronics to run the Gixxer at D.I.S.
Two Yamaha YZF-R6 racers will make their first starts at Daytona, both winners in CSBK middleweight action with solid CVs. Matthew Simpson might not do all the Canadian rounds in 2024, but has always wanted to compete in the 200, while Brad Macrae worked for Young’s team last year and certainly got a solid glimpse of all the difficulties associated with the 200.
CSBK Superbike hero Sam Guerin (EFC Group BMW) made a last-minute decision to attend 200 – maybe feeling a little left out? – and has arranged an Original Garage-backed Kawasaki ride. Last year, rookie Pro Alex Michel showed well on his ZX-6R Ninja in CSBK, and he will join Guerin in attempting his first 200 start, with SpeedFactory 67 support.
Last but not least is 2023 outstanding Canadian Amateur competitor, Maverick Cyr, a third- generation Pro rider. Double National Champ Cyr will compete aboard his trusty Rizzin Racing Triumph 675 Daytona triple and will have a steep learning curve for the 200. He will be one of many interesting Canadian stories that we will follow over the next week and a half.
- From Colin Fraser – AIM Insurance Presents 2024 Daytona 200
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