Daytona 200

The Daytona 200 is an annual motorcycle road racing competition held in early spring at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.[1] The 200-mile (320 km) race was founded in 1937 when it was sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).[2] The original course used the beach itself before moving to a paved closed circuit in 1961. The Daytona 200 reached its zenith of worldwide popularity in the 1970s when the race attracted the largest crowds of any AMA race along with some of the top rated international motorcycle racers.[3][4][5]

For the 1959 USAC Indy car race, see USAC Daytona 100.
For the NASCAR race, see Daytona 500.
Daytona 200
CCS / American Sportbike Racing Association
VenueDaytona International Raceway
First race1937
Last race2019
Distance200.07 miles (321.98 km)
Laps57
Most wins (rider)Scott Russell (5)
Miguel Duhamel (5)
Most wins (team)Yamaha Motor Company (12)
Most wins (manufacturer)Yamaha (26)

History

Dirt track origins

The origins of the Daytona 200 began in 1932 when the Southeastern Motorcycle Dealers Association organized a 200 mile dirt track race held on the old Vanderbilt Cup course in Savannah, Georgia.[6] Competitors raced on Class C motorcycles typically used in the AMA Grand National Championship.[6] Following a second Savannah race held in 1933, the 1934 event was moved to the Camp Foster Work Camp located on the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Florida.[6] The competition quickly outgrew the narrow, Jacksonville course and after the 1935 race, the event returned to Savannah in 1936.[6]

Beach racing

Daytona Beach had been used by land speed record competitors since 1902 however, by 1935 the rutted beach course began losing its appeal in favor of the Bonneville Salt Flats.[6] In an effort to boost the local economy, race promoter Bill France Sr. arranged for the Savannah 200 to be moved to the 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Road Course in 1937.[6] There were no races held between 1942 and 1946 due to wartime restrictions during the Second World War. In 1948, a new beach course was used because of urban developments along the beach forced the race organizers to move the event further south, towards Ponce Inlet.[7] The new course length was increased from the previous 3.2 miles to 4.1-mile (6.6 km).[3] By the mid-1950s, it became increasingly complicated to run the race on the beach course due to the rapid urban growth of the Daytona Beach area.[3]

Move to the Daytona International Speedway

France looked for alternatives and negotiated with the city of Daytona Beach to purchase a site near the Daytona airport.[8] He arranged financing and in 1957, construction began on the Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) paved, oval-shaped circuit with steep bankings that permitted higher speeds.[3][8] The track opened in 1959 and France convinced AMA officials to move the beach race to the Speedway in 1961.[8][9] Competitors adapted to the new, paved track surface by switching from dirt track motorcycles to road racing motorcycles similar to those used in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.[1] Safety concerns kept motorcycle racers from using the daunting 31 degree banking at the Daytona International Speedway for the first three years so, a race course was created using most of the track infield along with the tri-oval section where the finish line is located in front of the spectator stands.[1]

International prominence

Initially, the traditionalists who favored the old beach race stayed away from the new race at the Speedway and attendance in the early years suffered.[8] However, France continued to promote the race and by the early 1970s, the Daytona 200 attracted the largest crowds of any AMA race and the event took on international prominence.[8] The race became the centerpiece of what became known as Daytona Beach Bike Week, featuring motorcycle competitions besides road racing such as motocross and dirt track racing. Attending the annual event became known as a rite of spring for thousands of motorcyclists seeking to escape the colder northern climes.[10] At the peak of the event's popularity in the early 1970s, chartered airliners were used to bring race fans from Europe to Daytona Beach.[4]

When the popularity of motocross surged in the United States in the late 1960s, France added a professional motocross race to the 1971 Daytona Beach Bike Week schedule.[11] The 1972 race was held at Daytona International Speedway on an artificial track on the grass surface between the main grandstand and the pit lane.[11] The event paved the way for artificial, stadium-based motocross events known as supercross to be held in major league sports stadiums across the United States and Canada.[11]

In 1973, the reigning 250cc world champion, Jarno Saarinen, became the first European rider to win the Daytona 200.[12] The 1974 victory by 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini helped cement the Daytona 200's reputation as one of the world's most prestigious motorcycle races.[5] In 1975, an unknown rookie rider named Johnny Cecotto accomplished one of the most impressive performances in the history of the event when, he rode from last place on the starting grid to finish the race in third place, passing half the field of competitors on the first lap alone.[1][13] The success of the Daytona 200 spawned imitations in Europe such as the Imola 200 and the Paul Ricard 200.[4]

Safety issues and diminished status

However, by the early 1970s it was apparent that motorcycle tire technology was lagging behind the ever-increasing engine performance on the track's banking.[14] In an effort to slow the fastest bikes down and save on tire wear, a chicane was added in 1973 at the end of the Daytona back straight.[15] The dangers that motorcycle racers were exposed to was highlighted in 1975 when a documentary crew were filming as Barry Sheene crashed on the banked track at over 170 mph when his rear tire failed.[14] As speeds continued to increase, organizers eventually moved away from high powered Grand Prix-style motorcycles to highly modified production motorcycles known as Superbikes in 1985, which led to a global trend of Superbike racing that by 1988 would lead to the development of an FIM-sanctioned Superbike World Championship in 1988.[3] The loss of Grand Prix machinery meant that fewer international competitors were interested in entering the race and, began a slow decline in the event's prestige.[5][14]

By the late 1990s, even the production based Superbikes were overheating the tires on the banking.[16] To keep Superbikes in the Daytona 200, the West Banking was eliminated to reduce the tire issues that had been plaguing the motorcycles.[16] However, the owners of Daytona International Speedway were unsatisfied with the banking being omitted from the course so, a compromise was reached after the 2004 season reducing the size and power of the bikes by going to a Supersport-based class (known as "AMA Formula Xtreme"), and putting both bankings back into the race course.[16] The length of the race was also changed from 200 miles (320 km) to 100 kilometers (62 mi) although, it retained the Daytona 200 name. In 2009, the Supersport class for this was renamed AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike Championship.[17][18] The changes left spectators confused as to why the most powerful motorcycles were replaced by a lesser class in the premier Daytona race.[16] The changes also meant that the top factory backed riders would be excluded from the race.[18]

The race's future was clouded with the circuit's inability to negotiate with the Dorna-aligned Wayne Rainey KRAVE organisation that organises the MotoAmerica motorcycle racing series in the United States beginning in 2015 when MotoAmerica decided not to place Daytona on the 2015 schedule, considerably important since Daytona's 200 mile format was going against the grain of typical 110-km (68 mile) races that are typical of most Superbike races in the world, as MotoAmerica's future plans to adopt the Spanish CEV championsip format of FIM Moto3 and Moto2 classes (the Spanish championship is also a Dorna-promoted championship, and most recent riders come from CEV to Moto3), went against Daytona's ideas. On December 1, 2014, American Sportbike Racing Association, parent company of Championship Cup Series (CCS), which sanctions the Fall Cycle Scene autumn events at Daytona, agreed to sanction the Daytona 200 with Supersport motorcycles racing 57 laps on the full motorcycle layout. [19][20]

The race has been one of the toughest in American motorcycling because of its endurance-like qualities of pit stops for tires and fuel, and safety car periods, and nine FIM world champions, including seven 500cc/MotoGP World Champions—six Americans and one Italian—have won the race. Of recent American world champions, only Kenny Roberts, Jr. did not win the Daytona 200. Finnish and Venezuelan FIM world champions in smaller classes have also won the 200.

Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel are tied for most Daytona 200 wins at five each. Russell, known by the nickname "Mr. Daytona"[21] because of his achievements at the famed track, won all his Daytona races in the Superbike class (750-1000cc). Duhamel's fifth victory came in the Supersport-based classes beginning in 2005.[22]

Steve Rapp's 2007 victory was the first win for Kawasaki since 1995 and the first win for a privateer rider since John Ashmead won in 1989.[23]

Daytona 200 Winners[12]
Year Rider Country Manufacturer and Model Team Class Course
1937 Ed Kretz  United States Indian -- 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Course
1938 Ben Campanale  United States Harley-Davidson -- 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Course
1939 Ben Campanale  United States Harley-Davidson -- 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Course
1940 Babe Tancrede  United States Harley-Davidson -- 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Course
1941 Billy Mathews  Canada Norton -- 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Course
1942–1946: Not held (World War II)[7]
1947 John Spiegelhoff  United States Indian -- 3.2-mile (5.1 km) Daytona Beach Course
1948 Floyd Emde  United States Indian -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1949 Dick Klamfoth  United States Norton -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1950 Billy Mathews  Canada Norton -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1951 Dick Klamfoth  United States Norton -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1952 Dick Klamfoth  United States Norton -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1953 Paul Goldsmith  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1954 Bobby Hill  United States BSA -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1955 Brad Andres  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1956 John Gibson  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1957 Joe Leonard  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1958 Joe Leonard  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1959 Brad Andres  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1960 Brad Andres  United States Harley-Davidson -- 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Daytona Beach Course
1961 Roger Reiman  United States Harley-Davidson -- 2-mile (3.2 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1962 Don Burnett  United States Triumph -- 2-mile (3.2 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1963 Ralph White  United States Harley-Davidson -- 2-mile (3.2 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1964 Roger Reiman  United States Harley-Davidson -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1965 Roger Reiman  United States Harley-Davidson -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1966 Buddy Elmore  United States Triumph Triumph Factory Team -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1967 Gary Nixon  United States Triumph Triumph Factory Team -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1968 Cal Rayborn  United States Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Factory Team -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1969 Cal Rayborn  United States Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson Factory Team -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1970 Dick Mann  United States Honda Honda Factory Team -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1971 Dick Mann  United States BSA BSA -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1972 Don Emde  United States Yamaha Mel Dinesen -- 3.81-mile (6.13 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1973 Jarno Saarinen  Finland Yamaha Yamaha Motor Company -- 3.84-mile (6.18 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1974 Giacomo Agostini  Italy Yamaha Yamaha -- 3.84-mile (6.18 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1975 Gene Romero  United States Yamaha Yamaha USA -- 3.84-mile (6.18 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1976 Johnny Cecotto  Venezuela Yamaha Yamaha -- 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1977 Steve Baker  United States Yamaha Yamaha of Canada Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1978 Kenny Roberts  United States Yamaha Yamaha USA Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1979 Dale Singleton  United States Yamaha Taylor White-Yamaha Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1980 Patrick Pons  France Yamaha Yamaha of France Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1981 Dale Singleton  United States Yamaha Taylor White-Yamaha Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1982 Graeme Crosby  New Zealand Yamaha Yamaha Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1983 Kenny Roberts  United States Yamaha Yamaha USA Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1984 Kenny Roberts  United States Yamaha Yamaha USA Formula 1 3.87-mile (6.23 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1985 Freddie Spencer  United States Honda American Honda Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1986 Eddie Lawson  United States Yamaha Yamaha Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1987 Wayne Rainey  United States Honda American Honda Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1988 Kevin Schwantz  United States Suzuki Yoshimura Racing Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1989 John Ashmead  United States Honda Privateer Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1990 David Sadowski  United States Yamaha Vance & Hines Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1991 Miguel Duhamel  Canada Honda Commonwealth Racing Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1992 Scott Russell  United States Kawasaki Team Muzzy Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1993 Eddie Lawson  United States Yamaha Vance & Hines Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1994 Scott Russell  United States Kawasaki Team Muzzy Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1995 Scott Russell  United States Kawasaki Team Muzzy Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1996 Miguel Duhamel  Canada Honda Commonwealth Racing Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1997 Scott Russell  United States Yamaha Yamaha Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1998 Scott Russell  United States Yamaha Yamaha Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
1999 Miguel Duhamel  Canada Honda American Honda Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2000 Mat Mladin  Australia Suzuki Yoshimura-American Suzuki Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2001 Mat Mladin  Australia Suzuki Yoshimura-American Suzuki Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2002 Nicky Hayden  United States Honda American Honda Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2003 Miguel Duhamel  Canada Honda American Honda Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2004 Mat Mladin  Australia Suzuki Yoshimura-American Suzuki Superbike 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2005 Miguel Duhamel  Canada Honda American Honda Formula Xtreme 2.95-mile (4.75 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2006 Jake Zemke  United States Honda American Honda Formula Xtreme 2.95-mile (4.75 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2007 Steve Rapp  United States Kawasaki Attack Performance Formula Xtreme 2.95-mile (4.75 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2008 Chaz Davies[lower-alpha 1]  United Kingdom Kawasaki Attack Performance Formula Xtreme 2.90-mile (4.67 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2009 Ben Bostrom  United States Yamaha Graves Yamaha Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2010 Josh Herrin  United States Yamaha Graves Yamaha Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2011[lower-alpha 2] Jason DiSalvo  United States Ducati Team Latus Motor Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2012 Joey Pascarella  United States Yamaha Project 1 Atlanta Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2013 Cameron Beaubier  United States Yamaha Graves Yamaha Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2014 Danny Eslick  United States Triumph Riders Discount Racing Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2015 Danny Eslick  United States Suzuki TOBC Racing Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2016 Michael Barnes  United States Yamaha Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2017 Danny Eslick  United States Yamaha TOBC Racing Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2018 Danny Eslick  United States Yamaha TOBC Racing Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
2019 Kyle Wyman  United States Yamaha N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto/KWR Daytona SportBike 3.51-mile (5.65 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course
  1. The 2008 race was won by Josh Hayes, who was later disqualified for an illegal crankshaft.[24] Second place finisher, Chaz Davies, became the official winner[25] and first racer from the United Kingdom to win the Daytona 200. Honda appealed the result[26] but on April 4, 2008, the AMA informed Erion Honda they were denying the appeal.[27]
  2. The 2011 race was shortened to 42 green flag laps / 147.42 miles (237.25 km), with the two red flags caused by tire issues, and the three ensuing warm-up laps (two before first Lap 27 restart, one after a crash on that restart led to a second Lap 27 restart); a total of 45 laps (157.95 miles (254.20 km)) were run. AMA Pro Racing shortened the race because of tire and darkness issues.
gollark: Maybe I should add a mechanism to <@!509849474647064576> to let people vote on the important issues, like what the correct plural of gecko is.
gollark: What *are* you referring to here?
gollark: What camera stuff?
gollark: We really should formalize these things.
gollark: Gecken is perfectly valid according to the recent proposal about gecko pluralization.

See also

References
  1. ''Daytona Gold'', American Motorcyclist, March 1991, Vol. 45, No. 3, ISSN 0277-9358. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  2. ''The first 60 years; an illustrated history of the American Motorcyclist Association'', American Motorcyclist, January 1984, Vol. 38, No. 1, ISSN 0277-9358. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  3. "ISC Archives and Research Center takes a look at DAYTONA 200 history". daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  4. "Imola 200". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  5. Schelzig, Erik. "Daytona 200 celebrates 75th running of once-prestigious race". seattletimes.com. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  6. ''Shifting Sands of Daytona Lore'', American Motorcyclist, March 1978, Vol. 32, No. 3, ISSN 0277-9358. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  7. "History of Bike Week". DaytonaChamber.com. Archived from the original on 2000-01-18. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
  8. "Bill France Sr. at the AMA Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  9. "The History of ISC". internationalspeedwaycorporation.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  10. ''Rite of Spring'', American Motorcyclist, May 1978, Vol. 32, No. 5, ISSN 0277-9358. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  11. "Taking Motocross to the people". pigtailpals.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  12. "Daytona 200 winners". motorsportsetc.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  13. 1975 Daytona 200, American Motorcyclist, May 1975, Vol. 29, No. 5, ISSN 0277-9358. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  14. "Sheene's Horrific Daytona Fling". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  15. "From the Archives: Daytona, 1973". cycleworld.com. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  16. "Another View of the Daytona 200". cycleworld.com. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  17. "Edmonson Says Changes Ahead For Daytona 200". SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  18. "AMA Sells AMA Pro Racing To Daytona Motorsports Group". SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-02-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. Daytona International Speedway Enters Into Sanction Agreement for Daytona 200
  21. "Mr. Daytona Bids Farewell". SuperbikePlanet.com. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
  22. "A Moment With Mat: Can Somebody Please Explain..." SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
  23. "DIS Release: Rapp Wins 2007 D200". SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2007-03-14. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  24. "Hayes Disqualified For Illegal Crankshaft Preparation". SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  25. "Hayes Disqualified From Daytona 200". Cycle News Online. Archived from the original on 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  26. "Honda's Statement On Hayes Disqualification". SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  27. "Erion Honda Disqualified From Daytona 200". SuperbikePlanet.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
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