Herrin Manages to Hold
off Surging Daytona
SportBike Field in Race
One at Mid-Ohio Sports
Car Course
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LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 17,
2010) - After it was all
said and done, it looked like
business as usual for AMA Pro
Daytona SportBike presented by
AMSOIL points leader Josh Herrin and
his Team Graves Yamaha. He took his
fourth win of the 2010 season from
pole position but for the many lucky
fans in attendance, this was another
of what is now the standard fare in
this exciting class.
After a race-long battle with
five-time 2010 race winner Martin
Cardenas, once again riding his M4
Monster Energy Suzuki with style and
speed, reigning Daytona SportBike
Champion Danny Eslick on his GEICO
Powersports Suzuki and the surprise
of the show, Bobby Fong with his DNA
Energy Drink Ducati, Herrin posted
another classic win by just 0.045 of
a second.
And battle is what happened for the
entire 21 lap race at the 2.4-mile
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. At the
start, Eslick got a perfect launch
and led into the tight left-hand
first turn. Slotting in right
behind him was the fourth-starting
Cardenas followed quickly by the
other front row qualifier, Team
Latus Motors Ducati rider Steve
Rapp. Herrin was a surprising
fourth with Fong a strong fifth,
looking for more.
This group settled in to a cut and
thrust battle with Herrin quickly
making a move from fourth to second
at the end of the long back
straight. Then Cardenas took a turn
at the front on lap six and although
he was being challenged at different
parts of the track, he led the next
ten laps until Herrin got by for
three laps. Meanwhile, Steve Rapp
had dropped back and had his hands
full with Team Graves Yamaha rider
Tommy Aquino, who eventually took
fifth from Rapp towards the end of
the race.
Back at the front, Fong was quickly
becoming the star of the show as he
ran as high as second with a great
move on Herrin in the Carousel.
Eslick dropped back but quickly
rejoined the first three for the
sprint to the flag. Cardenas looked
like he had it under control as he
led laps 19 and 20 but then Herrin
made a big move to take the lead
again going up into the Key Hole
turn. But then Cardenas took first
back at the end of the long back
straight before Herrin retook the
lead on the tight backside of the
circuit.
At this point, Eslick and Fong were
dicing, causing Eslick to overcook,
it putting him off the track and
dropping him to fourth at the flag.
Fong then made a last lap, last turn
charge for the win and was only
inches behind Herrin at the flag to
take second; his and the CNR
Motorsports team's best finish of
their AMA Daytona SportBike careers.
For all of his hard work, Cardenas
ended up third which is less than he
wanted but it keeps him in the chase
for the championship. He is now
just 10 points behind Eslick and 41
behind Herrin. Behind Aquino and
Rapp, Chris Fillmore and his Vesrah
Suzuki teammate Cory West as well as
Clinton Seller (Project 1 Atlanta
Yamaha), Josh Day on his Four
Feathers Racing Yamaha and P.J.
Jacobson on his Celtic Racing Suzuki
had their own private battle for
seventh through eleventh. All in
all it was a great race.
Josh Herrin continues to ride with a
great mix of speed and patience in
his quest for the 2010 AMA Pro
Daytona SportBike Championship.
Race two of the Honda Super Cycle
Weekend Presented by Dunlop Tire
will be tomorrow, Sunday, July
18th. Please visit
www.midohio.com for ticket
information and
www.amaproracing.com for full
results from today's races.
SPEED will have flag-to-flag
coverage of all National Guard
SuperBike and Daytona SportBike
races from Mid-Ohio in same weekend
broadcasts. Tonight's broadcast
begins at 11:00 p.m. ET. A full TV
schedule can be found at
http://www.speedtv.com/schedule/filter/program/948061.
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AMA Pro Racing is the premier
professional motorcycle racing
organization in North America,
operating a full schedule of
events and championships for a
variety of motorcycle
disciplines. Learn more about
AMA Pro Racing at
www.amaproracing.com.
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