Graves Yamaha rider Ben Bostrom took victory in a controversial Daytona 200 last night while former 250GP rider Chaz Davies took seventh from a 14th-placed grid slot.
Starting first on the grid on his No. 1s Yamaha YZF-R6 after winning the pole in Thursday's single-bike Superpole qualifying, Bostrom became the first rider since Miguel Duhamel in 2005 to win America's premier motorcycle road race from the top starting spot. He won his first career Daytona 200 victory in his fifth start and had a previous best finish of second in 2003.
"I've tried to win this thing," Bostrom said. "We have been on the pole here twice now and I have lost the race here by two-thousandths of a second. I know what it's like in the heart when you take second at Daytona. It hurts. Now I know what it's like to win."
Bostrom led from the start, lost the lead momentarily in the infield to Danny Eslick and the No. 9 Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 1125R on the opening lap, but then powered past Eslick to officially lead Lap 1. From there, Bostrom stayed in the lead pack for the entire race, frequently swapping the top spots with Eslick, Team Graves Yamaha teammates Herrin and Josh Hayes (No. 4 Yamaha YZF-R6) and M4 Suzuki teammates DiSalvo and Martin Cardenas.
"The race was really intense and under the lights it was really spectacular," Bostrom said. "When we started out, there were several of us going tooth and nail at the front. I loved every minute of it."
DAYTONA 200 race results - conditions dry
1 1s Benjamin Bostrom Team Graves Yamaha 55 2:42:06.677 1:49.510 Yamaha/Dunlop/Akrapovic/Yamalube/Vortex/Graves/Braking/GYT-R/Axio/DynoJet/D.I.D./Magnetti Marelli/Sharkskinz/Sunoco
2 8 Josh Herrin Team Graves Yamaha 55 2:42:07.228 1:49.544 Yamaha/Dunlop/Yamalube/GYT-R/DynoJet/Sharkskinz/Vortex/Akrapovic/D.I.D./Braking/Magnetti Marelli
3 40 Jason DiSalvo M4 Suzuki 55 2:42:07.301 1:49.618 M4, Suzuki, Arai/ Hotbodies/ Vortex/ GPR/ Alpinestars/ Arlen Ness/ Dynojet
4 88 Jamie Hacking Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki 55 2:42:11.422 1:50.251 -none listed-
5 11 Shawn Higbee Higbee-Racing.com 55 2:42:19.626 1:50.417 Buell
6 29 Barrett Long Paradigm Racing 55 2:42:21.081 1:51.433 Paradigm Racing/Truvia /Longevity Racing/Endless/Graves/ Sharkskins/ Zero Gravity/ Mach 1
7 57 Chaz Davies Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team 55 2:42:29.576 1:48.947 Aprilia USA/Millinnium Technoloigies/KWS Motorsports/Pit Bull/Leo Vince/K & N/Motion Pro/Yoyodyne
8 213 Dane Westby Westby Racing/Kneedraggers.com 55 2:42:29.699 1:50.180 T. Westby Corp/ Westby Racing LLC./ Kneedraggers.com/ Yamaha Motor Co./ Graves MS/ Trackwraps.com
9 36 Martin Cardenas M4 Suzuki 55 2:42:30.677 1:49.040 M4, Suzuki, Arai/ Hotbodies/ Vortex/ GPR/ Alpinestars/ Arlen Ness/ Dynojet
10 95 Leandro Mercado Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki 55 2:42:32.319 1:51.480 -none listed-
11 1x Jake Zemke Erion Racing 55 2:42:32.532 1:49.645 Erion Racing/ American Honda/ Parts Unlimited/ Honda Oils & Chemicals/ Dunlop/ DID/ SBS/ K&N/
12 27 Steve Rapp Four Feathers Racing 55 2:42:40.440 1:51.750 Scooter Super Store/R-R Racing/ No Mar Tire Changer/ Level one Exhaust/ EBC/ BG Oil/ Moto GP Werks/ flyNcycle.com/sstam.com
13 51 Damian Cudlin Team E.S.P. Yamaha 55 2:42:58.440 1:50.827 Venemotos/Yamaha/Sodexho Pass/Dunlop/Maltin Polar/Ohlins/GPR/usmegatrax.com/Driven/A.S.M.A./GB Racing/Factory Body Works/Hindle/Kyle USA/Speed Cell/Renegade Graphics
14 484 Pintar Bostjan Inotherm Racing Team 54 2:42:19.548 1:51.117 inotherm/ Akrapovic/ Arai
15 9 Daniel Eslick Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Racing/RMR Buell 54 2:42:19.609 1:49.431 Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Racing/ Buell/ Geico Powersports/ Shelly Rossmeyers Sportbike/ Joe Rocket
