Classic event features last-second win by mid-pack lurker Brandon Paasch
Brian J. Nelson MotoAmerica
What the Daytona 500 is to NASCAR, The Rolex 24 is to sports cars, and what Indy is to the NHRA and IndyCar, the Daytona 200 is to motorcycles.
The classic 200-mile race has been held in Florida each spring for 80 years. Motorcycles first raced on a dirt track in Savanah, Georgia, and moved around a bit before settling in the sands of Daytona Beach. Just like the cars, the bikes migrated to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in 1961, a few years after the cars made the jump to pavement.
The bikes race on a modified mix of infield turns and high banks for 57 laps, taking almost two hours to finish the 200.7 miles of the race.
Brandon Paasch on his TOBC Racing Triumph Triple RS.
Brian J. Nelson MotoAmerica
As is so often the case in endurance races – because 200 miles of road racing on a motorcycle constitutes endurance—getting pole position doesn’t mean quite as much here. Indeed, polesitter Josh Herrin riding the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 had the pole for the race. Herrin lead in the early stages but the team misjudged the amount of fuel the bike would use in the first stint and Herrin ran out of it, coasting to his first pit stop and costing him valuable track position.
That lead to a tight pack of leaders at the front of the field, with TOBC Racing’s Brandon Paasch lurking at the back of that pack all day. And because no one remembers who was leading while the race was going on, that was fine with Paasch. On his last pit stop, Paasch’s team decided to go for fuel only, opting to leave the Triumph rider out on his same tires.
Job burnout
Brian J. Nelson MotoAmerica
The Southern California rider dove down low on the banking after exiting the final chicane on the last lap and wound out his Triumph Triple RS in fourth place with one long, sweeping section of Daytona banking to go. If you’ve ridden or driven there you know the turn, it’s flat-out all the way around the corner to the finish line. Paasch then executed a double-draft pass of rivals Cameron Petersen and Sheridan Morais at the finish line to take his second Daytona 200 win in a row by a blink-of-an-eye 0.007 second.
“This one is great, to be honest,” said Paasch. “Herrin was on Instagram saying I’m not in his league, and then to come here and beat him was really good for me.”
Herrin finished 10th.
Daytona 200
- Brandon Paasch (Triumph)
- Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
- Sheridan Morais (Yamaha)
- Josh Hayes (Yamaha)
- Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
- Danny Eslick (Triumph)
- Harry Truelove (Yamaha)
- Geoff May (Suzuki)
- Hayden Gillim (Suzuki)
- Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Keyword: Triumph Triumphant at Daytona 200 MotoAmerica Motorcycle Race