Russell back at Daytona

From Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Motorcycle legend Scott Russell is back at Daytona International Speedway.

Known as “Mr. Daytona,” Russell, who is tied with Miguel Duhamel with a record five Daytona 200 By Honda victories, is competing in this year’s Daytona 200 Week By Honda events aboard an orange Yamaha R1 for Jamie James.

Russell made his first return to DIS last October competing in the season-ending 8 Hours At Daytona SunTrust MOTO-ST race with the Pair-A-Nines Kawasaki team. Prior to that, he hadn’t raced professionally since the 2001 Daytona 200 By Honda when he suffered significant injuries.

The Conyers, GA native is using this weekend’s CCS/ASRA activities to shake down his bike for next week’s AMA events. He is getting used to the 2.90-mile road course, a layout he has never raced before here at DIS.

“It was the first time on the new configuration for me,” Russell said after participating in Friday’s Team Challenge race. “It was interesting. This bike is faster than anything I’ve ever rode here. I’ve got to get my head up to speed after being gone for that long. It was a big deal, kind of scary at first. I’m working into it slowly, trying not to run anybody over or get run over.

Russell says he plans to compete in Thursday’s Superstock 13-lap race and Saturday’s opening round of the AMA Superbike Championship 15-lap race.

Russell dominated the Daytona 200 By Honda, America’s prestigious motorcycle race, in the 1990s winning five times (1992, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 1998). Russell’s credentials also include an AMA Superbike Championship in 1992, the World Superbike Championship (1993), three AMA 750cc Supersport titles and the Suzuka Eight Hour endurance race. He was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005.