Herrin wins Daytona SportBike thriller

From AMA Pro Racing

ALTON, VA - Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) made two passes for the lead on the last lap to win his first AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race Saturday at Virginia International Raceway in the opening round of the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals.

Herrin took the lead from fifth on the grid on the first lap and then had to pass Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) twice on the last lap. It was the third Daytona SportBike victory of the year for Team Graves Yamaha and Herrin's first victory in AMA Pro Road Racing competition since winning in AMA Pro SuperSport at Barber Motorsports Park last year.

Herrin battled at the front of the field for the entire race but led just the first and final laps and only two others in the 23-lap race. He charged by DiSalvo in Turn 1 on the last lap only to have the Suzuki rider retake the top spot a few corners later. Herrin then regrouped and slipped past DiSalvo in the Turn 16 downhill run leading up to the front straight. DiSalvo made a final move as the leaders crossed the finish line but Herrin held him off for a tight .010 of a second victory.

"At the start of the race I just had to stuff it in there," Herrin said. "I think I passed six guys right there. I didn't think I was going to make it but I did. From there on out it was a pretty smooth race, no big moments. I try not to be a real contact racer. I tried to pass Jason as clean as I could and I didn't feel any contact. My Yamaha's been working really awesome today and I just can't thank my crew enough."

DiSalvo finished second for the third time this year and scored his sixth overall top-three finish. He charged to the lead Saturday after starting ninth after an accident in Friday's Superpole qualifying.

"I just felt really, really good making passes out there today, which I needed to," said DiSalvo, who was not injured in Friday's spill. "That was one of the biggest things that I focused on after yesterday, because I knew I'd be coming from ninth. Just figuring out what I needed to do to get from ninth to first, and we did it, we just couldn't hold on. I knew I had the pace.

"I didn't really expect Josh to come with me, but he did and he put up a great fight at the end. The pass up at the top of the hill was good.  I leaned on him a little bit, because at that point that's really all I could do. It was a good race. Tomorrow I just hope to be one spot higher."

Jamie Hacking (No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) finished third for his first podium result since finishing second at Mid-Ohio.

"It was a good race," Hacking said. "I'm still waiting for that win. I know Josh probably feels good, it feels good to actually get a win. It's been a couple of years for me now. We're not giving up for sure.

"Josh made us look bad there on the start. He came from my row and I don't know how he made it in there in Turn 1, but it was a hell of a ride that he did and he didn't touch anybody."

Jake Zemke (No. 1x Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) and DiSalvo each led a race-high eight laps, with the Honda rider up front for Laps 2 through 9. Zemke finished fourth while Steve Rapp (No. 48 Bazzaz/Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6) rounded out the top five for his best finish since placing third in the Saturday final at Infineon.

The race's only other leader was Herrin's teammate Tommy Aquino (No. 6 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) who was uninjured when he lowsided in Turn 16 battling for the lead on Lap 15.

First-time pole-sitter Taylor Knapp (No. 54 Latus Motors Racing Buell 1125R) was also running up front when he lowsided in Turn 3 one lap after Aquino's incident. Knapp was uninjured.

Championship contenders Danny Eslick (No. 9 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R) and Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) never played a factor and had quiet runs to seventh and ninth, respectively. Cardenas raced despite a broken hand from a Friday practice crash but only lost two points to Eslick after Saturday's race. Eslick is on top with 332 points, Cardenas in second with 330 markers and Herrin closed on the top duo in third with 291 points.

Sunday's Daytona SportBike final is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. local time for 23 laps/50 miles and will kick off the final races of the Big Kahuna weekend.

Race Results (Top 20 +Canadians)
1. Josh Herrin (Team Graves Yamaha) Yamaha YZF-R6 23 Laps
2. Jason DiSalvo (M4 Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 +0.010
3. Jamie Hacking (Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R +8.379
4. Jake Zemke (Erion Racing) Honda CBR600RR +12.553
5. Steve Rapp (Bazzaz) Yamaha YZF-R6 +16.073
6. Bobby Fong (Paradigm Racing) Yamaha YZF-R6 +21.584
7. Danny Eslick (Rossmeyer Geico Powersports RMR Buell) Buell 1125R +25.236
8. Dane Westby (Westby Racing ·Kneedraggers.com) Yamaha YZF-R6 +27.339
9. Martin Cardenas (M4 Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R600 +30.348
10. Roger Hayden (Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R +36.307
11. Michael Beck (Team Beck Racing) Yamaha YZF-R6 +41.295
12. Matt Lynn (MattLynnRacing.com) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R +45.930
13. Ricky Parker (RPR Racing) Yamaha YZF-R6 +1:00.653
14. Garrett Carter (Garrett Carter Racing) Yamaha YZF-R6 +1:01.961
15. Christian Cronin (Crusty Motorsports) Yamaha YZF-R6 +1:19.304
16. Fernando Amantini (Amantini Racing) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R +1:25.824
17. Taylor Knapp (Latus Motors Racing) Buell 1125R 22 Laps
18. Shawn Higbee (Higbee-Racing.com) Buell 1125R +1.027
19. Huntley Nash (Four Feathers Racing) Yamaha YZF-R6 +4.204
20. Reese Wacker (Wacker Racing ·LLC) Suzuki GSX-R600 +4.360
33. Chris Peris (Erion Racing) Honda CBR600RR 11 Laps
Race Time: 34:05.055
Margin of Victory: 0.010
Best Race Lap: Jamie Hacking (1:28.070)