Sammy Halbert wins Daytona opener

From Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Sammy Halbert outlasted Johnny Lewis and Jake Johnson to win the 25-lap Expert Main Event on the first night of the AMA Pro Grand National Singles Championship at the quarter-mile Daytona Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.

Halbert, aboard a Yamaha, was locked in a three-way battle for the lead with Honda riders Johnny Lewis and Jake Johnson, and came out on top by a margin of victory of .234 seconds.

“It was not an easy task,” Halbert said. “I somehow managed to pull it off. I had to hang on for dear life. It’s a great way to start the season.”

Lewis, the Expert fastest qualifier earlier in the day with a lap of 18.957 seconds, settled for runner-up honours followed by Johnson in third.

Johnson led the first 16 laps but then began to exchange the lead with Halbert.

“I was running a pretty good pace but I could feel those guys the whole time,” said Johnson, the defending series champion.

Seven-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr, who will retire following the 2011 season, qualified for the Expert Main by finishing fourth in his Expert Heat. He finished 15th in the main event.

The legendary Carr has the distinction of having raced the Daytona Flat Track at all three venues -- old Memorial Stadium, Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium and the current Daytona Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway.

Mississauga, ON's Doug Lawrence failed to reach the main after finishing 10th in his semi aboard his Kawasaki KX450F.

Honda swept the top seven spots in the 16-lap Pro Singles Main event with Californian Mike Avila taking home the victory by a margin of 0.951 seconds. Rounding out the podium was Gerit Callies in second and Austin Greenland in third. Canadian Michael LaBelle was classified 18th on his Honda CRF450R.

Winning Expert Heats were Lewis (Honda), Halbert (Yamaha), and Henry Wiles (Kawasaki). In the four-lap Cometic Gasket Expert Dash For Cash, which showcases the top two finishers in the Expert Heats, Halbert held off Johnson by 0.149 seconds with Wiles rounding out the top three.

Grand National Race Results
1. Sammy Halbert (Yamaha YZ450F) 25 Laps
2. Johnny Lewis (Honda CRF450R) +0.234
3. Jake Johnson (Honda CRF450R) +0.629
4. Brad Baker (Honda CRF450R) +4.708
5. John Wood (Honda CRF450R) +6.705
6. Matt Weidman (Honda CRF450R) +7.493
7. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. (Kawasaki KX450F) +8.937
8. Jimmy Wood (Honda CRF450R) +10.084
9. Jared Mees (Honda CRF450R) +10.411
10. Aaron King (Honda CRF450R) +12.021
11. Scott Baker (Honda CRF450R) +15.346
12. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki KX450F) +16.431
13. Steven Bonsey (Honda CRF450R) +17.302
14. Joshua Koch (Honda CRF450R) +17.577
15. Chris Carr (Honda CRF450R) +17.814
16. Henry Wiles (Kawasaki KX450F) +17.935
17. Donald Mullen II (Honda CRF450R) 24 Laps
18. J R Schnabel, Jr. (Kawasaki KX450F) +2.222
19. Joe Kopp (Kawasaki KX450F) +7.478

Race Time: 8:14.476
Margin of Victory: 0.234
Best Race Lap: NA