In a race marred by several crashes and red flags, Mat Mladin (Suzuki) charged to victory in dominant style. Mladin had to take several hole shots and build several leads with the race called back for a re-start three times. Several big-name riders crashed today (including Aaron Yates, Miguel DuHamel, Jamie Hacking, and Larry Pegram), with Scott Russell reportedly receiving a broken arm and leg (he is expected to undergo surgery this evening in the Daytona area). The other riders are reportedly in better condition with minor injuries (or no injuries).
Only Miguel DuHamel could challenge Mladin today, and only briefly. DuHamel crashed out of the race (unhurt). Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom took second place with Honda’s Kurtis Roberts third (who may have broken his left hand when hit from behind by Aaron Yates early in the race).
Anthony Gobert looked strong, but had problems with his Yamaha all day, ending with a blown tire at 180 miles per hour on the finish line straight. Fortunately, Gobert kept the bike upright during that incident.
Honda’s Nicky Hayden had mechanical problems, and was fortunate to finish in tenth place after charging through the field on his back-up motorcycle.
Daytona Superbike Final Race Results (Top Ten)
1. Mat Mladin (#1 - Suzuki) 2. Eric Bostrom (#32 - Kawasaki) 3. Kurtis Roberts (#80 - Honda) 4. Doug Chandler (#10 - Kawasaki) 5. Tommy Hayden (#22 - Yamaha) 6. Larry Pegram (#72 - Ducati) 7. Michael Smith (#911 - Harley-Davidson) 8. Jimmy Moore (#86 - Suzuki) 9. Mauro Cereda (#83 - Suzuki) 10. Nicky Hayden (#69 - Honda)
