Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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IN THE WIND P20 DAYTONA 200 TO RUN SUPERBIKES AGAIN! T he 74th running of the Dayto- na 200 will feature 69 laps of the shorter 2.91-mile road course in 2015… and it will be raced on Superbikes, thus ending what this year will mark 10 years of the race once ballyhooed as one of the biggest races in the world running 600cc machines and not the Superbikes. "Getting the Superbikes back in the Daytona 200 has been a fan request for years and we're thrilled to be making this an- nouncement," said Michael Gen- try, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "The Daytona 200 is America's premier mo- torcycle race, and our goal is to once again feature the biggest names in motorcycle road racing in the event." Mat Mladin won the last Day- tona 200 held on Superbikes in 2004. Since then, the 200 has featured Formula Xtreme and Daytona SportBike – both based on slower 600cc sportbikes. The adjustments to the AMA Pro Superbike rules package, planned as part of the recently announced AMA Pro Road Rac- ing class restructuring, are a key component to getting the Su- perbikes back in the 200 for the 2015 running, the AMA says. The 200 went to 600cc class machinery in 2005 primarily for safety concerns, most of which centered around tires. But AMA Pro Racing says that Dunlop will do what's necessary to make sure the tires are up to the task. "Dunlop is excited about the prospect of having Superbikes back in the Daytona 200," said Mike Buckley, Vice President of Dunlop. "Everyone on the Dun- lop design and service team are enthusiasts first and foremost so the entire team is looking forward to supporting this endeavor." Three-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes hasn't had the chance to compete in the 200 since 2009 when he crashed out of the race while leading. In 2008, Hayes crossed the line first in the 200, but was disqualified when his Erion Hon- da was found to be in violation of the rules. Now he'll get the chance to race in the 200 again. "The Daytona 200 is our big- gest race of the season, so the biggest and best bikes should be competing in it," Hayes said in an AMA release. "And, of course, that's the Superbikes. I'm look- ing forward to the 2015 Daytona 200, when Superbikes will make their return. I say, 'Welcome back.' " Hayes team manager Keith Mc- Carty concurs with his lead rider. "The Daytona 200 is an iconic event, and it's only fitting that Su- perbikes - AMA Pro Road Rac- ing's premier class - should be the bikes that compete in the 200. Over the years, Yamaha riders have won the prestigious Daytona 200 a total of 22 times, on everything from our two- stroke production racers and Formula 1 GP bikes, to our four- stroke middleweight machines like the YZF-R6 and Superbikes like the FZ750, OW01, and YZ- F750R. As the 'Great American Motorcycle Race' approaches its 75th consecutive year of compe- tition, we at Yamaha are excited that Superbikes will be returning to their rightful place in the Day- tona 200 next year." The return of Superbikes to the Daytona 200… it will happen in 2015. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA WILSON