Proving that the third time's a charm, Josh Herrin won the Daytona 200, despite running out of gas. Polesitter Richie Escalante wasn't so lucky, coasting to fifth after keeping the defending champ honest all race long. Herrin took the win by a massive 45.660s ahead of Tyler Scott and Hayden Gillim. He joins legends like Kenny Roberts, Mat Mladin, Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel as three-time Daytona 200 champions.
“I cannot thank my team enough for this win,” says Herrin. “I was riding as hard as ever, but the team put together two perfect pit stops, which made such a difference for us today."
However, it almost didn’t happen, as Herrin ran out of fuel coming into the pits for the second stop. The Ducati had just enough momentum to get back to his pit and a waiting tank of gas. Once again, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati crew did everything perfectly to get him back on track in the lead and on his way to the checkered flag.
Led by team manager Bobby Shek, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati team got Herrin out of the pitlane and into a 10.7-second lead by lap 22 ahead of Richie Escalante. From there, it was a matter of keeping the mind focused and the laps ticking over for Herrin. Consistent 1:49 lap times and a couple of 1:48 lap times had Herrin ahead of Escalante as the laps clicked down.
“This is my third year on the Ducati Panigale V2. The bike is amazing; I think many people have been sleeping on it for the past few years. This year, there were many more on the grid, which is awesome. It’s a great motorcycle, and I’m just so happy to be here riding for this team and making a little history with them by taking two Daytona Ducati wins in a row. Next year, we’ll go for three in a row. I love this place!”