The five top bikes entered in the AMA Pro Road Racing American Superbike opener at Daytona International Speedway went handle bar to handle bar for 15 laps on Thursday, including Team AMSOIL rider Larry Pegram.
After a thrilling AMA Pro Racing SuperSport race, the AMA Pro American SuperBike field lined up under sunny skies and the warmest temperatures of the event so far. The exciting qualifying session saw Aaron Yates take pole position with Pegram less than a second behind for the number two spot.
Jake Zemke took the lead with a huge drafting move on lap seven and led Tommy Hayden and Pegram, all within inches of each other, around the high eastern banking. Pegram and Hayden went by Zemke on lap 11 with Young and Yates holding station. Hayden had a near slide in the infield, later saying that it really didn't hurt his chances at that particular point on the racetrack. With two laps to go, there was a massive reshuffling as Hayden took the lead and was closely followed by Zemke, Pegram, Yates and Young. Pegram took the lead with less than two laps to go, but Zemke took a strong back stretch run to over take Pegram.
Hayden finished second and Pegram closed out the podium with third. Pegram, Yates and Young all turned their fastest laps on the final lap of the race.
The final AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike race of the Daytona 200 week goes green tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. local time and both races can be seen in their entirety this Saturday beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET on SPEED.
AMSOIL is the Official Oil of AMA Pro Road Racing and the presenting sponsor of the Daytona SportBike class, which will race in tonight's 200. Daytona Bike Week continues through the weekend. AMA Supercross will race on Saturday night with Kevin Windham and Justin Barcia looking for their first wins of the year.
Until then, we'll see you at the races.
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