Daytona Bike Week
For the second straight night, Yamaha rider Sammy Halbert captured the 25-lap AMA Pro Grand National Singles Championship Expert Main Event at the quarter-mile Daytona Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway.
Halbert took the lead on Lap 4 and never looked back on his way to a 5.033-second victory. "I couldn’t be happier," Halbert said.
Taking second for the second straight night was Honda rider Johnny Lewis and rounding out the podium was Brad Baker. "Two seconds is not bad," Lewis said.
The last rider to sweep both nights of the Daytona Flat Track was Jake Johnson in 2008.
Seven-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr, who will retire following the 2011 season, finished second in his Expert Heat, third in the Cometic Gasket Expert Dash For Cash and 11th in the Expert Main Event – his final race at Daytona.
During the pre-race ceremonies, DIS President Joie Chitwood honored Carr with a special photo collage of Carr competing at all three venues of the Daytona Flat Track – the old Memorial Stadium, Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium and the current Daytona Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway.
In the 16-lap Pro Singles Main event, Honda rider Gerit Callies, who finished second on Thursday night, led flag-to-flag and did a stand-up wheelie in taking the checkering flag. Rounding out the podium was Mike Avila, Thursday night’s Pro Singles winner, and Joseph Ratz.
Winning Expert Heats were Halbert, Johnson (Honda) and Lewis.
In the four-lap Cometic Gasket Expert Dash For Cash, which showcases the top two finishers in the Expert Heats, Halbert also pulled off the win for the second straight night by 1.314 seconds.
The SPEED TV Channel will recap both nights of action at the Daytona Flat Track on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
