2011 Mid-Ohio SportBike | Race 1 Results

2011 AMA Daytona SportBike

Spoiler Alert: Mid-Ohio AMA Daytona SportBike race 1 results below

One class in AMA Pro Racing that continually gets tighter is Daytona SportBike. Weekend after weekend, the SportBike boys challenge each other, with a select-few riders sharing the lead.

And race 1 at Mid-Ohio on Saturday was no different; six riders vied for the win for most of the 21-lap race. But it would come down to a last-lap melee between M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby, GEICO Suzuki’s Danny Eslick and the round’s pole sitter, Team Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin.

Westby would come out victorious, taking his first-ever win in the AMA Daytona SportBike class while in his third year competing in the series. Herrin would take second, followed by Eslick.

When the race got underway, Team Latus Ducati’s Jason DiSalvo grabbed the holeshot, getting to turn 1 ahead of Herrin, Eslick, Thomas Aquino (Team Graves Yamaha) and Cameron Beaubier (Jake Holden Racing Yamaha SportBike).

As the five remained in single file, Eslick passed Herrin for second. A lap later, Eslick would take DiSalvo at Turn 9. The two would continue to swap the lead up front, as Westby throttled into sixth.

The Oklahoma native would pass Beaubier and Aquino, and begin stalking the rider in third, Herrin. On lap 12, Herrin had slight bobble, allowing Westby into podium contingency.

But Westby needed more. On lap seven, Herrin passed DiSalvo for second. Soon Westby was on the prowl, and with four to go he went from fourth to first, taking the lead from Eslick at the back of the front straightaway.

Westby and Eslick would swap the position a few times. On the final lap, Eslick regained the lead, with Westby taking it back a turn later. During the passing, Team Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin stuffed Eslick, robbing second.

When the checkered flag waved, it would come down to that order, with Westby capturing his first victory of the 2011 AMA Daytona SportBike series by a mere 0.139 of a second over Herrin. Eslick would finish 0.217 of a second beind Westby.

DiSalvo took fourth, with Aquino rounding out the top five.

Mid-Ohio AMA SportBike Podium Quotes:

Danny Eslick (GEICO Suzuki GSX-R600) says: "I knew it was going to be hot and tire wear would play issues; I tried to get my head down, everybody was so close, four of five guys were right there. We went back and foruth a few times; Three or four laps to go here comes Dane. He threw me for a curveball and I wasn’t ready for it. Passes going on where they usually don’t around here. Pretty exciting."

Josh Herrin (Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) says: "I was trying to sit back there and see how the pace was going to be. It tried, but tomorrow should be a little bit better."

Dane Westby (M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) says: "I pulled a couple of hairball moves, with a little bit of contact in some. I had to pull some demon braking maneuvers. It was kind of gnarly the last few laps…I knew Danny would be coming on braking zone in five and six. It just barely worked out, and I pulled it off."

2011 Mid-Ohio AMA SportBike: Race 1 Results