Y.E.S./Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha's Garrett Gerloff during Daytona 200 practice Thursday at DIS
Y.E.S./Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff during Daytona 200 practice Thursday at DIS2014 Daytona 200 Practice Results, ThursdayPractice for the 73rd Daytona 200 got underway Thursday with Y.E.S./Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 pilot Garrett Gerloff posting the quickest time.
The Texan posted a 1:51.513 around the 3.51-mile circuit at Daytona International Speedway. It wasn’t only Gerloff who was fast, though; the top seven of 40 riders all posted within a second of the R6 rider.“This morning was a little bit of a weird start to Daytona. I wasn’t really feeling great; I was a little tight and just riding around, trying to work my way into the session. I got P2, which was great. And coming into the second session, I was feeling really great. The bike was awesome. I got in six okay laps and did 1:51.5,” Gerloff says.“I definitely don’t think that’s the fastest any of us can go. The track felt really good to me so I was expecting everyone to go a little bit faster. I got in six laps before my bike kind of slowed down and I had to come in. And with the one-bike rule, I couldn’t jump on a backup bike and go.”Following 0.028 of a second back was Castrol/Triumph/Sportbike Track Time’s Jason Disalvo, a former Daytona 200 winner showing speed aboard the 675R. Disalvo’s Triumph was one of two in the top nine; the other seven were all Yamahas.Third went to MotoSport.com/Meen Yamaha’s Jake Lewis, who trailed Gerloff by 0.055. Rounding out the top five were RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha’s Jake Gagne and Yamalube Westby Racing’s Dane Westby, respectively.Danny Eslick was sixth quickest aboard the Riders Discount Racing Triumph, 0.260 of a second back, with Gagne’s teammate Tomas Puerta in seventh; the Daytona SportBike rookie Puerta was the final rider to post within a second of Gerloff.Series veteran Blake Young returned to AMA Pro Racing with ninth on the GN Gonzales Racing Yamaha.The top Ducati was the Longevity Racing 848EVO piloted by Barret Long.Qualifying begins at 8 a.m. EDT Friday for the Daytona 200, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday.2014 Daytona 200 Thursday Practice Results:
