2014 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series
UPDATE! Kyle Wyman Disqualified from Daytona Race
The opening round of the 2014 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series at Daytona International Speedway again came down to the wire.
With loads of competition present, KWR/Millennium Technologies Harley XR1200 pilot Kyle Wyman made a last-lap draft effort to take the win by a mere 0.068 of a second ahead of Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels H-D’s Tyler O’Hara. Taking the final podium position following the seven-lap event around the 3.5-mile Daytona road course was Folsom H-D’s Gage McAllister.
As for pole-sitter and 2013 champion, Aerostar Global/Suburban Motors H-D’s Steve Rapp suffered a dead-last finish; he finished 24th after experiencing mechanical issues with his Harley-Davidson.
As for Wyman, this was his third AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series win in four appearances in the class.
“It was awesome,” Wyman said. “This is what we live for, and I was just loving it. That’s the third win for me, and I just love this place. I spent all winter thinking about coming here to Daytona. I’m just so happy to be up here. It was a long year last year, and I feel like we’re off on the right foot.”
Making a strong start from the second row of the grid, O’Hara took the lead into the first turn and led the pack over the line to complete the first lap. As the race developed, a succession of riders hit the front, including former series champions Michael Barnes (Chili Pepper Racing) and Danny Eslick (Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles), as the leading group grew from five to seven to 11 riders on the last lap, Harley-Davidson reports.
With each rider dicing for the best position from which to contest the critical last-lap sprint out of the backstretch chicane through the track’s final banked corners, Eslick, the 2010 series champion, found himself in the unenviable position of leading at the exit of the chicane.
Sensing the swarm of riders ready to overtake him, he backed off on the high banks, slotting back into the train in fourth position, but as the pack came to the line five-wide, it was Wyman who had outfoxed everyone. Sling-shotting into the lead as the pack crossed the start-finish line, Wyman’s winning margin over 11th place finisher David Estok (Thrashed Bike Racing) was only 0.647 second, Harley-Davidson reports.
The second round in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley Davidson series is May 30-June 1 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
2014 Daytona AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Results:
1. Kyle Wyman (KWR/Millennium Technologies), 7 laps
2. Tyler O’Hara (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), +0.068
3. Gage McAllister (Folsom H-D), +0.108
4. Nicholas Hansen (Aerostar Global/Suburban Motors H-D), +0.132
5. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), +0.185
6. Eric Stump (OPR/Liberty Chevrolet), +0.231
7. Danny Eslick (Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles), +0.245
8. Hayden Schultz (Chili Pepper Racing), +0.252
9. Michael Barnes (Chili Pepper Racing), +0.311
10. Barrett Long (Longevity Racing), +0.580
11. David Estok (Thrashed Bike Racing), +0.647
12. Ryan Kerr (Wiseco Performance Products), +4.991 seconds
13. Shane Narbonne (Six Four Motorsports), +25.440 seconds
14. Shelina Moreda (Chili Pepper Racing), +29.765 seconds
15. Paul James (Hoban Cycle/Spectro Oils), +29.864 seconds
16. Darren James (Trev Deeley Motorcycles), +29.953 seconds
17. Josh Chisum (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D), +30.018 seconds
18. Sam Rozynski (Soundwaves.com/Sirius XM Radio), +39.739 seconds
19. Ricky Parker (Acco.org/Chili Pepper Racing), +39.795 seconds
20. Joseph Rozynski (Soundwaves.com/Sirius XM Radio), +1:03.115
21. Jerrett Martin (CPL Systems/Aggressive Insurance), +1:22.671
22. Todd Keesee (Brevard Superbikes), +1:23.095
23. Jon Foy (Jupiter Cycle Racing/Heroic Racing), +1:59.144
24. Steve Rapp (Aerostar Global/Suburban Motors H-D), 3 laps
I will be at Road America in late May! woohoo!