2018 Daytona 200 Results

When qualifying began for the 77th running of the Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway, Danny Eslick and his No. 69 TOBC Racing Yamaha had some issues.

The YZF-R6 blew an engine during qualifying, and the team was forced to scramble and install a spare engine ahead of Saturday’s 57-lap race around the 3.51-mile road course. It was well worth the effort; when Saturday’s 200-mile race was complete, Eslick claimed his fourth Daytona 200 victory in the past five years.

Eslick, who qualified fourth, also earned Daytona 200 wins in 2014, 2015, 2017. He becomes just the third rider to win the Daytona 200 at least four times. He chases the two men who share the record for five-time champion: Scott Russell (1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998) and Miguel Duhamel (1991, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005).

Joining Eslick on the podium were Yamaha YZF-R6 pilot Cory West, who finished 26.294 seconds behind, and Suzuki GSX-R600 pilot Robertino Pietri, who just beat Yamaha YZF-R6 rider Geoff May to the final podium position. Pietri finished the race 32.651 seconds behind Eslick. Shane Narbonne (Yamaha YZF-R6) claimed fifth, and was the final rider to finish within a lap of Eslick.

“We’ve kind of set our name in the books here at Daytona … we’ve done pretty well,” said Danny Eslick, who claimed another Rolex watch and the top price of $25,000. “The biggest thing is the crew here at DIS; this is the only race [of the season] where we do pit stops.”

Eslick, who averaged 95.834 mph, paid respect to his crew: “Again, it goes back to the team. They busted their butt last night. I don’t know what they did but they found a couple horsepower in that thing and it definitely made my life easier.”

Polesitter Valentin Debise – a native of France now living in Lake Elsinore, Calif., – was leading the race when he crashed entering the course’s “International Horseshoe” turn on Lap 10.

Debise, who claimed the pole with a record lap of 1:48.638, was taken to a local hospital where on Saturday afternoon he was undergoing further evaluation. Debise was seeking to become the second French rider to win the DAYTONA 200. Patrick Pons (1980) is the race’s only French champion, Daytona International Raceway reported.

Out of 57 entries into the 2018 Daytona 200, 41 finished, 10 did not finish, and seven failed to qualify.

2018 Daytona 200 Results (Top 25 & Purse):

1. Danny Eslick, Yamaha YZF-R6, Dunlop Tires, $25,000
2. Cory West, Yamaha, Pirelli Tires, $20,000
3. Robertino Pietri, Suzuki GSX-R600, Dunlop, $15,000
4. Geoff May, Yamaha, Dunlop, $12,500
5. Shane Narbonne, Yamaha, Dunlop, $10,500
6. Max Angles, Yamaha, Dunlop, $9,000
7. Darren James, Yamaha, Pirelli, $8,000
8. Bailey Cox, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Dunlop, $7,000
9. Joseph Giannotto, Yamaha, Dunlop, $6,000
10. Jody Barry, Kawasaki, Pirelli, $5,000
11. Daniel Spaulding, Yamaha , Dunlop, $4,500
12. Jeremy Kolewski, Kawasaki, Michelin, $4,000
13. Krunal Jadhav, Yamaha, Dunlop, $3,500
14. Jason Dai, Yamaha, Pirelli, $3,200
15. Alexander Guibeault, Yamaha, Dunlop, $2,900
16. John Ashmead, Kawasaki, Dunlop, $2,600
17. David McPherson, Yamaha, Pirelli, $2,300
18. Anthony Fania, Yamaha, Dunlop, $2,000
19. Joshua Marino, Kawasaki, Pirelli, $1,800
20. Eric Helmbach, Yamaha, Pirelli, $1,600
21. Norman Pomerleau, Yamaha, Dunlop, $1,500
22. Antal Halasz, Suzuki, Dunlop, $1,500
23. Gino Angella, Yamaha, Dunlop, $1,500
24. Roosevelt Wright Jr., Yamaha, Dunlop, $1,500
25. Magnus Mossburg, Yamaha, Bridgestone, $1,500