With the news that MotoAmerica is headed to Daytona International Speedway in March of 2022 for the Daytona 200, we decided the perfect way to build excitement for the event would be to start digging through the history books and memory banks. Since Paul Carruthers is literally as old as the Speedway itself and covered almost 30 Daytona 200s as a journalist while working at Cycle News, it was a no-brainer that it would be him who would take on the task of trying to recall the good and the bad. And since we are the home of the AMA Superbike Series, we figured we’d have him start his look back with the 1985 Daytona 200 – the first of the 200s to feature Superbikes – and go from there. This week, we focus on the 1994, 1995 and 1996 Daytona 200s.
1994
Winner: Scott Russell, Kawasaki ZX-7R
Scott Russell’s Kawasaki suffered a mechanical failure in the Twin 50 qualifying race in the lead up to the 53rd edition of the Daytona 200 and thus was forced to start the 1994 200 from the 16th of the 20-row grid, but it mattered not. Russell and his Muzzy Kawasaki carved their way through the field, and the pairing were in second place when a red flag temporarily halted the race. The race ended up being held in two parts and Russell won the most important part, the Georgian earning a second Daytona 200 win with a 2.9-second victory over Australian Troy Corser.
The Turning Point: The race ended up boiling down to a battle of pit crews. The Muzzy Kawasaki team elected not to change Russell’s rear tire during the Georgian’s final pit stop while the Fast By Ferracci crew went ahead and fitted new rubber to Corser’s Ducati. That proved to be the difference with Russell emerging from the pits for the final time with an insurmountable advantage.
Newsworthy: Aussie Troy Corser showed that he was something special in his AMA debut as he finished second in his first-ever Daytona 200 after coming up just 2.9 seconds behind Scott Russell and ahead of four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson.
Doug Polen made his debut on the factory Honda RC45 at Daytona, the bike clad in Smokin’ Joe’s Racing livery. Polen ended up fourth in his only U.S. appearance as he was headed to Europe to race in the World Superbike Championship for his new team.
Scott Russell would also be heading to Europe after his win in the 200, the Kawasaki rider set to defend his World Superbike Championship.
The finishing order of the 1994 Daytona 200 read like a who’s who of AMA Superbike racing with Russell, Corser, Lawson, Polen, Jamie James, Steve Crevier, Mike Smith, Thomas Stevens, Kevin Magee, and Dale Quarterley taking the top 10 spots in the race.
Fast By Ferracci Ducati’s Pascal Picotte earned pole position for the Daytona 200 with a new lap record of 1:50.068 at an average speed of 116.437 mph. The pole position was Picotte’s first-ever in an AMA National and it bettered Russell’s 1993 record of 1:50.194. Picotte’s hopes of Daytona 200 glory ended on the 24th lap when he coasted to a stop in the dogleg, his chain no longer on the sprocket.
All hell broke loose on the 31st lap when German Bernhard Schick crashed horrifically on the front straight after a front rim failure caused the front tire to lose air and come part. Fortunately, Schick escaped with only minor injuries.
1995
Winner: Scott Russell, Kawasaki ZX-7R
A year after winning the Daytona 200 from close to the back of the 80-rider field, Scott Russell went one better in 1995 as he crashed his Muzzy Kawasaki on the second lap, remounted at the rear of the pack and somehow marched onward to his third Daytona 200 victory. As I wrote in Cycle News at the time, “It makes you wonder what he’ll try next year – perhaps he’ll start on Main Street at the back of the motorcycle parade.”
The Turning Point: After picking up his crashed Kawasaki in the International Horseshoe at the start of the second lap, Russell was soon picking off slower riders in front of him. He was up to 37th on the fourth lap when a pace car came out due to an accident in turn six. After three laps run under caution, Russell restarted his assault on the field and took the lead for the first time on the 20th lap. From there, except for some shuffling due to scheduled pit stops, he was never headed again.
Newsworthy: Russell’s win was not only remarkable, but it was historical as it placed him into the record books as only the third man in 54 years to win three Daytona 200s – as he joined legends Dick Klamfoth, Roger Reiman and Kenny Roberts.
“We like it here, what can I say?” Russell said from Victory Lane after his improbable win. “The pace car helped, but I don’t think we would have needed it the way things turned out – but we’ll take it.”
Second place in the Daytona 200 went to Russell’s World Superbike rival Carl Fogarty. Fogarty wasn’t too pleased with the result and blamed a lot of it on the pace car. “It’s pretty incredible to crash and still win,” Fogarty said of Russell in the post-race press conference. Prior to the race, Fogarty had been quoted as saying, “I hate the place (Daytona), I hate the track and I hate the Americans.”
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Thomas Stevens bested Vance & Hines Yamaha’s Colin Edwards in a final sprint to the checkered flag for the final spot in Victory Lane.
Russell became the first rider to ever lap the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway in under the one-minute, 50-second barrier when he ripped off a 1:49.852 to earn pole position for the 200.
1996
Winner: Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC45
Rain forced the postponement of the 55th running of the Daytona six days, but the wait was well worth it as Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel battled to the bitter end, culminating in what may have been the most exciting half-mile of racing ever seen at the famed Superspeedway. The pair exited the chicane for the final time with Duhamel and his Smokin’ Joe’s Honda leading Russell and his Lucky Strike Suzuki with both men surviving rear-wheel slides at 180-plus mph on the tri-oval. At the finish, it was Duhamel taking his second Daytona 200 win – this one by an unheard of .010 of a second.
The Turning Point: You don’t often lead out of the second chicane at Daytona and make it to the finish line first. Duhamel, though, did just that – despite his rear tire spinning up. “When I pulled it back in, the rear end broke around, sliding coming off the banking,” Duhamel explained. “I must have blipped the throttle – maybe 98 percent. Then it was, ‘Get back on it or you’re going to lose the Daytona 200.’ Then the straight looked like it was 50 miles long to the finish line. Twenty feet before the line I felt him, but I knew it was too late. As soon as I crossed the line I could see Scott out of the side of my eye, right by my knee puck.”
Newsworthy: As if the race for victory wasn’t enough, the battle for third was just as furious with Yamaha’s Colin Edwards barely drafting past Yoshimura Suzuki’s Pascal Picotte at the finish line.
After narrowly missing out on what would have been a record-setting fourth Daytona 200 victory, Scott Russell vowed to return. “Daytona is a great place for me, and I always have good luck here. I even look at today as a good day at Daytona. Number four is out there for me, and I’ll be back to get it. I’m not sure when, but I’ll be back.”
Harley-Davidson’s much-maligned VR1000 finished 10th in the hands of multi-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr. “Harley-Davidson hasn’t finished a Daytona 200 in about 20 years,” Carr said. “I thought if we stayed consistent and burned some laps, and stayed out of trouble, we had a shot at a top 10. And sure enough, we ended up 10th.
Pole position for the Daytona 200 went to Australian Troy Corser – a week before the 200 was run after the race was delayed a week by rain. In the race, Corser had the fastest bike and led the most laps, but he wasn’t around at the finish. Instead, his Ducati 955 overheated until the point of termination on the 30th of 52 laps.
With the six-day postponement of the race obviously hurting the spectator count, Russell’s Lucky Strike Suzuki team manager Garry Taylor had the following to say as virtually no one was in attendance for Saturday’s practice session: “Are they going to bring the pace car out when the spectator has to use the bathroom?” the Brit said.
I enjoy what you guys tend to be up too. This type of clever work and reporting!
Keep up the superb works guys I’ve added you guys to my own blogroll.
Hello there, awesome web site. All of the issues you created on were quite fascinating. I attempted to provide in the RSS feed to my news reader. Thanks
great points altogether, you simply gained a brand new reader. What would you suggest about your post that you made some days ago? Any positive?
We are a group of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with helpful information to paintings on. You’ve done a formidable activity and our whole group will probably be thankful to you.
Hello my family member! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and come with approximately all important infos. I’d like to look extra posts like this .
Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
Some truly excellent posts on this website , thanks for contribution.
I got what you mean , thankyou for putting up.Woh I am lucky to find this website through google.
Its like you learn my mind! You seem to grasp so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I feel that you just could do with some p.c. to power the message house a bit, however other than that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.
I really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again
I don’t even know how I finished up here, but I assumed this submit used to be good. I don’t recognise who you are however definitely you are going to a well-known blogger should you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
Hello.This post was really fascinating, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this topic last couple of days.
What i don’t realize is in reality how you are now not really a lot more well-preferred than you might be now. You’re very intelligent. You realize thus significantly in relation to this subject, produced me in my view consider it from a lot of varied angles. Its like men and women are not fascinated until it is one thing to accomplish with Woman gaga! Your individual stuffs excellent. Always handle it up!
Great write-up, I¦m normal visitor of one¦s web site, maintain up the excellent operate, and It’s going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
You are my inhalation, I possess few blogs and occasionally run out from to brand : (.
Hello my loved one! I wish to say that this post is awesome, great written and come with almost all vital infos. I would like to peer extra posts like this .
Simply want to say your article is as surprising. The clearness to your post is simply cool and i could assume you are an expert on this subject. Well together with your permission let me to clutch your RSS feed to stay updated with approaching post. Thank you 1,000,000 and please continue the gratifying work.
Keep working ,terrific job!
Its good as your other articles : D, regards for posting. “To be at peace with ourselves we need to know ourselves.” by Caitlin Matthews.
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. cheers
Good day! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I genuinely enjoy reading your blog posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same subjects? Thanks!
I like this blog so much, saved to favorites. “I don’t care what is written about me so long as it isn’t true.” by Dorothy Parker.
I love it when people come together and share opinions, great blog, keep it up.
I just could not depart your website prior to suggesting that I really loved the standard info a person supply to your guests? Is gonna be again incessantly to investigate cross-check new posts.
I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts on this sort of house . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So i am glad to show that I have an incredibly good uncanny feeling I came upon just what I needed. I most indisputably will make certain to do not overlook this site and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.
My partner and I stumbled over here from a different website and thought I should check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking into your web page repeatedly.
Great article and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is in fact the best place to ask but do you guys have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
Some genuinely interesting points you have written.Assisted me a lot, just what I was searching for : D.
That is really attention-grabbing, You are an excessively skilled blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and stay up for in the hunt for extra of your wonderful post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
Hi! I’ve been reading your blog for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the great job!
fantastic points altogether, you simply gained a new reader. What may you suggest in regards to your put up that you made a few days ago? Any sure?