The following is from Ducati…
Josh Herrin etched his and Ducati’s name in the history books by securing his fourth Daytona 200 victory and third consecutive win for Ducati, marking the first time in the race’s history that a rider and manufacturer have achieved this feat.
The 2025 Daytona 200 was disrupted by two red flags: one for rain just before the halfway point and another for a crash during the restart. However, regardless of the challenges faced by the red number 2 Ducati, Herrin rose to the occasion.
Herrin’s blistering speed through the infield remained a cornerstone of his attack as he consistently gapped his opponents before the first banking. At that point, the Celtic/Economy Lube & Tire by Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2 took over to keep him at the front of the pack.
The last quarter of the race saw Herrin at his best performance by setting a phenomenal new lap record of 1:47.879 on lap 51. He leveraged his experience to maneuver around lapped riders, breaking free from any potential slipstream created by the pursuing riders and securing a controlled 5.33-second victory over Escalante and Scott.
The 2025 victory puts Herrin tied for third with Danny Eslick on the all-time Daytona 200 win list with four triumphs, with only AMA legends Miguel Duhamel and Scott Russell ahead on five wins each.
Josh Herrin (Celtic/Economy Lube & Tire by Warhorse HSBK Ducati – #2)
“Man, what a crazy weekend,” Herrin said with enthusiasm. “It’s my fourth win and third with Ducati; it doesn’t get much better than this. I see this as the biggest race in the United States and one of the largest in the world. Being the only person to win three in a row and rank in the top four of all-time wins is incredibly special.
“It’s a very difficult race to win once, let alone four times, and we’ve had some problems here in the past so it shows you need a bit of luck on your side. The bike felt incredible all weekend and I have an amazing crew behind me, so I really need to thank the whole Warhorse HSBK racing Ducati team, Brew Watch Co., Economy Lube and Tire, Ducati USA, and Ducati in Italy. I am so happy to be on the Panigale V2, and hopefully, we’ll see a surge in 2025 Panigale V2 sales!”
The following is from Suzuki…
Suzuki Motor USA kicked off the 2025 MotoAmerica season in outstanding fashion, with the Suzuki GSX-R750 claiming pole position and two podium positions in the 83rd Daytona 200 and the Suzuki GSX-8R sweeping both Twins Cup victories.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike regular Richie Escalante capped off a near-flawless weekend for the team by earning second-place in the iconic Daytona 200 aboard the team’s next-generation Suzuki GSX-R750 Supersport machine. Escalante was in the mix, at or near the front throughout despite a rain delay and second red flag stoppage due to a crash. The Mexican born racer was calm and fast, aided by his team’s pit stop acumen that earlier won the squad the Pitstop Challenge victory. He ultimately edged teammate Tyler Scott for the runner-up position by a scant 0.08-second margin at the checkered flag.
“Honestly, it was a difficult weekend for us,” Escalante admitted. “I didn’t have the best feeling during the weekend, especially during the Time Attack. I wasn’t confident this morning, so I said, ‘Okay, let’s go back to the setting from last year.’ And I was very strong in the race. I felt really good, and we battled with so many different riders.
“I’m happy to finish on the podium. Of course, I want to win, but that’s not always possible. I’m super happy. Big thanks to my entire Team Hammer Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew.”
Scott finished on the podium after earlier taking the Suzuki GSX-R750 to pole for the second consecutive season. He led at the start and at several other points along the way before crossing the stripe side-by-side with his teammate in third.
He said, “It was a difficult day for sure with the rain and everything, but the whole Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki team put in so much effort from the end of last season to today. A lot of hard work, so much training, and a lot of testing. The bike we have here today is a way better motorcycle than we had last year, and I’m more fit than last year.
“Overall, it was a very good race. The pit stops were perfect. I can’t give enough thanks to all my guys. I’m really excited because the bike feels amazing going into the first round of the MotoAmerica Supersport championship.”
Reigning Junior Cup champion Matthew Chapin made a magnificent transition up to the Twins Cup as he scored a pair of dramatic victories in his first outing aboard the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R. Chapin came out on top of a four-rider scrap to win on Friday by a narrow .087-second margin and then upped the stakes with a five-rider, 0.019-second triumph on Saturday.
Chapin said, “I think my whole plan was just to be patient until the last lap let those guys fight it out at the front. I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks; I knew I had the bike underneath me to do it. So I just used the draft at the end and got it done.
“Huge thanks to everyone at RevZilla, Motul, and Vance & Hines for believing in me.”
The following is from Robem Engineering…
If Alessandro Di Mario is due for a sophomore slump in MotoAmerica Twins Cup, it wasn’t on display at the season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway. The teenage phenom who rode an Aprilia RS 660 to a Twins Cup title as a rookie last year was the fastest rider in practice and qualifying at the March 6-8 Daytona round – and came up slivers of a second short of winning each race.
After two races, the Lexington, Ky., resident Di Mario left Daytona Beach a close second place in the Twins Cup points standings.
Di Mario’s pace in practice and qualifying at the Daytona International Speedway round was simply blistering. He started the round by posting a best lap time in Thursday morning practice that was more than a second faster than the next-best time and was on provisional pole when Thursday afternoon’s Qualifying 1 session came to a close. When the Qualifying 2 session wrapped up on Friday morning, Di Mario had secured pole position for the rounds’ two Twins Cup races by a margin of 0.349 seconds.
In Friday afternoon’s Twins Cup Race 1, Di Mario got a decent start and was one of four riders who quickly established themselves as the front runners. Di Mario took the lead on several occasions during the nine-lap race as the pack of four riders used the draft to repeatedly slingshot past each other. On the run to the finish line, Di Mario did his best to be at the front and came up just 0.087 second short of winning the first race of the 2025 season.
Saturday morning’s Race 2 ended up being a near clone of Friday’s race, as a small group of riders made an early break from the rest of the field and spent almost all of the nine-lap race drafting and re-drafting each other for position. Though Di Mario was in a less-than-ideal fourth position as the frontrunning pack began its final run to the tri-oval, Di Mario craftly used the draft to nearly claim the win. He finished in second place again – a mere 0.019 seconds behind the race winner.
The Robem Engineering team will be back in action at the next MotoAmerica Twins Cup round, which is slated to take place April 4-6 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Alessandro Di Mario / No. 1
“The races were pretty good. The team did a perfect job by making sure the bike was at its best the whole weekend. I’m happy I was able to get as many points as possible here at Daytona, which is a track I struggle at. I am very excited for the next round at Barber, since it’s my favorite track.”
The following is from Karns TST Industries…
We had a great weekend with some adversity – all of the riders were quick out of the gate Isaac Woodworth and Levi Badie solidly in the top 10, after making improvements to the Suzuki GSX8Rs all weekend. Isaac using the draft to his advantage in both races nipping Levi at the line. They are sitting 6th and 7th in the championship going into Barber. We have some work to do and a game plan for there.
Elisa Gendron-Belen had a great weekend qualifying for the race and making some key moves and passes improving her lap times and finishing position significantly from 26th to 17th.
“I feel we had a very successful first weekend in the new class with some of the best riders in the class. There was definitely some ups and downs. We learned a bunch and are looking forward to Barber.” – Jason Karns Team principle.
That’s a wrap… see you at Barber.
The following is from Rodio Racing…
In a remarkable debut at the iconic Daytona 200, Gus Rodio finished 12th, demonstrating exceptional skill and determination throughout the race. Competing for Rodio Racing, Gus qualified P7 in both qualifying sessions and secured P8 in the Time Attack, setting the stage for an exciting race day.
The Daytona 200, known for its challenging conditions and fierce competition, marked a significant milestone in Rodio’s racing career. His impressive qualifying times showcased his talent and preparation, positioning him well among seasoned competitors. Despite facing unexpected electronics issues during the race, Gus displayed resilience and focus, navigating through the challenges to achieve a commendable finish in his first Daytona 200.
“I’m thrilled to have competed in my first Daytona 200 and to finish 12th among such a talented field,” said Gus Rodio. “It was a learning experience, and while the electronics issues were frustrating, I believe we showed great potential. I’m grateful for the support from my team and can’t wait to build on this performance in future races.”
Team owner Kevin Rodio expressed pride in Gus’s debut and the team’s efforts. “This was a significant race for Gus, and he handled it with great poise. We faced some hurdles, but I am confident that with every race, we will grow stronger. Our focus now is on analyzing the race and ensuring we are better prepared for the next challenges ahead.”
Rodio Racing remains committed to excellence and continuous improvement as they head to Barber Motorsports Park with Motoamerica April 4-6, 2025
