Round 1 Daytona Short Track

MARCH 3RD, 2010 – The AMA Pro Flat Track event, staged on a quarter-mile lime rock track located outside Turns 1 and 2, was the first on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway.  The atmosphere was electric.  A sold out grandstand with 5,000 eager fans and the chance to pen your name in the history books for the first win on the all new track created a buzz in the paddock that was felt by all, including the mechanics, organizers, media and riders.

Everyone scrambled to find a setup that was fast, as conditions were drastically different from practice and qualifying.   The track changed from a loose, deeply rutted course in the afternoon to a hard packed slick surface for the heat races.  Traction is a key factor in all motorsports, especially dirt track.  Too much power plagued many of the competitors, forcing Jared Mees to run a bonestock Honda CRF 450R on the second night.  The Yamaha’s ran strong and set the pace in both the Pro and Expert Singles events.

Polesitter Joe Kopp, on a Honda, took the lead on the start and led the first seven laps before Halbert, on a Yamaha YZF 450F, took the lead on Lap 8 and held on the rest of the way for his first win at Daytona. The margin of victory was 2.008 seconds, which looks like a mile on a short track.

“It means so much,” Halbert said of being the first winner on the Daytona Short Track. “It’s great to see this dream come true and put Yamaha on top of the box where it belongs.”

Taking second was Kawasaki’s Henry Wiles, who won both rounds at Daytona last year, and Honda’s Jake Johnson was third.

The Flat Track events, which have been held in Daytona Beach for more than 30 years, are being staged for the first time on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway. Flat Track was first held at Memorial Stadium, which was located near Daytona State College. In the late 1980s, the event moved to the newly constructed Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium.

Expert Singles Round 1

1	#7	Sammy Halbert	Yamaha YZ 450
2	#1	Henry Wiles	Kawasaki KXF
3	#5	Jake Johnson	Honda CRF 450
4	#69	Jethro Halbert	Yamaha YZ 450
5	#3	Joe Kopp	Honda CRF 450
6	#10	Johnny Lewis	Honda CRF 450
7	#2	Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.	Honda CRF 450
8	#20	Matt Weidman	Honda CRF 450
9	#88	John Wood	Honda CRF 450
10	#21	Jared Mees	Honda CRF 450