Eslick Wins Wild One at Mid-Ohio

Henny Ray Abrams | July 18, 2010

LEXINGTON, OHIO, JULY 18 – Geico Powersports/RMR Suzuki’s Danny Eslick took advantage of the mistakes of two others to close to within two points of the Daytona SportBike points lead with his second win of the year, this one coming on a cloudy, warm day at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.Eslick was at the front of a six-rider pack when second-placed rider Martin Cardenas (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki) crashed in the Carousel on the 11th of 21 laps. The riders just behind had to check up and that gave Eslick enough breathing room to break the string.From there he was able to motor away in the second half of the race while a trio of riders, Team Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin, Team Latus Motors Racing’s Steve Rapp, and DNA Energy Drink CNR Motorsports Ducati’s Bobby Fong, fought for the final two podium spots. Herrin was in second and in control when he crashed after locking up the rear wheel in turn six on the final lap. Riding a badly damaged R6, he remounted to finish 19th and score two valuable points.That mean the battle for second was between the Ducatis. It went to the veteran Rapp by .007 secs.Team Graves Yamaha’s Tommy Aquino was alone in fourth, with Cardenas remounting to finish fifth.Herrin continues to lead the championship, but his lead, which was 31 points when the race began, is now two, 249 to 247. Cardenas is third with 222.Celtic Racing’s P.J. Jacobsen tied his career best by finishing sixth in beating Vesrah Racing’s Cory West.

Results:

1 Danny Eslick (Suzuki)

2. Steve Rapp (Ducati)

3. Bobby Fong (Ducati)

4. Tommy Aquino (Yamaha)

5. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki)

6. P.J. Jacobsen (Suzuki)

7. Cory West (Suzuki)

8. Josh Day (Yamaha)

9. Fernando Amantini (Kawasaki)

10. Kris Turner (Suzuki)

Henny Ray Abrams | Contributing Editor

Abrams is the longest-serving contributor at Cycle News. Over the course of his 35-some years of writing and shooting photos, he’s covered events from MotoGP to the Motocross World Championship - and everything in between.