Herrin Over Jacobsen in MMP Thriller

Henny Ray Abrams | May 29, 2011

TOOELE VALLEY, UT, MAY 29 – Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin won a thrilling Daytona SportBike race by stealing victory from Celtic Racing/Fast by Ferracci’s PJ Jacobsen on the last of 16 tensely fought laps of the dry/wet Miller Motorsports Park road course.The win was a huge boost for Herrin, who started the season under a cloud at Daytona and was forced to miss the second race of the championship at Infineon Raceway. Those setbacks slightly derailed his championship hopes, but today’s exciting victory put him back on track.The win was his first of the season and tenth of his Daytona SportBike career. It puts him in sole possession of second all-time behind the 16 of Martin Cardenas.When the race started, on a wet but drying track, Jacobsen got the jump from Herrin, Vesrah Racing’s Cory West, M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby and Jason DiSalvo, on the Latus Motors Racing Ducati, and the race would mostly be fought among them.DiSalvo wasn’t up to the pace-he’d set up his Ducati 848 too softly-and dropped as far back as seventh before recovering one spot to finish sixth.No one spent more time at the front than Jacobsen, who had a fast motorcycle that was a handful on the brakes. Time after time his foot would come out and the Ducati 848EVO would wobble into the turns, but he held his ground. But as the race wore on, he was having more and more trouble with the left side of his front tire on the drying track.The pack of five-GP Bike Parts Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)was a latecomer to the party-was fluid as a group in the second half of the race. Westby took the lead on the tenth lap, holding it for the 11, as Jacobsen dropped back to fourth before beginning his revival. It came in a rush.With West leading for the first time ending the 12th lap, Jacobsen began his rapid ascent. He first passed Westby into the first turn of lap 13, then took Herrin for second in the next corner. Exiting the fast right Witchcraft he sped past Cory West for the lead.Herrin made his way to second by the 14th lap and ending it the pair had 1.551 secs. on third placed West, who had Westby and Beaubier in his spray.Class rookie Beaubier, with little wet weather experience, then took his more experienced rivals to take over third early on the penultimate lap.The final lap began with Jacobsen narrowly heading Herrin, who made his move into the left hand Black Rock hairpin, Jacobsen immediately countering on the exit. The persistent Herrin struck back in the next combination Right Hook and Knock Out.Jacobsen shadowed him to the end, but the left side of his front tire was shot and with finish line so close to the final turn it was Herrin’s race when he led out of Release, the last left onto the front straight.The margin of victory was .161 sec.Beaubier was a lone third, 3.295 secs. in front of West and Westby.Championship leader DiSalvo had his worst finish of the season, and first defeat, in sixth.Still, after four rounds of the DSB championship, DiSalvo leads with 109 points to 74 for Cory West. Herrin moved into third with 67 and his first win of the season.

Daytona SportBike:

1. Josh Herrin (Yamaha)

2. PJ Jacobsen (Ducati)

3. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)

4. Cory West (Suzuki)

5. Dane Westby (Suzuki)

6. Jason DiSalvo (Ducati)

7. Danny Eslick (Suzuki)

8. Josh Galster (Yamaha)

9. Paul Allison (Yamaha)

10. Tommy Aquino (Yamaha)