Eslick Gets the Win and the Points Lead

Henny Ray Abrams | July 10, 2011

LEXINGTON, OHIO, JULY 10 – Sunday’s Daytona SportBike was typical of the class, five riders battling to the end and the final order not decided until the very end. And when it was decided, after 21 laps on a hot afternoon at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, RMR Geico’s Danny Eslick had his second win of the year, and the championship lead, while Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin suffered after a penultimate corner gamble backfired, with the previous co-championship leader dropping from second to fifth in the final few hundred yards.

After the top five riders had crossed the line, separated by only .861 sec., Eslick had sole control of the championship with 214 points to 199 for Herrin and 173 for Jason DiSalvo.DiSalvo (Latus Motors Racing Ducati) was in the mix for the lead until running long and into the gravel trap at the end of the track’s longest straightaway on the eighth lap. DiSalvo went from fourth to twelfth, but recovered to finish seventh.Finishing behind Eslick was Tommy Aquino (Yamaha Extended Service/Pat Clark Sports), who took advantage of Herrin’s gamble to earn his first podium of the year. Jake Holden Racing’s Cameron Beaubier (Yam), who had the fastest lap of the race, also gained a spot by Herrin’s mistake to take third, his third podium of the season. And Saturday’s winner, M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby, moved from fifth to fourth. The gap back to Herrin was .028 sec.Vesrah Suzuki’s Cory West was a distant sixth in front of DiSalvo.Daytona SportBike:1. Danny Eslick (Suzuki)

2. Tommy Aquino (Yamaha)

3. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha)

4. Dane Westby (Suzuki)

5. Josh Herrin (Yamaha)

6. Cory West (Suzuki)

7. Jason DiSalvo (Ducati)

8. Paul Allison (Yamaha)

9. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)

10. Tyler OHara (Yamaha)