Tyler O’Hara Wins Mid-Ohio Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Race

Larry Lawrence | July 20, 2014
  It was a battle the entire way between five riders. They shuffled positions dozens of times during the final but in the end it was Tyler OHara coming through with a last-lap pass to score his second victory of the season. Larry Lawrence photo

Photography by Larry Lawrence

LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 20, 2014) – It was a battle the entire way between five riders. They shuffled positions dozens of times during the final, but in the end it was Tyler O’Hara coming through with a last-lap pass to score his second victory of the season. Danny Eslick charged from fifth to second late in the race to preserve his series lead. Former Supermoto champion Ben Carlson took third.

Eslick led the first lap, then Wyman, but it was Rapp on the charge who came to the front and was leading by lap four in the 11-lap final.

At mid-race there were still five riders in the lead pack with Rapp leading O’Hara, Wyman, Carlson and Eslick.

In the closing laps Rapp was pushing his Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson hard to try to gap the quartet of riders on his tail. But getting away at the technical Mid-Ohio is tough and by lap seven he had

In the closing laps Eslick fell off the back of the lead group.

Lap 10 was hectic with a lot of jockeying among the leaders. It was Carlson coming out with the advantage as the group took the white flag. Eslick also found a little extra and was back in the hunt.On the final lap it was O’Hara coming through in the shuffling to take his second win of the season. Eslick made an amazing charge to move up to second, minimizing the damage to his points lead.

Eslick leaves Mid-Ohio with six-point lead over O’Hara in the championship chase.

“I knew this weekend would be a turning point and a battle to the end,” O’Hara said. “I drove all week to get here and I’m so happy to get on the box.”

AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series, Results, Mid-Ohio
1. Tyler O’Hara
2. Danny Eslick
3. Ben Carlson
4. Kyle Wyman
5. Steve Rapp
6. Ryan Kerr
7. Gage McAllister
8. Nick Hansen
9. Hayden Schultz
10. Josh Chisum

 

Larry Lawrence | Archives Editor

In addition to writing our Archives section on a weekly basis, Lawrence is another who is capable of covering any event we throw his way.