Some things are just meant to be, and for Michael Barnes that meant coming out of retirement and breaking the record originally held by Dick Mann in 1971 as the oldest winner of the Daytona 200. Forty-seven-year-old Barnes led 46 of the 57 lap encounter to take the victory on his Palm Beach Police Foundation/Prieto Performance Yamaha YZF-R6. The 2016 200 race was Barnes’ 13th attempt in the Great Race.
“I’m kind of speechless and fumbling for words,” said a tearful Barnes during Gatorade Victory Lane ceremonies. “All of the people who helped me … you know who you are. I just can’t thank everybody enough. This one is for quite a few people.”
Barnes took the lead early on in the race from pole sitter Geoff May and eventually stretched the advantage to 10.084 seconds at the flag.
“It’s awesome for him to come out of retirement and put a whuppin’ on all of us,” May said. “‘Barney’ had the pace today; he was getting after it.”
Wyatt Farris rode his Trackside Suspension & Engineering/MD Racing’s Yamaha YZF-R6 into third place in his rookie year at the 200, however, he finished over 45 seconds down on Barnes after severe dehydration and mechanical problems halted his charge.
The race was briefly stopped on lap 19 when Brett Molnar crashed his Yamaha YZF-R6, the machine spectacularly catching fire. Molnar was uninjured in the melee.
The 2016 Daytona 200 week got off to a rough start with the sensation news that two-time and defending 200 champion Danny Eslick was suspended from competition by the AMA for being charged with battery on a law enforcement officer on Monday night, March 7.
His absence in the race left the top of the podium wide open although Eslick was still in Victory Lane to celebrate the win with close friend Barnes at the conclusion of the race.
Two more pieces of history was made when 1989 Daytona 200 victor John Ashmead set the all-time record for most race miles completed. Ashmead rode his Kawasaki ZX-6R to 19th, while 66-year-old Arthur Kowitz of Ormond Beach,went into the record books as the oldest rider to finish the iconic event in 41st after completing 41 laps.
2016 Daytona 200
1 Michael Barnes (Yam YZF-R6), 57 laps
2 Geoff May (Yam YZF-R6), -10.084 seconds, 1:50.808
3 Wyatt Farris (Yam YZF-R6), -45.132, 1:50.825
4 Shane Narbonne (Yam YZF-R6), -64.563, 1:51.402
5 Bostjan Skubic (Yam YZF-R6), -81.948, 1:52.148
6 Stefano Mesa (Yam YZF-R6), -87.578, 1:52.096
7 Bruno Silva (Yam YZF-R6), -100.780, 1:52.436
8 Mark Heckles (Yam YZF-R6), -105.013, 1:51.968
9 Ryan Jones (Kaw ZX-6R), -1 lap, 1:52.716
10 Darren James (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:54.921
