DUHAMEL SEEKING SECOND MIRACLE AT DAYTONA 200
3 March 2000
DUHAMEL SEEKING SECOND MIRACLE AT DAYTONA 200
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The press, his fellow riders and even Miguel
Duhamel himself called last year's victory in the Daytona 200 a miracle.
The Montreal native is hoping to pull off miracle number two on March 12,
2000, in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship race at the 59th
running of the Daytona 200 by Arai.
Duhamel, who rides for Honda, will be one of the favorites to
win the March classic, one the most historic and prestigious motorcycle
races in the world. The circumstances behind Duhamel's victory last year
made it one of the most memorable Daytona 200 finishes in the history of
the event, which first ran in 1937.
Duhamel arrived at Daytona International Speedway last year
walking with the assistance of a cane. He was still recovering from a
devastating accident he suffered at Loudon, N.H., in June of 1998 in which
he suffered serious leg injuries and he hadn't raced since that crash nine
months before.
During the 1999 Daytona 200, Duhamel was locked into a classic
race-long battle with Australian Mat Mladin riding a Suzuki. On the final
lap Mladin attempted a draft pass on Duhamel but came up short by a scant
14-100s of a second. It was the second closest finish ever and marked the
third Daytona 200 victory for Duhamel.
This year, Duhamel may experience a sense of deja vu when he
returns to Daytona for the 200. A crash at Road Atlanta last June left
Duhamel's leg re-injured and he has not raced since. Many pundits felt that
his crash at Road Atlanta would be the last straw for Duhamel and some
speculated that the 32 year-old veteran would retire from racing. But those
who know Duhamel best realize that he is one of the grittiest and most
determined riders ever in AMA Superbike racing.
A victory in this year's Daytona 200 by Arai would put him within
reach of tying Scott Russell's record five Daytona 200 victories.
Mladin led major portions of the 200 last year and was clearly the
fastest rider on the twisty infield section of the 3.56-mile road course.
In the end it was the power advantage of Duhamel's Honda that gave him the
edge he needed to nudge out Mladin and his factory Suzuki.
The 2000 Daytona 200 will mark the ninth appearance in the race for
Duhamel. He won in his very first outing - the 50th anniversary Daytona 200
in 1991 (he had qualified for the 1990 race, but was injured in practice
and did not start the event). Duhamel won his second 200 in 1996 by a
half-bike length over Scott Russell in the closest Daytona 200 ever.
However, Duhamel calls last year's Daytona victory the greatest win
in his 11-year professional racing career. While there are a multitude of
challenges facing Duhamel in the 200 this year, you can never count him
out. The stats do not lie. Duhamel is the all-time AMA Superbike wins
leader with 22-career victories; he owns the record for the longest AMA
Superbike winning streak when he took six-straight victories en route to
winning the championship in 1995; and he is tied for second (with Kenny
Roberts, Brad Andres, Dick Klamfoth and Roger Reiman) on the all-time
Daytona 200 wins list.
Duhamel will also have a new teammate on the Honda factory
team, 18 year-old Nick Hayden. Hayden, who won the AMA Pro Honda Oils 600
SuperSport Championship last year, is considered the top up-and-coming
rider on the AMA Superbike Tour. Just staying in front of the young gun
from Kentucky could be a major chore for Duhamel. Not to mention the
certain challenge he will face from defending AMA Superbike champ Mat
Mladin.
Tickets for the Daytona 200 By Arai are available online at
www.daytonaintlspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway Ticket Office at
(904) 253-7223.
Content for this release is provided courtesy of Daytona International
Speedway and Lawrence Media.
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