History
The race moved from a 3.2-mile (5.1 km) beach racing venue in 1937 to the 2-mile (3.2 km) Daytona International Speedway course in 1961.
Due to increasing concerns over speeds and reconstruction of the West Banking (NASCAR Turns 1 and 2) after the 2004 season, Daytona made two changes for 2005. First, the premier AMA Superbike class race was changed from 200 miles (320 km) to 100 kilometers (62 mi), and the Formula Xtreme class was promoted to the Daytona 200. Second, the track configuration was changed such that the motorcycles would run through a short link after passing the Pedro Rodriguez hairpin, then run across the International Horseshoe anticlockwise, and then pass through the infield, rejoining the track on the Superstretch. This eliminated a half mile from the track, eliminated the west banking segment of the course, and thus increased the number of laps required for the race. For the 2009 Daytona 200, the new Daytona SportBikes will race the premier event; the first change to the racing series following the sale of the AMA Pro Racing series to the Daytona Motorsports Group on March 7, 2008. For 2009, the Daytona 200 returns to the 3.56-mile (5.73 km) Daytona Speedway/Infield Course used in the 24 hours of Daytona.
The race has been one of the toughest in American motorcycling because of its endurance-like qualities of pit stops for tires and fuel, and safety car periods, and nine FIM world champions, including seven 500cc/MotoGP World Champions—six Americans and one Italian—have won the race. Of recent American world champions, only Kenny Roberts, Jr. did not win the Daytona 200. Finnish and Venezuelan FIM world champions in smaller classes have also won the 200.
Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel are tied for most Daytona 200 wins at five each. Russell, known by the nickname "Mr. Daytona" because of his achievements at the famed track, won all his Daytona races in the Superbike class (750-1000cc). Duhamel's fifth victory came in the new-for-2005 class, Forumula Xtreme (600cc).
Steve Rapp's 2007 victory was the first win for Kawasaki since 1995 and the first win for a non-factory rider since John Ashmead won in 1989.
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