In what was an exciting preview to Sunday’s Daytona 200 By Arai, Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Nicky Hayden took the first two spots in Friday’s thrilling Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport at Daytona International Speedway.

Duhamel, a three-time Daytona 200 By Arai champion, led the final two laps of the race and held off a contingent of riders for his sixth victory in the 600 SuperSport. Finishing second was Hayden and rounding out the podium was Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert, who made his first career 600 SuperSport start.

"Our bike was really working great," said Duhamel, who led nine of the 18 laps in the race. "The guys at Honda worked hard and really gave us a much better bike. The thing is really fast." Every time Honda introduces a middleweight sportsbike (this year it’s the CBR600 F4i), Duhamel has been able to put it in Victory Lane right away at Daytona. The victory was Duhamel’s 38th career SuperSport triumph, which leads all riders.

Hayden’s second-place finish was truly an achievement after falling in Turn1 in the first half of the race. A red flag, which was brought out on Lap 9, gave Hayden a chance with a restart. "I definitely caught a break," Hayden said. "I fell down there. There must have been some oil. I don’t know what happen. It was all so quick."

In the other support race of the day, Jason Pridmore, riding the Attack Suzuki GSXR750, held off 16-year-old Ben Spies for victory in the Genuine Suzuki Accessories 750 SuperSport. "It was one of those things on the last lap where we were stopped up on the banking cruising along," Pridmore said. "I decided that I wanted to race to finish. I didn’t want to have it end like that. I was totally convinced that if I got second I was going to be proud or if I won I was going to be proud. I got through the chicane as clean as I could. That’s all I could do and I was able to hold on."

Friday’s Results

Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport: 
1. Miguel Duhamel, Honda;
2. Nicky Hayden, Honda; 
3. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha; 
4. Kurtis Roberts, Honda; 
5. Eric Bostrom,Kawasaki.

Genuine Suzuki Accessories 750 SS: 
1. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 750; 
2. Ben Spies, Suzuki 750; 
3. Rich Alexander Suzuki 750; 
4. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki 750; 
5. Brian Gibbs, Suzuki 750.

MBNA 250 Grand Prix Heat Race No. 1
1. Jason Disalvo, Honda 250; 
2. Jim Flice, Yamaha 250; 
3. Charles Sorensen, Yamaha 250; 
4. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha 250; 
5. Neil Richardson, Yamaha 250.