Daytona Testing

Nicky Hayden and Anthony Gobert popped off some fast laps during the final day of a three-day Dunlop test session at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 61st annual Daytona 200 By Arai on March 10.

Hayden, riding aboard the factory supported Honda RC51, finished the day atop the speed chart with a lap of 1m48.141, 118.512 mph, which would break the current qualifying record of 1m48.424 seconds, 118.203 mph, set by Mat Mladin in the 2001 Daytona 200 By Arai qualifying.

Gobert, the 26-year-old native of Australia and factory rider of the No. 16 Yamaha, was atop the speed chart throughout the test and finished with a lap of 1:48.428, 118.222 mph. He set a track record when he won the pole for the Daytona 200 By Arai in 1999.

After a successful test session, Gobert, whose best finish in the Daytona 200 By Arai came in 1998 with a eighth-place finish, will no doubt return in March for Daytona 200 Week with high expectations.

“I’ve been learning quite a bit,” said Gobert, who has been testing with 2001 equipment. “The Yamaha U.S. team has been working hard as well as the Japanese guys. We’re going to get some new engines and stuff apparently for March so we’re looking forward to that. I’m really, really happy with the progress we’ve made.”

Gobert likes the challenge of the Daytona 200 By Arai, which is one of the toughest races on the AMA circuit. The 57-lap race is the longest of the year, the only one that will require pit stops and the track is demanding on both the rider and the tires.

“It's good fun, really,” Gobert said. "I like the pit stop races. It’s exciting for the spectators. Daytona is one of those races that's so prestigious and so big, it means a lot to win. Because of that, you don’t care how long the race is. If it was 157 laps, you would still be going as hard as you can at the end. Here, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the whole atmosphere and how big (the race) is. You do whatever it takes.”

Meanwhile, Hayden is also hungry for a Daytona 200 By Arai victory. He came within inches in 2000, losing out to Mat Mladin. “It definitely takes a lot of experience,” Hayden said about competing in the Daytona 200 By Arai. “A lot of elements go into pit stops, the pace car, all sorts of things. Experience definitely comes out with the drafting. I feel like I've got a lot to learn, but for the time being, it’s going pretty good.”