Spring is finally here. Perhaps you can’t tell because the weather in your part of the country still resembles mid-winter. But I know that spring is here, because my friends have already returned from 2018 Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida.
This year represented the 77thAnniversary of Bike Week. The rally traces its roots back to the first running of the Daytona 200 motorcycle race, which took place partly on the beach and partly on pavement on January 24, 1937. A racer named Ed Kretz won that race, incidentally, riding his Indian motorcycle at an average speed of 73.34 mph.
Racing is still at heart of Bike Week’s schedule, even if it is no longer the central activity or interest for the majority of attendees. The Daytona 200, American Flat Track’s Harley-Davidson TT and the Daytona Supercross all take place at the Daytona International Speedway during Bike Week and are fantastic events.
This year’s Daytona 200 was won by Danny Eslick on a TOBC Racing Yamaha R6 600. It was Eslick’s fourth win at Daytona, following previous wins in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Eslick averaged 95.834 mph over the 200-mile race.
Jared Mees won the Harley-Davidson TT (AFT Twins) aboard his Indian Scout FTR750 with 25 points and a best lap time of 27.771 seconds and a margin of victory of 0.462 seconds after 25 laps, while Dan Bromley won the AFT Singles class by 2.313 seconds with a best lap of 28.134 seconds over 15 laps.
Five-time Daytona Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael returned to the track this year, but not as a rider. He was the course designer, and it was a tough one. Justin Brayton was the winner of the main event – his first-ever Supercross victory at the age of 33, making him the oldest rider in history to win a Supercross. Let’s hear it for the “old” guys.
If you’ve never attended a motorcycle race, flat track event or Supercross, the rare opportunity to experience all three during one week at the same track is not to be missed. The display of skill, speed and daring is enough to inspire a year of riding.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has 11 properties within a 50-mile radius of Daytona Beach, including the Best Western International Speedway Inn, which is super close to both the Daytona International Speedway and Daytona Beach International Airport.
It’s not too early to make plans for Bike Week 2019 in Daytona Beach from March 8 – 17, 2019.