DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Danny Eslick won the Daytona 200 motorcycle race for the third time, using a classic slingshot move on Saturday to pass Cory West coming out of the last turn on the final lap.
Eslick is the sixth three-time champion, joining Dick Klamfoth (1949, 1951-52), Brad Andres (1955, 1959-60), Roger Reiman (1961, 1964-65), Kenny Roberts (1978, 1983-84) and Mat Mladin (2000-01, ’04).
Eslick and West traded the lead over the last five laps of the 58-lap event on the 3.51-mile Daytona International Speedway road course. West had what appeared to be a safe lead in Turn 2 on the final lap, but Eslick quickly closed and made a final pass, drafting off the 31-degree banking in Turn 4 on the high side and edging West by 0.041 seconds.
Eslick won the event in 2014 and 2015, but missed last year’s Daytona 200 after being suspended by the American Sportbike Racing Association due to an off-track incident.
Michael Barnes, last year’s champion, finished third.
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