Hal’s H-D/Buell/Hal’s Speed Shop rider Dan Bilansky rode a Buell XB12R to win the Thunderbike National at the first round of the 2009 ASRA Michelin Pro Series at Daytona International Speedway. Bilansky executed a perfect last-lap drafting pass of the defending Thunderbike champion, BMW of Atlanta rider Nate Kern, to take the win.
In Motosport.com Championship Cup Series sprint racing on Saturday at Daytona, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing Buell rider Danny Eslick scored a convincing victory in Expert SuperTwins, the first Daytona victory for a rider aboard a Buell 1125R. On Sunday, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing Buell rider Michael Barnes, testing his injured hand in preparation for the March 6 Daytona 200, rode a Buell 1125R to second place in Expert Unlimited SuperSport.
The Thunderbike win confirmed Bilansky’s last-minute decision to make the trip from Wisconsin to race at Daytona, despite a tight budget.
“It was like déjà vu out there, because that was exactly the same pass I made on Kern to win the Thunderbike championship at Daytona in 2006,” said Bilansky. “And I think it was just as close, maybe half a bike length. My Hal’s Buell had the power to get the job done.”
Ray Price Harley-Davidson/Buell rider David Estok posted the fastest lap in Thunderbike qualifying with a time of 1:57.801, but was penalized three positions when his Buell XB12R was 0.7 horsepower over the class formula in post-event testing. That moved Kern to the pole with a lap of 1:58.026.
A sudden weather change on Sunday morning produced rain, dropping temperatures and high winds before the start of the nine-lap Thunderbike National. The track was mostly dry, and Estok took the lead for the first lap before retiring with a mechanical problem. Kern and Bilansky then opened a wide lead on the rest of the field.
“Nobody wants to be leading on the last lap at Daytona, and at about the mid-point of the race Kern ran way wide at the chicane to let me know it was my turn at the front,” said Bilansky. “I let him through later, but then on lap seven I made a legitimate mistake and he got about 25 bike lengths on me and I was afraid I would lose the draft. On the last lap I had to go really deep on the brakes at turn one and at the chicane, and got back to about 10 lengths behind, which was the perfect set-up for the last lap. It was really blowing hard so he was making a big hole in the wind.”
Bilansky used that draft to accelerate past Kern and was leading by only 0.001 seconds as the pair crossed the finish line. Third place went to Hal’s H-D/Buell/Hal’s Speed Shop rider Joel Spaulding, making his Expert debut on a Buell XB12R. Spaulding ran alone in third place for most of the race. Fernando Ferreyra was fourth on a Bimota, followed by Soundwaves.com rider Sam Rozynski on a Buell, Eric Helmbach on a Honda, and Joe Rozynski on a second Soundwaves.com Buell. Ray Price Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Jordan Richardson finished eighth on a Buell.
After one ASRA Michelin Pro Series Thunderbike race, Bilansky leads the series with 35 points, followed by Kern with 31 points and Spaulding with 26 points.
The next event on the 10-race ASRA Michelin Pro Series schedule is April 25-26 at Heartland Park Topeka, in Topeka, Kan.
Buell Riders Win Motorsports.com CCS Sprint Races
Other Buell winners in Motorsports.com CCS sprint competition at Daytona include Ray Price Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Jordan Richardson in Amateur SuperTwins and Amateur GTO on a Buell 1125R, and Bilansky in Expert GT Lights on a Buell XB12R. Kegel H-D/Buell rider Jay Smith rode a Buell XB12R to win in Amateur Lightweight Super Sport and Amateur Lightweight GT.
To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.
