Luke Gough Website - Daytona Article page

Daytona 2010 Race Report

After getting back up to Johnson Cams after the race at Salem, we tore down the blown up Honda and the news was not good. Basically the top end was trashed - bad. The bottom end wasn't a lot better, but at least the cases were all good to go. Ordered parts for the Honda and then got to work on my Suzuki SV650 based twins ride before heading off cross-country.

The 'Zuk needed some fine tuning and some updating. Suffice to say that I was able to make the changes I wanted to and then head down south and do some testing before Daytona. I got the bikes ready to go with enough time to ride at Savannah and Volusia. I was able to use both of these races as a testing session and get some issues on the twin worked out. Mike Boughner was with me in Volusia to help with chassis and suspension set-up and it helped greatly. (Thanks a ton Mike!) We made some real progress. Results at these two tracks weren't great, but I really wasn't out for results. It was all about testing. I only rode the 'Zuk at both of these races as I wanted to save the Honda for Daytona.

Finally, Daytona. The new Speedway track. No more Municipal Stadium. Time marches on. I qualified OK on the first day and got into the program. I missed transferring out of my heat race and I had to get into the Main via the Semi. Started the Main off row three and worked my way into the upper half of the field. Was riding well and happy with how things were going. Then midway through, Mick Kirkness crashed in front of me leaving me nowhere to go but into the air fence. Couldn't get the bike started after that and took a DNF. Bare minimum, because I made the Main event, I get to keep my number 62 for 2011. Not how I wanted to start the season that is for sure.

Qualifying on the second day went a bit better, but my heat race was truly a disaster. Part way through, I spun a nifty little circle and dropped to the back of the pack. I managed to get the bike restarted, but was pretty much stuck at the back. I got into the semi, but had the same issue, the harder I tried, the more the bike just wanted to spin around. Something wrong with the set up for sure and this kept me mid-pack and I was unable to transfer to the Main.

After Daytona I had one more race to attend before heading back to Southern California and ultimately back to Australia for three weeks, the Matt Smoak Memorial race at Neeces, SC. After the not-so-great results at Daytona, I really wanted to get some good results. There were some really good riders here that stopped on their way home after Daytona just like me. I entered both the 450 Pro-Sport class and ultimately finished 5th in that class. Not great, but right in the thick of it with some really great riders.

The Pro Open class was another story. I got out front early in this Main event and led the first 15 laps of the 20 lap Main event. I was out front with a big lead and running away. Just what I needed after the Daytona debacle. Then I started to get into lapped traffic and ran into trouble. Attempting to go around a lapper, they moved off their line and up into mine and took me out. I was unable to restart and another day was ruined.

I loaded up and drove back across country to stay with Steve Berg and Jules for a few days before heading back to Oz for a few weeks of work. While in So Cal I was again treated to all the luxuries of a big name racer - a day at the spa, somebody to work on my bikes, fitness classes with the gurus and best of all, warm and sunny So Cal weather. I could not have asked for more!

I will be back in So Cal at the end of April to ride one of Eddie Mulder's races at Willow Springs. From there it is up to Arizona for the Arizona Mile.

Again, I want to thank all of my sponsors; Digger Helm-57, Johnson Cams, Tusk Racing, 218 Designs, Hap's Leathers, Micah Racing, ProCycle.us, K&N Filters, Suomy Helmets, Vortex, Mike Boughner Suspension, Steve Berg Enterprises and SpeedDealer Motors. Thanks for everything!