Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Grant Lopez ran away with the first Formula USA Unlimited Superbike race at Daytona and became the overall winner when the second race was canceled due to weather and a loss of daylight.
Lopez won the first 8-lap race by 23 seconds in a steady rainfall. Several support races were scheduled to be run in the interval between the two Unlimited Superbike races. A series of crashes and a need to clean the track of debris and spilled oil delayed the start of the second Unlimited Supernbike race until just before sunset. When that race had to be stopped on the second lap due to another multiple bike crash, race officials called it a day with the sun already below the horizon.
John Hopkins ran off the track on the first lap of the Sportbike race when another rider crashed in front of him. Hopkins rejoined the race in eighth place and worked his way into second, cutting the leader’s margin in half. But at the finish, Hopkins was 7 seconds behind.
Ben Spies did not race because he broke a bone in his left hand when he crashed during practice. Lopez also crashed in practice, breaking his right thumb and bruising his shoulders and rib area. Hopkins did not crash, but severely tweaked his right knee in a near crash during practice and elected to compete in the Sportbike race only.
