Dylan Bauer of Guelph, ON, opened his second campaign at Daytona’s prestigious 200-mile feature motorcycle race at the famed speedway with a fourth overall the second Qualifying group for the 84th running the event. Piloting the Goat Shop-backed Yamaha YZF-R6, Bauer turned a lap at 1:55.04, bettering his morning effort of 1:55.14.
Goat Shop is a family-owned business that builds and tunes Dodge RAM Diesel-powered vehicles.
However, Bauer was not happy with some of the details of his revamped machine’s performance, even though the Yamaha four-cylinder’s onboard data system indicated a very impressive top speed of 287 kilometers per hour. Bauer’s concern was with the base geometry settings of the well-established R6 platform, and a lack of “drive grip” in the tight infield of the banked oval’s layout.
Late in the afternoon his team were reviewing chassis changes for tomorrow’s second and final “Q” session for Group B, schedule for 10 am EST.
Typically, Bauer runs Pirelli slick rubber for SOAR sanctioned events at his home track of Grand Bend and was supported by Pirelli during his debut at the Speedway for the 2025 200-mile event. This year’s event is a full round of the MotoAmerica National Championship series, and the “spec” Dunlop slick tires are required, as mandated at all rounds for all classes of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) sanctioned tour.
Quickest machine in the middleweight Supersport category for both sessions was the Rahal Ducati 955 v-twin Panigale of P.J. Jacobson. Scheduled to compete aboard a Ducati Superbike during the rest of the season starting next month at Road Atlanta, Jacobson set a best time of 1:49.35 in the afternoon’s red flag interrupted session.
Second quickest was Daytona 200 podium regular Tyler Scott aboard a Vision Wheels M4 Ecstar Suzuki GSX-R750 at 1:49.54, with former world championship competitor Darryn Binder of South Africa third at 1:49.94. Binder’s Ducati is backed by Ontario auto service chain Economy Lube and Tire.
Racers in the 1:50 bracket were headed by Mission Foods Suzuki of Richie Escalante, a contender for the win in previous years at the Speedway. Rising star Alessandro Di Mario was fifth on the provisional grid at 1:51.4 aboard another Rahal/Roller Die Ducati, teammate to provisional Pole sitter Jacobson. The team also placed their regular third rider and top female Kayla Yaakov seventh on the provisional starting grid.
Last year’s winner Josh Herrin, typically the pace setter, was eight in day one aboard his Desnuda Organic Tequilla sponsored ride, also entered by the juggernaut Rahal Ducati squad, with an incredible five entries in the top ten.
After tomorrow morning’s final sessions, the front runners will head to the brief, 15-minute-long Time Attack session to lock in the front rows of the starting grid. Close to fifty racers are expected to make the grid for the traditional season opening event.
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