Female racing prodigy shines at Daytona 200

Sixteen-year-old female rider Elena Myers finished seventh in her debut Supersport race at Daytona. Riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 she was the first non-Yamaha rider to finish.

She said: “The first half of my first day here I was kind of scared of it [the thirty-one degree banking]. Once you figure out how to take advantage of it, it’s pretty easy.

“I’m going to do the whole Supersport series this year. I hope to make it to the World Champions sometime, whatever class that may be, but hopefully MotoGP.”

Melissa Paris – wife of factory rider Josh Hayes – was another surprise female star. She climbed from 28th to 11th position in the main Daytona 200 race, only to crash with just ten laps to go.

The 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week ended with nineteen-year-old American Josh Herrin taking his first victory in the Daytona 200.

The finish made him the second-youngest person ever to claim a win there, and snatched a 20th race win for Yamaha in the process.