Canard Sixth at Daytona Supercross by Honda

Although expectations were higher for Team Honda HRC at the Daytona Supercross by Honda, the squad was pleased with Trey Canard’s solid sixth-place finish and Cole Seely’s ability to rebound from a first-lap crash to complete the race in 10^th.

Canard put himself in a good position at the start of the 20-lap main event, launching his CRF450R to a decent start and working his way to seventh by the completion of the opening lap. While running fifth at the halfway mark, Canard had a close call in the whoops, causing him to relinquish one position, which is where he would finish. It was a tough night for Seely, who tangled with a group of riders on the first lap and rejoined the race second-to-last. An impressive come-from-behind performance carried him to 10^th by the checkered flag.

NOTES

• On Friday, Team Honda HRC and GEICO Honda riders participated in the pre-event press day, where they spoke with local media and were given the opportunity to try out a section of the track ahead of Saturday’s race. ”Even though they don’t let us ride very long here, it’s still beneficial to be able to preview a part of the track and kind of check out the layout and dirt prior to Saturday,” Canard explained.
• Team Honda HRC provided special access to a group of promotional winners for Daytona International Speedway, organizing a rig tour and opportunity to meet Canard and Seely prior to the race. The riders signed autographs and took photos with the fans before getting geared up for the night program.
• During the daytime qualifying practice sessions, Canard’s 1:05.589 lap, which was logged in the second session, was fifth-quickest, while teammate Seely clocked a 1:06.396 for 11^th. Bogle secured seventh with a 1:06.018 lap.
• Once again, all three factory Honda riders were slotted in 450SX heat 2. Canard was able to score a transfer spot directly into the main event via a third-place finish, but Seely and Bogle weren’t as lucky and were forced into the semis, in which they each finished third.
• Next weekend, the Honda Red Riders head north of the border to Toronto, Canada, for round 9 of the AMA Supercross Series.

THE FOCUS: Honda and Daytona—a Quarter-Century Together

Once again, the Daytona track was lined with red Honda signage, as this marked the 25^th season that Honda has been the title sponsor of the Daytona Supercross by Honda.

The night before the race, Honda hosted a Daytona Kick-Off Party, which featured Red Riders across a broad array of racing disciplines: Team Honda HRC’s Trey Canard and Cole Seely; GEICO Honda riders Justin Bogle, RJ Hampshire and Malcolm Stewart; JCR GNCC racers Chris Bach and Trevor Bollinger; and AMA Pro Flat Track racer Shayna Texter all participated in an autograph sessions and interviews. Signed jerseys were raffled off, and donations were collected to help support Ride for Kids and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Ride for Kids also displayed its project bike, a Klock Werks-customized Honda Gold Wing F6B.

Honda has a big presence for the entire Daytona Bike Week, with a tent in the new Midway area. The line of Honda motorcycles is on display (fans can try out the NC700X’s automatic Dual Clutch Transmission on a portable dynamometer), and a collection of vintage Honda factory motocross, road race and flat track bikes is displayed as well.

Honda’s Bike Week racing isn’t limited to the Daytona Supercross by Honda; on Sunday following the race, Bollinger rode his CRF250R to the XC2 victory at the Wild Boar GNCC in Palatka (Bach was fourth in XC1), and Texter is slated to race at the Daytona Flat Track this Thursday and Friday.