Photo: UltimateMotorcycling.com
MotoSport-sponsored rider Jake Lewis won his first race in the AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike series on Sunday at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, CA.
Lewis, the 2013 AMA GoPro Daytona Sportbike Rookie of the Year who rides for MotoSport.com/Meen Racing Yamaha, battled off three other riders in the final laps to secure the win. He took third to open the 2014 season at the Daytona 200 in March.
"It's just a huge weight off my shoulders," Lewis said. "It's been an up-and-down year. Last year, I was close to winning and this year I've been close to winning, so it's just a huge weight off my shoulders to get the first win."
Lewis, who narrowly won Laguna Seca last year, qualified fifth and said he was a bit disappointed in those results. He was determined to win it this year, got off to a good start, took the lead in Turn 2 and never looked back - literally.
"That's been my weakness throughout my career - looking back - so I just put my head down and stayed focused and clicked off lap after lap and got into a good rhythm and brought home the win," he said.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Daytona Sportbike Final
- Jake Lewis (Yamaha) - MotoSport rider
- JD Beach (Yamaha)
- Danny Eslick (Triumph)
- Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
- Dane Westby (Yamaha)
- Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha)
- Jason DiSalvo (Triumph)
- Blake Young (Yamaha)
- Jake Zemke (Honda)
- Benny Solis (Yamaha)