Halbert completes Daytona flat track sweep

From Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – For the second straight night, Yamaha rider Sammy Halbert captured the 25-lap AMA Pro Grand National Singles Championship Expert Main Event at the quarter-mile Daytona Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.

Halbert took the lead on Lap 4 and never looked back on his way to a 5.033-second victory.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Halbert said.

Taking second for the second straight night was Honda rider Johnny Lewis and rounding out the podium was Brad Baker.

“Two seconds is not bad,” Lewis said.

The last rider to sweep both nights of the Daytona Flat Track was Jake Johnson in 2008.

Seven-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr, who will retire following the 2011 season, finished second in his Expert Heat, third in the Cometic Gasket Expert Dash For Cash and 11th in the Expert Main Event – his final race at Daytona.

During the pre-race ceremonies, DIS President Joie Chitwood honoured Carr with a special photo collage of Carr competing at all three venues of the Daytona Flat Track – the old Memorial Stadium, Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium and the current Daytona Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway.

Winning Expert Heats were Halbert, Johnson (Honda) and Lewis.

In the four-lap Cometic Gasket Expert Dash For Cash, which showcases the top two finishers in the Expert Heats, Halbert also pulled off the win for the second straight night by 1.314 seconds.

Mississauga, ON's Doug Lawrence qualified 49th on his Kawasaki KX450F and just failed to make the evening program.

In the 16-lap Pro Singles Main event, Honda rider Gerit Callies, who finished second on Thursday night, led flag-to-flag and did a stand-up wheelie in taking the checkering flag. Rounding out the podium was Mike Avila, Thursday night’s Pro Singles winner, and Joseph Ratz.

Michael Labelle of Welland, ON failed to reach the main on his Honda CRF450R

Grand National Race Results
1. Sammy Halbert (Yamaha YZ450F) 25 Laps
2. Johnny Lewis (Honda CRF450R) +5.033
3. Brad Baker (Honda CRF450R) +6.026
4. Jake Johnson (Honda CRF450R) +6.888
5. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. (Kawasaki KX450F) +7.149
6. Matt Weidman (Honda CRF450R) +8.749
7. Jared Mees (Honda CRF450R) +10.293
8. Chad Cose (Honda CRF450R) +12.190
9. Henry Wiles (Kawasaki KX450F) +12.470
10. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Yamaha YZ450F) +13.909
11. Chris Carr (Honda CRF450R) +17.022
12. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Honda CRF450R) +17.580
13. John Wood (Honda CRF450R) +17.836
14. J R Schnabel, Jr. (Kawasaki KX450F) 24 Laps
15. Bradley Hazel (Honda CRF450R) +1.165
16. Eric Beers (Yamaha YZ450F) +2.080
17. Scott Baker (Honda CRF450R) +4.073
18. Jimmy Wood (Honda CRF450R) 21 Laps
Race Time: 7:59.442
Margin of Victory: 5.033
Best Race Lap: N/A