FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KAWASAKI'S SCOTT RUSSELL WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 200
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 12, 1995 -- Scott Russell, 30, of
Alpharetta, Georgia used the all-conquering power of his Team Muzzy/Kawasaki
NINJA
ZX-7R to get him atop the victory podium in the 54th running of America's most
prestigious motorcycle roadrace, the Daytona 200.
Russell,
a former United States and World Superbike champion, was on fire from the first
time he turned a wheel on the racetrack, breaking the qualifying record on
Friday and vaulting himself to the pole for Sunday's feature race. In fact,
each time out on the track, he was the fastest runner.
In
this 57-lap race around the 3.56-mile banked track, Russell, the winner of last
year's event, as well as the 1992 edition, gave all a big scare when he crashed
his machine on the second lap while running in the top five.
He admitted to
tiring of following slower riders and diving underneath them in a place he
shouldn't have. He thought momentarily that the race was over. But just like
last year, when he slashed through the pack from the 16th row, he was once
again committed to winning America's toughest roadrace. After watching more
than 50 competitors go by, he heroically jumped over his downed machine and
brought it back to life. Miraculously, the NINJA was unscathed, save for a bent
right side footpeg.
By
lap 8, Russell worked his way back into the top 20. Just eight laps later, he
was up to fifth and still charging. Before the halfway point, Russell passed
Muzzy/Kawasaki teammate Anthony Gobert for the lead. Pitting on the 21st lap,
the crew put in a fresh load of fuel and installed a new rear tire in just 13
seconds.
By the three-quarter mark in the race, flowing smoothly through
traffic, Russell built up a large gap. On lap 41, the crew pulled him in, with
victory well within reach, to replace the rear tire and fuel up. Lapping up
through tenth place, Russell took the checkered flag 53 seconds ahead of the
nearest competitor in one hour, fifty-two minutes and 53 seconds with an
average speed of 107.85 mph.
Following
Daytona, Russell will take on some testing chores and then compete alongside
Gobert internationally on a Kawasaki NINJA ZX-7R in the 1995 FIM World
Superbike Championship series, which he won in 1993.
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