A complete guide to the 2025 Daytona 200

The Daytona 200 is one of the most famous motorcycle races held around the world, with speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour set over 200 miles on the banked-oval, course located at Daytona Beach in Florida.

For 2025 there is plenty of British interest with no less than potentially five riders from our small shores taking part, so BikeSocial felt it only right to create a handy one-stop shop with all the need-to-know information about the event.

When will the Daytona 200 take place?

The 83rd running of the Daytona 200 will take place from March 6 – March 8. With the main Daytona 200 race getting underway on Saturday March 8 at 1:10pm US time (+5hours GMT).

Daytona 200 – A brief history

Celebrating its 83rd birthday in 2025, the Daytona 200 bodes a vast amount of history and has been won by many recognisable names from the motorcycling world. The first race was held in 1937, originally as a beach race on dirt bikes, but after the event grew it then moved to the International Speedway in 1961, after the circuit was opened two years prior.

The switch to the Daytona International Speedway also saw a switch from dirt bikes to grand prix racing motorcycles, which then led to what we now know as the Daytona 200. The infield circuit was also built during this time amidst safety concerns of motorcycles using the 31-degree banking.

Concerns for the circuit, mainly the banking were then heightened after Barry Sheene’s world-famous accident in 1975, where his rear tyre failed at over 170mph. As speeds of Grand Prix motorcycles started to increase the race organisers took the decision in 1985 to only allow superbikes to take part.

2009 would then also see a shift in the event, as superbikes would then be removed from the event, with competitors only allowed to race supersport machines over the 200-mile distance and these rules continue to the current era.

Daytona Past winners

As you would imagine most of the winners of the Daytona 200 have been American or Canadian, with Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel amassing the most victories at the 3.5-mile course, both tying with five victories.

Jarno Saarinen was the first non-American winner of the race back in 1973, at the time he was the reigning 250cc World Champion, with Giacomo Agostini taking victory the next year in 1974.

Other notable winners of the event are Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Snr, Eddie Lawson, Freddie Spencer, Graeme Crosby, Nicky Hayden and Matt Maladin.

In its 83-year history there has been only winner from the United Kingdom, with Chaz Davies being victorious back in 2008.

The defending Champion heading into 2025 is American Josh Herrin, who took the victory in 2024 by 45.660 onboard his Warhorse Ducati 959, after leading 35 of the 37 laps, regaining the crown he took in 2023 making it his third Daytona 200 victory of his career.

What classes race at Daytona?

There are four separate classes that will take to the track at Daytona, the main Daytona Supersport class, SC Project Twins Cup, Roland Sands Mission Super Hooligan and the Mission King of the Baggers.

The Daytona Supersport class is the main race, the big boys if you like, so supersport machines up to 955cc’s are eligible. There are set to be a vast choice of machines on the grid, with Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph and Ducati all being represented in 2024.

The SC Project Twins Cup will see twin machines such Yamaha’s R7, Aprilia’s RS600, Kawasaki’s Ninja 650 and possibly Suzuki’s GSX-8R battle it out.

The Super Hooligan class features 750cc machines and up, air- or water-cooled, 2 cylinders, 125 horsepower or less, minimum weight of 420lbs, no bodywork, stock frames, high-handlebar motorcycles. Electric motorcycles are also eligible for competition.

And finally, the Mission King of the Baggers class needs no introduction, we all know what that’s about. Harley Davidson Glide’s and Indian Challenger’s weighing 620lbs battling it out on the banking. This is one class you certainly don‘t want to miss. Notable names in this race will be 2024 Champion Troy Herfoss, former Bennetts BSB rider James Rispoli and a host of MotoAmerica challengers.

British Interest – One’s to watch out for

Since Chaz Davies’ victory in 2008 British interest in the Daytona has been varied, with just a handful of BSB stars making the trip over the pond to take on the challenge.

2024 saw four Brits travel to the States, with Matt Truelove, Harry Truelove, Peter Hickman and Richard Cooper taking to the banking. We believe that all four will once fly across the pond to contest the race, but BikeSocial are awaiting official announcements from the riders and teams. So keep checking back for more updates prior to the event.

Revealed exclusively by BikeSocial, both Matt and Harry Truelove make their return to the event in 2025, onboard the same bikes they raced in 2024, within the same privateer squad they put together previously. To find out more click here.

Joining the brothers will be former 125cc Grand Prix rider Danny Webb, who will race for the Team Classic Suzuki squad onboard a Suzuki GSX-R750. It will be Webb's debut at the event, but with his vast racing experience we'll be looking forward to seeing him challenge at the front.

It was also announced on February 14 at the London Motorcycle Show that both Peter Hickman and Ricard Cooper will return in 2025. The duo had mixed fortunes in 2024, after they both made it through 'Daytona Time Attack', the one lap shootout for pole position, both riders failed to take the chequered flag in the main race. Cooper crashed out following an eventful first pit stop, as Hickman endured a technical issue with only a handful of laps remaining of the race.

However, with that behind them they are both aiming to learn from their mistakes, with two solid finishes in their sights in 2025.

How to watch the Daytona 200

If you’ve never seen the Daytona 200 then it’s a race you don’t want to miss, it’s certainly a spectacle to kick-start the racing season, and you can catch all the action live from wherever you may be.

Streaming of the event is live via MotoAmerica Live+, however this will come at a cost. Prices are yet to be confirmed, and will most certainly be in US dollars, but from previous experience you can pay via a credit card and enjoy all the action. Once prices have been revealed we’ll make sure this is updated so you know exactly what to do.

However, if you don’t want to pay to watch the action then patience is key. The full race will be uploaded to the MotoAmerica YouTube channel for you to catch up on, but we can’t say for sure when that will be. The 2024 race can be found here.

2025 Daytona 200 - Schedule

Want to know what exactly what is happening and at what times, so you never miss a minute of the action? BikeSocial has you covered and below is the full schedule. This timetable is subject to change, so keep checking back to stay up to date for the correct times.

Click to download a pdf copy of the Daytona 200 schedule.

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