Ducati reigned supreme in the 2026 Daytona 200 after Josh Herrin notched up a fourth consecutive victory for the manufacturer in the two-wheeled classic.
The 35-year-old became only the third rider in the history of the iconic US motorcycle racing event to have won on five occasions, joining legends of the sport Scott Russell and Miguel Dumahel.
Herrin wasn’t the only rider making history, however, after 18-year-old Kayla Yaakov stunned to finish third, making her the first woman to achieve a Daytona 200 podium.
One of the key highlights of the international motorcycle racing calendar, the Daytona 200 – which is held at the Daytona Motor Speedway in Florida - held its inaugural race back in 1937.
The 3.51-mile track comprises mostly full throttle stretches of the famed 31-degree walled banking, interspersed by slower infield sections.
Indeed, the event is famous for generating high-speed, closely matched slipstreaming action and it’s not unusual for victories to be decided by photo-finish even after 200-miles of racing.
Though advances in technology would eventually make it too dangerous to continue racing Superbike machinery at Daytona, recent editions have featured massive fields of Supersport-specification bikes instead.
For 2026, Herrin – this year racing for the Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila team - would once again claim the title on a Ducati Panigale V2, having previously also done so in 2023, 2024 and 2025. He was also a winner in 2010.
Kayla Yaakov Scores Historic Daytona 200 Podium
Joining Herrin in the top three was fellow Ducati rider Yaakov, who on International Women’s Day achieved a landmark result as the first woman to achieve a Daytona 200 podium in its 89-year history.
Coming two years after turning heads on her debut at the event as a 16-year-old, Yaakov – still only a teenager – stunned the paddock with a stellar performance that consolidates her status as a rising star.
Indeed, not only was her podium a momentous result, she achieved it by overtaking Darryn Binder – a former MotoGP rider and grand prix race winner - in the closing stages.
“We worked really hard this off-season,” commented Yaakov. “I said it on the podium. I just really invested in myself this off-season, and I feel like it’s really paid off.
“I’m just in the best mindset, the best condition I’ve ever been in. I’ve been riding really well in testing. This weekend, we didn’t really have any expectations. I just tried to put myself in a good position.
“Stayed really calm. Knew where I was. Knew where my bike was good. Knew that if I was behind (Darryn) Binder, I would come across the line in front of him. It was a great race.”
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