A total of 63 riders started the 1999 Daytona 200, but the race came down to just two – Miguel Duhamel and Mat Mladin. Duhamel beat Mladin to the line by a scant .014 of a second, in front of one of the biggest crowds ever to see the race. Many were on hand to watch Daytona master Scott Russell race the Harley-Davidson VR1000 in the historic event, but Russell was getting ready for surgery to repair bones in his face, the results of a fracas at a local Daytona Beach nightclub. Fans didn’t leave disappointed though. They saw a comeback of epic proportions. I count this as one of the best, if not the best race in AMA Superbike history. It was the miracle comeback race for Duhamel after nearly losing his leg from a crash at Loudon the year before. He walked the pits with the assistance of a walking cane. “I’m very fortunate,” said Duhamel. “You’ve got to put things in perspective. I was happy just to keep my leg and have all the people believe in me. Coming back racing, I was willing to accept whatever scenario was going to happen. I worked hard, really hard for the last 10 months now, and it paid off.” Rich Oliver took third on a factory Yamaha; edging defending series champ Ben Bostrom at the line.

The winners’ rostrum for the epic 1999 Daytona 200, one of the greatest AMA Superbike races in the history of the series. Honda’s Miguel Duhamel (center), in his comeback race after nearly losing his leg at Loudon the year before, nipped Suzuki star Mat Mladin in the second closest finish of the prestigious race. Longtime AMA 250 Grand Prix ace Rich Oliver proved he was great on a Superbike as well. He edged Ben Bostrom at the line for third. (DIS photo)