Yes the number of races are down to lows not seen in 35 years, there’s no TV that we know of and factory participation is as thin as March ice, but in spite of all that the Daytona 200 this year is shaping up to be a great race.

We’re fortunate this year in that the Daytona Sportbike class is stacked. And the greatest thing about it is you’ve got a great mix of veteran, riders in their prime and young guns.

Just look at this entry list and tell me you aren’t excited about seeing this race.

You’ve got wily veterans like Steve Rapp and Jake Zemke and Jason DiSalvo, all potential winners, versus prime time riders like Dane Westby, Tomas Puerta, Jake Gagne, Kyle Wyman, JD Beach, Bobby Fong and Joey Pascarella. Add to the mix the teenage wunderkinds Joe Roberts, Garrett Gerloff, Benny Solis, Jake Lewis and Tucker Lancaster and you’ve got an intriguing mix of master experience, contemporary top guns and promising up-and-comers.

To me the icing on the cake is the return to the class of Danny Eslick and Blake Young, both with big chips on their shoulders and looking to renew their racing careers after a lull.

And if that weren’t enough you’ve got the rematch between Elena Myers and Melissa Paris, which was a great race last year to be top finishing female rider.

All of these riders make the 73^rd running of the Daytona 200 one of most interesting in years.

As far as favorites? Gagne with the RoadRace Factory/Red Bull is the obvious choice since he was the only rider to challenge Cameron Beaubier last year, but it would also be hard to pick against the factory Yamaha’s of Beach and Gerloff. My dark horse pick is Roberts. He won every race he entered last year in Supersport and just might be the next Beaubier.

Say what you will about the current state of American road racing, but I for one am excited to see this race a week from Saturday at 1:00pm eastern. – Larry Lawrence