Daytona 200 winner hits wandering camera operator in near race-ending incident

MotoAmerica star Josh Herrin survived a pit lane collision with a camera operator at last weekend’s Daytona 200, before going on to win the 84th edition of the famous Florida race. 

The incident took place when Herrin pulled into the pits for what should have been a routine tyre swap and refuel. But as Herrin left his box, a cameraman, who was focused on the bike just ahead, began walking backwards as he filmed the rider ahead of Herrin.

However, this meant he began walking directly into the path of Herrin, who braked hard to avoid hitting the camera operator, although light contact was still made. 

Prior to this incident you could have made a very legitimate argument for camera operators not being allowed in pit lane, or at least not being allowed in when pit stops are actually taking place. The incident at Daytona 200 could make organisers think twice about having them operate so closely to the riders.  

As expected, the collision left people scratching their heads, not least Herrin’s crew. You can see exactly what happened below, as Herrin, who did eventually see the funny side, shared the clip on his social media.

Commenting on the collision, Herrin said: 

“The moment of the race that NO ONE is talking about. We can laugh now, but this almost robbed me of my 5th Daytona 200 win. A camera guy! This will by far go down as my favourite racing story and make this win that much more special.”

Despite the near disaster, Herrin’s victory was a significant one for all the right reasons, as the MotoAmerica winner became the first rider ever to win four consecutive races at the Daytona 200. 

He is now also tied with Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel for the most victories ever at the event, with five wins.

Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com.