Sam Drane Enjoys Stellar Debut in Daytona
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane takes home a 1-2 finish in his MotoAmerica Twins Cup debut, with Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle and Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis scoring valuable points at the MotoAmerica Supersport opener / Mar 10, 2026 /
If you love racing, making the trip to Daytona International Speedway is on the list. If you’re a racer, winning at Daytona International Speedway is a career highlight. In just his first outing at the iconic venue, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane checked that off the list, scoring the MotoAmerica Twins Cup win in Race 2.
The opening round marked his debut in the class, and with very little time on the bike before the weekend, it was an impressive start for the 15-year-old Australian. In addition to his Race 2 victory, he earned a second-place finish in Race 1, leaving Daytona Beach, Florida, with a four-point lead in the championship.
“Yeah, it’s definitely cool to be up on the banking racing Twins Cup,” said Drane. I came from the Kramer (the MotoAmerica Talent Cup bike), so the twin felt pretty fast. I got the win and a second place yesterday, so it was a pretty good weekend. And also the win in flat track, so two wins and one second at Daytona – it wasn’t too bad.”
With just one qualifying session, Drane secured a second-row start in fifth. From there, he got a good launch in Race 1 and was in the mix throughout, finishing second. On Saturday, he was fifth at the start of the red-flagged race, which was shortened to six laps. Drane was once again in the fight, moving into the runner-up position and executing a great strategy in the draft to secure his first Twins Cup victory by a razor-thin 0.010-second margin.
“It was a good race,” said Drane. “I didn’t have the pace at the start, but once I got warmed up and got into it, I caught back up to Hank (Vossberg) and just tried my best, and really led it from there.”
Adding to the stellar debut weekend in Daytona, Drane also took home a win at the Daytona Short Track in the Road to AFT Amateur Invitational. The new amateur class allows young talent to race on the same tracks as the sport’s best flat track racers at select American Flat Track rounds.
The future is certainly bright for the BLU CRU in MotoAmerica. Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle and Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis started their Supersport Championship campaigns with the 84th running of the legendary Daytona 200, marking its return as a points-paying race for the first time in more than a decade.
There is no race quite like the Daytona 200, not on the MotoAmerica calendar nor on any
calendar for that matter. The legendary 200-mile road race set on the high banks of Daytona
International Speedway presents a unique challenge compared to the normal sprint race format
because of the venue itself, the race distance prioritizing rider endurance and long-run strategy,
and the added pressure on the teams due to multiple pit stops.
Although it wasn’t the result they were hoping for, both riders and teams showed strength in the one-off endurance race that kicked off the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship season.
Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle overcame adversity after starting on the 15th row of
on the grid following a penalty for missing the time window for the sighting lap. Undeterred, he
put his head down and worked his way up to ninth on the opening lap. Unfortunately, he lost too
much time to join the lead pack, but the team executed strong pit stops, and Doyle maintained a
solid pace to secure sixth.
Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis also had a strong debut at the Daytona 200. After a tough first two days in qualifying and practice, the two-time MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion ran a strong pace throughout the 200-mile race, and the Strack Racing Yamaha team delivered quick pit stops. Unfortunately, he too was too far back in the opening laps to make up the time needed to fight for the podium or win, finishing seventh.
Next up on the calendar is the opening round of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, which will be held in conjunction with MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on March 27-29.