The banking at Daytona is inherently dangerous when you're running at speed with other vehicles in close proximity. We've seen that countless times in NASCAR, though nasty crashes aren't limited to tin-tops or even machines with four wheels. MotoAmerica also races around the facility's road course, which includes three banked turns, for the famed Daytona 200. Supersport rider Christian Miranda learned how quickly things can go wrong when his No. 18 Yamaha YZF-R6 high-sided, slinging him down the 31-degree slope at speed.
First off, it's important to note that Miranda walked away from the incident under his own power and suffered only a broken wrist. That's amazing considering how violently he was flung off the bike, first sliding up toward the wall and then back down toward the infield. A big reason why Miranda wasn't hurt worse was because of the way he handled the slide, letting it take him rather than fighting back and flailing. The other key, of course, was his gear.
I talked with The Drive's motorcycle guru Jonathon Klein about this, as he's the kinda guy that lays his bike over on purpose just to test the latest riding equipment. He helped me identify Miranda's boots as Alpinestars Supertech R's, and his helmet looks to be a Bell Race Star. As for his suit and gloves, they both seem to have come from Envy Racing Apparel.
Miranda was completing a qualifying run when the crash took place, and even though a handful of riders crashed behind him, it could've been way more severe if they were racing in a pack. The track surface was wet and while it's difficult to say just how fast he was going, a 600cc bike like the Yamaha he was on easily manages well north of 100 mph on smooth tarmac like Daytona's.
Cody Wyman, Miranda's on-track drafting partner on Thursday, shared footage of the crash on Instagram along with over a dozen others. Miranda's healing up for when he can hit the track again, and even though it sucks to have an injury of any sort, it's a blessing that his incident didn't end up any worse.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
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