It didn't come without a fair amount of drama and grit, but Ruthless Racing/Trev Deeley Motorcycles' Danny Eslick ultimately came through to win the 2014 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series title.
Eslick came into the weekend needing just a seventh place or better to assure himself the crown, but a major crash in this morning's qualifying session put his participation in doubt.
His team rebuilt the motorcycle in time for Eslick to hurriedly take the grid from the back row, from where the beaten and bruised Oklahoman battled his way forward.
He crossed the line in sixth at the checkered flag to become the Series' first two-time champion.
"I ran off the track and wadded it up in the wet grass this morning and pretty much destroyed that motorcycle," Eslick said. "The Trev Deeley/Ruthless Racing team busted their butts from the time I crashed the motorcycle until the moments before the race. We were pretty close to not making it.
"I've ridden it three seasons now and that's the first time I've crashed it. It's bound to happen and the way these guys are riding - they're riding incredibly. The level that this Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series has risen to is unbelievable. I used to be able to play around and sandbag a little bit and still have a shot at it, but now you really have to be on your game and work on your set up. Hats off to everybody out there."
