Naysayers and Doubters, prepare to eat crow, because Mr. Daytona is back with a vengeance. How would you like yours served?

"The future's bright," a relaxed Russell told AMASuperbike from Daytona's Garage B on Wednesday night. 

"Of course, I didn't go as quick as I wanted to, but the track wasn't that good this week and didn't allow anyone to set the world on fire."

After two frankly embarrassing years on the Harley-Davidson, Russell hopped atop his 2000 Ducati 996 and was running decent race lap times from the earliest moments of Monday's practice.

"I'm happy. It's good to be back on something I got a chance to win on. I feel 'born again', you know?"

Ducati NA's David Roy was impressed as well. "Scott adapts really well. The first day he was kind of discouraged because he's his biggest critic," Roy said. 

"He was all over himself for not being the fastest guy right away, but yesterday and today (Tuesday and Wednesday) he ran with everybody. Mat was a little faster, but he's has some more tests and Scott's never even been on the bike. He's right in there already."

Russell feels the team is in good shape despite its newness. What is the biggest area for improvement for HMC Ducati? "It's hard to say here, really. I don't think this bike has ever worked real, real, good here (at Daytona). From what I've seen in the past, they've always struggled here a little bit on the Ducatis. But we can?t change the bike, it is what it is. It doesn't turn in quite as good as I wished it would, but I think just more time together will make us a stronger team. We really don't need too much work."

Russell culminated his week with a protracted drafting battle with Kurtis Roberts, Anthony Gobert, and John Kocinski late Wednesday afternoon. 

"We were having fun. No one could get away, and we were just smoking the tires getting sideways everywhere, having a good time, really. We were all squirreling out, everybody was all over the damn place. Just having fun more than anything."

And it has been a long time since Mr. Daytona had quite this much fun on his race machine. 

Russel left Daytona sore, happy and hopeful. 
ENDS