Gagne Extends Championship Lead with Emphatic Race 1 Victory
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne stood on the top step of the podium for the 12th time this season, scoring a dominant win in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at the Barber Motorsports Park. His decisive victory bolstered his title defense in the premier class, giving him a 13-point lead heading into tomorrow’s final race of the season. Cameron Petersen made an impressive comeback from last to ninth after a crash in the challenging conditions.
It was a perfect day for Gagne at the 2.38-mile track in Leeds, Alabama. He took another track record in qualifying, edging out his teammate to secure his eighth pole position in 10 tries this season. The defending champion then grabbed the holeshot and, on the second lap, set another track record with the fastest race lap. Gagne kept a hot pace to remain unchallenged and finish 5.4 seconds clear of the competition. His 29th career superbike victory gives him a 13-point advantage heading into tomorrow’s final showdown.
Petersen was also on top form aboard his Attack Performance Yamaha R1. He broke the track record yesterday afternoon in the first qualifying session and finished just .288 seconds shy of Gagne in the combined times. The South African got off to a great start behind his teammate and was holding down the runner-up spot with fellow Yamaha rider Mathew Scholtz on his heels. Unfortunately, Petersen made an error in the greasy conditions on Lap 6 and crashed in Turn 2. He remounted and charged his way forward from the back of the field to break the top 10 in the final laps of the 20-lap race, finishing ninth to score valuable points and maintain the third spot in the standings.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team lines up again tomorrow for the MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on Sunday, September 25.
Richard Stanboli
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“The Yamaha R1 loves Barber, and so do our riders. After seeing our pace in all of the sessions, we felt both riders had the opportunity to win and could do so without compromising the championship. Jake did what had to be done by winning the race and stretching the points gap to second. Cameron showed great pace all weekend and was poised to challenge Jake for the win. Unfortunately, a low-side crash pushed him back to last, but he recovered to a ninth-place finish. Our goal tomorrow is to cap off the season with another 1-2 finish!”
Richard Stanboli
Jake Gagne
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Today was an important day for a win, and we made it happen. These R1s are working great here at Barber, especially in the hotter conditions this afternoon. I’m looking forward to the finale tomorrow and bringing the championship home for the team.”
Jake Gagne
Cameron Petersen
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“Going into Turn 2, I got in there a little bit hot and tucked the front. So just a mistake on my part, which is unfortunate because I felt so good all weekend and wanted to be the team player. At least it worked out for Jake in the end, but having one more bike would have helped him even more. I’m sorry to let the team down, but we’ve got tomorrow, and we’re going to bounce back.”
