Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne scored his third-consecutive victory and made championship gains in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. His teammate Cameron Petersen came out on top in a thrilling final lap battle to hold onto the runner-up spot.
Starting third on the grid, Gagne got a great start to take the holeshot. The defending champion once again set the pace in the early laps, setting the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2 to remain unchallenged and cross the finish line over four seconds clear of the competition. His sixth victory of the season moved him within striking distance of the championship lead – just two points behind his title rival.
Petersen qualified fourth and got off to a flying start from the second row of the grid and quickly made his way to second. With the current series points leader right behind him, he kept cool under pressure. At the halfway mark, the competition made the pass in Turn 2, but the South African was able to reclaim the runner-up position. It ultimately came down to the final lap and a thrilling battle in the corkscrew, with Petersen holding his ground to give the team a spectacular 1-2 finish.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team lines up again tomorrow, looking for a repeat in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Laguna Seca has always been a special track for us, and today was no exception. Our riders rode brilliantly to give us a 1-2 finish. Jake got another great start and was never challenged from start to finish. Cameron did a great job keeping (Danilo) Petrucci behind him and defended every passing effort. We will continue to push hard to improve the bikes for tomorrow’s race and to once again show the strengths of our Yamaha R1.”
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was great to go 1-2 for the team. I got off to a great start and was able to get the holeshot and click off my laps and bring it home for a win. These Yamahas have been working great all weekend, and we look to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow.”
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing
“It was a great day for the team! Going 1-2 is always awesome, but it was also just a great race. I had one of the best battles of my career with (Danilo) Petrucci, and I was able to come out on top. These Yamaha’s are definitely rolling, so I’m looking forward to Race 2 and some more good racing!”
