Gagne Expands Championship Lead with Brainerd Victory
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne scores 35th MotoAmerica Superbike victory in Race 1 at Brainerd International Raceway / Jul 30, 2023 /
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne put in a superb ride and returned to the top in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota. The reigning champ led from start to finish despite being under pressure to score his sixth win of the season and expand his championship lead to 48 points. Filling in for the injured Cameron Petersen, Josh Hayes also showed strength in his first race aboard the Attack Performance prepped Yamaha R1, setting some fast times towards the end of the race to come back to a fourth-place finish.
Gagne hit the ground running and topped both sessions on Friday but ultimately qualified third to have a good position on the front row. The Colorado rider got a great start in a drama-filled beginning to Race 1, grabbing both holeshots in the twice-restarted race. He threw down the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2, but the competition was hot on his heels, and stayed in the fight the entire race. Gagne kept cool under pressure in the greasy track conditions to lead every lap and score his 35th-career win in the premier class. His sixth win of the season also made championship gains, expanding his lead to 48 points.
Hayes also had a good start to the weekend and was third in Friday’s first Superbike qualifying session. Unfortunately, he had a crash late in the second qualifying session and ended up eighth in combined times but was unhurt. Fresh off of his Supersport win, which marked a record-breaking 87th-career victory to become the winningest AMA rider across all classes, Hayes switched gears to go Superbike racing. He had a decent start from the third row of the grid aboard the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing R1 and quickly made his way to sixth after the restart. Hayes lost a little time and a position after having to avoid a downed rider and the bike on Lap 3, but he put his head down and made the pass for fifth three laps later. The four-time Superbike Champion picked up the pace, setting his fastest lap of the race at the halfway mark and running some consistently fast times to make an impressive charge in the latter half of the race. Hayes closed the gap and advanced to fourth with five laps to go, and was closing the gap to third, but ultimately ran out of time and rode on to secure a solid fourth- place finish.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team looks to keep the momentum rolling in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Brainerd International Raceway.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager""The team did a great job. Like the champion that he is, Jake rode a precise, error-free race leading every lap. Josh surprised us all with his early speed on Friday and his late-race speed in Race 1. He showed real podium potential. It`s a lot of fun having him on our bike after his first ride with us 20 years ago. We look forward to Race 2.""
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing“Today’s Race 1 was the toughest feeling yet, and it was hard to run good lap times. It was hot and greasy and slick, but I just tried to keep a clean, smart race, and I’m happy we brought home a win. We learned a lot for tomorrow.”
Josh Hayes – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing“Today was a pretty special day with my 87th career win on my Squid Hunter R6, followed up with my first Superbike start since 2017!
“My reunion with Attack Performance, 20 years after winning my first pro championship with the team, has gone really well. Friday was a pleasant surprise to be so close in pace with Jake, but my mistake in Q2 set me up for an uphill battle from the third row. I was a little tentative at the start and in the early laps while learning the ropes again, but I am proud to have a strong late- race pace after such a long day. Fourth will have to do, but I believe that we have the pace to challenge for the podium tomorrow with any luck.”
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Brainerd Resultshttp://www.motoamericaregistration.com/2016-results/
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, USAYamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company`s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
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