Gagne Expands Points Lead with Laguna Seca Victory
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne fires the first shot with a win in the opening race of the tripleheader at Laguna Seca / Jul 8, 2023 /
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne returned to the top step of the podium in today’s opening race of the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The defending champ’s fifth victory of the season and 34th of his career also made championship gains, expanding his lead to 39 points. Teammate Cameron Petersen was on track for another top performance, but unfortunately, his race ended on the opening lap with a crash in the tricky conditions.
There were some unknowns regarding tire wear with the newly repaved track surface at the iconic 2.238-mile track in Monterey, California, which presented challenges. The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team went to work and made progress, with Gagne claiming the number two spot on the grid in the final qualifying session. When the lights went out, he got a great start and slotted into third, but the red flag was drawn after a crash in Turn 2. The Colorado rider grabbed the holeshot after the restart and never looked back. Gagne threw down some consistently fast laps to build a healthy lead before the second red flag, securing his fifth victory of the season by over a five-second margin.
Petersen also made progress and qualified fourth. From there, he got a great start from the second row of the grid to grab the holeshot. Unfortunately, he high-sided on the exit of Turn 2, and the rider behind got caught up in the crash, bringing out the red flag. Petersen was unhurt but, unfortunately, was unable to line up for the restart.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team returns for twice the MotoAmerica Superbike action tomorrow as the tripleheader concludes at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager“The team did a great job finding a solution for the increased tire wear that is indicative of a freshly paved track. Unfortunately, Cameron crashed after getting the holeshot. Jake, however, went on to run a great pace to win decisively. We will continue to improve our Yamaha R1 and be ready for Race 2 & 3.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing“Today was a wild start! It was a bummer to see Cam (Petersen) go down in the lead in Turn 2. The temperature made things tricky the first few laps, but we learned from today and are ready for the doubleheader tomorrow.”
Cameron Petersen – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing“Man, that was a tough one. I was feeling good going into the race and got a great start, but unfortunately went down while leading the race and was unable to restart. We’re going to put today behind us and focus ahead to tomorrow’s double header, and will try and get back to the front.""
2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Laguna Seca 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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