Petersen and Gagne Score Thrilling 1-2 Finish at Road America
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen and Jake Gagne finish 1-2 in drama-filled MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at Road America / Jun 2, 2024 /
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen returned to the top step of the podium yesterday in a thrilling photo finish to MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at Road America. His teammate Jake Gagne finished second, reclaiming the championship lead in the tricky, rain-soaked conditions on the four-mile track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
After a tough beginning to round three of the championship and a crash earlier in the day during the final qualifying session, Petersen came back swinging in the first Superbike race of the weekend. The South African got a great start from the third row of the grid to inside the top five. He quickly made his way to second and then passed his teammate to claim the lead on that opening lap. Petersen rode a calculated race in the challenging conditions, and although he was shuffled to third on Lap 3, he reclaimed the lead on that same lap after the frontrunners crashed. With around three laps to go, he was passed by his teammate, but he stayed on Gagne’s heels and passed him in the final corner. From there, it was a drag race to the finish line, with Petersen coming out on top by .004 of a second to earn his second win this season and fifth career victory in the premier class. Looking at the bigger picture, he advanced to third in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship standings and to within 19 points of his teammate.
Gagne also bounced back from a tough start to the weekend with a much better Saturday at Road America, qualifying third. Sitting third after the start, he advanced to the lead in Turn 5 before ultimately being passed by his teammate on that opening lap. Although he was shuffled to fifth on the following lap, the defending three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion rode his own race and moved back into the runner-up spot with the attrition on Lap 3. He took over the lead in the final laps and set a strong pace up front but was passed by his teammate in the final corner and ultimately crossed the line just shy of the victory. Gagne’s third podium of the season reclaimed the number-one spot in the hotly contested Superbike title chase and gave him a seven-point advantage.
It also marked the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team’s third double podium so far this season, and they look forward to battling for top honors again in this afternoon’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Race 1 in the wet showed the competitiveness of the Yamaha R1 and our riders and crew in any condition. To finish 1-2 was a testament to what can happen with hard work and perseverance. We look forward to a great dry race tomorrow.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“It was a crazy race and crazy conditions. I had a good battle with Jake. I think I was holding him up a little bit because he dropped the pace straight away, and I think that kind of broke up the field a little bit. Going into the last lap, I got a really good run coming off the second to last corner and thought to myself that I had to make a move. It was pretty funny going to the line. We were just going back and forth, back and forth; I don’t think it gets any closer than that. I’m glad to actually finish the race in those conditions and looking forward to tomorrow in the dry. I think it should be a good battle.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It was crazy conditions. We were hydroplaning down the straightaways and trying to find lines where we were out of the puddles. I was pretty calm in the beginning. I got passed, but I tried to be smart about it and not lose touch with the leaders. (Cameron) Beaubier got into the lead and dropped the hammer right away, and then we saw him go off in Turn 5. The same with Sean Dylan Kelly, we saw him go down into Canada (corner) in just a crazy straight up-and-down crash. Then Cam got into the lead and set a good, solid pace. After a while, I figured I’d try to pass him to see what I could do, and it came down to the last lap. Going into the last turn, I was hoping to keep it a little tighter so that I didn’t give him any room but I was a little wide on the entry, and I saw that Yamaha come up the inside. I was literally laughing in my helmet to the line because, at that point, I knew at least for the team, it was going to be a 1-2 finish, and it was just a matter of who was going to be on the drier track or with less puddles.
“It was a great day for the team after a tough day yesterday, and a photo finish is always cool. I haven’t been part of one of those in a long time. We’ve got some dry racing tomorrow. We’ve got to make a couple of little improvements, but we learned a lot this morning, so I think we can step it up again tomorrow. It will be another battle in the dry because it’s really close here.”
2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Results
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