MotoAmerica Heads to Barber with Gagne and Beaubier Tied at The Top

The Steel Commander Superbike Championship Resumes at
Barber Motorsports Park with a Tripleheader, May 17-19

IRVINE, CA – May 15, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – With Attack Performance Yamaha’s Jake Gagne and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier winning 16 of the 20 Steel Commander Superbike races a season ago, it was apparent that they were the cream of the crop for the 2023 season. Gagne ended the year with 11 wins to emerge as the series champion for a third straight time while Beaubier’s five-win season ended prematurely due to the injuries suffered in a crash at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.

Both of the season-opening Steel Commander Superbike races were close at Road Atlanta three weeks ago. Now the battle resumes at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend, May 17-19, with Jake Gagne (1) and Cameron Beaubier (6) are tied at the top of the standings. Bobby Fong (5) is tied for fourth. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

So, what did we learn from the 2024 season opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta? Well, the cream is still the cream with Gagne and Beaubier splitting wins to start the season after two thrilling races.

With the pair coming out of Georgia with 45 points apiece and tied for the series points lead, the Steel Commander Superbike Championship is back in action this coming weekend, May 17-19, at a series favorite – Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama – with three Superbike races scheduled (one on Saturday, two on Sunday) and 75 points up for grabs.

The two Road Atlanta races proved that the injuries that ended Beaubier’s season were in his rear-view mirror, along with any trepidation that it would take him some time to get back up to speed and ready to fight. Beaubier didn’t qualify well (for him), and he started both races from the middle of the second row. In the dry race one, it came down to a battle between pole sitter Bobby Fong, Beaubier and Gagne with Beaubier taking his 60^th career AMA Superbike win by just .240 of a second over Gagne with Fong a shadow third. In Sunday’s wet race two, Beaubier came out second best to Gagne – by just .119 of a second. He was most definitely on top of his game.

While Beaubier was happy to be back, feeling good and up to speed, it was Gagne who ended up fighting some physical issues at Road Atlanta with arm pump bringing a bit of worry into his season opener. Despite numbness in his throttle/front brake hand, Gagne fought for victory on both days, winning…