Jake Gagne Leads A Championship That’s Tipsy-Turvy With Four Different Winners As Series Heads To Minnesota, June 14-16
IRVINE, CA – June 12, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The only thing predictable about the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship is its unpredictability as the series embarks on its fourth round at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota, June 14-16.
Although arm-pump issues have impacted his early season, Jake Gagne is still the man to beat in the Steel Commander Superbike Championship as the series heads to Brainerd, Minnesota, June 14-16. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Case in point #1: Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier appeared to be teetering on the verge of dominating this year’s championship after winning three of the first five races. Now Beaubier is out of action for a while after breaking his heel in his race-one crash at Road America in a rainstorm.
Case in point #2: Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne leads the title chase but has only won a single race. He also has unheard-of results for the three-time champion of eighth, seventh and fifth on his scorecard after early-season struggles with arm pump. He is, however, only one of two riders in the top 10 to have scored points in all seven races.
Case in point #3: There have been four different winners in the Superbike class in the first seven races. Last year, there were four different winners in the entire 19-race series.
So, if you add all that up, it’s easy to see the unpredictability of the current season. And there’s plenty more to come. Next up: Brainerd International Raceway.
So, what does it all mean?
Gagne with his lone victory (in race two at Road Atlanta) and four total podiums leads the way into the “Land Of 10,000 Lakes” with 113 points. That puts him 18 points clear of the absent Beaubier, who will be watching from his California home and not sure of when his return will be as he may be out of action until his home round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Gagne’s arm-pump is something we must keep an eye on. One thing we know for certain, if Gagne isn’t winning races and is not a consistent podium finisher, there’s still a problem. Only time will tell, and Brainerd will provide a good test as to the health of those forearms.
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