Gagne Leads Ultra Close Medallia Superbike Qualifying Session at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Action Gets Underway In The GEICO Motorcycle MotoAmerica Speedfest At Monterey And It’s Close In All Classes

MONTEREY, CA – July 9, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Defending MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne started the weekend off the way he normally does by throwing down the fastest laps in both practice and Q1 on opening day for this weekend’s GEICO Motorcycle MotoAmerica Speedfest at Monterey.

And if today’s opening day of action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is any indication, we’re in for a pair of white-hot Medallia Superbike races this weekend.

While Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 set the pace with a 1:23.707 lap in Q1 to take provisional pole position for the two Medallia Superbike races, he’s got company at the top with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Danilo Petrucci just .232 of a second behind and the top five all within a second of Gagne.

Gagne tamed the wind to click off his best lap on his 11^th go-around, his 1:23.707 –  just .799 of a second off Josh Herrin’s lap record of 1:22.908 set during Superpole in 2018.

South African Cameron Petersen was third in Q1 with his 1:24.076 just .369 of a second behind his teammate Gagne. Then came his countryman Mathew Scholtz on the Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 with his best .143 of a second behind Petersen.

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen was fifth and the last rider within a second of Gagne.

Tomorrow morning the Medallia Superbikes field will be out to improve upon today’s times in a battle for pole position. Thus far in 2022, Gagne has been on pole at all five rounds.

Supersport – Herrin, Barely

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Supersport Championship points leader Josh Herrin led Friday’s Q1 session on his Ducati Panigale V2, but only just. Herrin lapped at 1:26.942 and that put him just .110 of a second ahead of Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers and .346 of a second ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.

As in Medallia Superbike Q1, the top five Supersport riders were all within a second of Herrin’s best. N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Kevin Olmedo and North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith were the two who completed the top five.

Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander Leads ‘Em

You can’t get much closer than .005 of a second, but that’s all that separates Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander from Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim, the same two riders who are…