Fong Scores Podium Finish in Superbike Thriller at COTA
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong crosses the line third in a heavyweight fight to the finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at COTA / Sep 13, 2025 /
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong maintained his place at the top of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship standings with a hard-fought third-place finish in Race 1 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Teammate Jake Gagne overcame adversity after a crash near the halfway point and fought his way from the back of the field to a top-10 finish in the opening race of the penultimate round.
It was a rollercoaster start to the weekend for Fong, who had a pair of crashes in Friday’s qualifying session but still managed a third-place result. On Saturday, he ultimately qualified fifth in the combined times as he worked to find his comfort zone. In Race 1, the series points leader got a good start from the second row of the grid and slotted into fourth, making the pass to third on Lap 2. He clicked off consistently fast laps in that lead group and kept his title rivals in sight. The final lap was a nail-biter, with the top three riders battling to the finish and separated by just 0.415 seconds at the line, and Fong shy of the runner-up spot by a mere 0.031 seconds. His eighth-consecutive-podium finish, and 12th so far this season, earned valuable points to give him a 13-point advantage heading to Race 2.
Gagne qualified second and got a good start to Race 1 in the runner-up spot. Although he was shuffled back to fourth on the second lap, he remained in the lead group and kept a competitive pace. Unfortunately, on Lap 5, he lost the front in the greasy conditions and found himself near the back of the field in 17th. Undeterred, the three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion mounted a strong comeback, working his way up to 10th on the final lap to maintain a solid fourth in the points standings.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing returns to action tomorrow afternoon for Race 2 of MotoAmerica Superbike Round 8 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Coming in here, we knew it was going to be a bit difficult with the competition being so good on the straights, so we worked on the chassis to take advantage of Yamaha’s handling. We had some pretty good sessions going, but Bobby had a couple of crashes yesterday, which kind of set us back a little bit, and he struggled in Q2. We decided on a setup that he knew well from the last three races, and he was pretty comfortable on it. The pace wasn’t as fast as we thought, and although it wasn’t a win, we’re happy to maintain our points advantage with the result. Unfortunately, Jake had a crash mid-race but fought back to 10th. As always, the crew gave 100%. We’ll keep working and come back stronger tomorrow.”
Bobby Fong – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #50
“It was a warm one out there for sure, so I’m happy to keep it upright. It was cool to be in the battle and come away with some points. We’ll make a few adjustments tonight and try to be a bit better tomorrow. I felt like I rode pretty well – I just got to come up with a different strategy. Everyone’s been working really hard, especially after my two crashes yesterday. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and will try to be better by two positions.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #32
“The bike felt pretty good. We were second on the grid, which was nice, and I got off to a decent start. I was running fourth, and it was a pack of four of us battling at the front. I was feeling pretty good, but with the temperature, it just gets really greasy and I was pushing the front a lot. I lost the front on the straightaway – a really slow first-gear turn – and tried to save it, but couldn't bring it back. So that was a bummer, but I’m glad I was in the mix at the front at least for a little while. We’ll learn what we can and try to run with those guys tomorrow.”
2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Results
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