Petersen Scores Emotional MotoAmerica Superbike Victory at Barber
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen returns to the top, while Jake Gagne claims MotoAmerica Superbike Championship lead with a runner-up finish in Race 1 at Barber Motorsports Park / May 19, 2024 /
After a tough off-season making a comeback from injury, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen celebrated victory yesterday and led a stellar 1-2 finish for the team at Round 2 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Barber Motorsports Park. His teammate Jake Gagne secured second to make championship gains with a 20-point lead after Race 1 of the weekend’s Superbike tripleheader at the 2.38-mile circuit in Leeds, Alabama.
After a tough first day of qualifying, both of the team’s riders had a much better day two, with Petersen improving to fourth in the combined times. From there he got a great start in third behind his teammate and quickly made the pass to the runner-up spot. The South African rode his own race and advanced to the lead after the frontrunner crashed in the opening laps. He continued to hit his marks, kept cool under pressure with Gagne on his heels, and rode his Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing R1 to victory. After an uncertain return with a wrist injury, it was a great comeback and emotional victory for Petersen, which also marked his fourth-career Superbike win and third at Barber Motorsports Park.
Gagne qualified third and got a great start from the front row in second, and was passed by his teammate shortly after. The defending three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion rode a calculated race in third and advanced to the runner-up spot after his title rival crashed on Lap 3. He closed the gap on his teammate a couple of laps before the halfway mark and kept the pressure on. In the final laps, the weather loomed closer and light rain started to fall on parts of the track. Gagne rode on to cross the line second, keeping his podium streak rolling and claiming a 20-point lead in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team looks forward to an action-packed Sunday with Race 2 and 3 of the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader today at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We came from Atlanta with a particular setup that we have been working on all winter, and it didn’t work here. So the guys were struggling on the first day, but we kept working all the way up to the race, and it showed. (Cameron) Beaubier gave us a little something, but that’s racing. If you pressure the guy in front of you, sometimes mistakes happen. We’re happy with the 1-2 finish and looking to do it again tomorrow.”
Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45
“This one feels good. It’s been a tough off-season coming back from the surgery I had. I didn’t know if I was going to race a motorcycle again and was questioning whether I did the right thing with the surgery, but it’s paid off. It feels good to get this monkey off my back and get the win. I’m stoked for the team to get that 1-2 after a difficult Friday. We were all kind of scratching our heads, but the guys did a great job, and we definitely took a step forward today. We had some incredible race bikes. I just tried to hit my marks and not make any mistakes. With about five laps to go, I wasn’t letting anyone take it from me. I just wanted to win this thing.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It was a good day for the team. Congrats to Cam. It was great to see him win one. He rode a great race, didn’t put a wheel wrong, and it would have been tough to get by him. Yesterday was kind of a rough day for us both. The team did a great job making improvements to the setup, and we both felt a little better today. With (Cameron) Beaubier going down, the smart thing to do was to bring it home on the podium. We’re going to be even more confident tomorrow and look to step it up.”
2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Results
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company's ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars (sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company), Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama. YMUS subsidiaries YMMC, based in Georgia, and YJBM based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine and divisions Bennett Marine (Florida), Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders (Wisconsin) and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. (Indiana), and Skeeter Boats (Texas) with its division G3 Boats (Missouri).
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, U.S.A. (Yamaha Financial Services), an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., offers financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide. Yamaha Financial Services provides retail and commercial financing for the diverse line of Yamaha brand motor products based out of Cypress, CA and Marietta, GA.
![Petersen Scores Emotional MotoAmerica Superbike Victory at Barber image](https://yamaha.sitedonerite.com/media/images/blog/peterson_scores_emotional_superbike_victory.jpg)