Jake Gagne, 2023 MotoAmerica Superbikes Champion, takes Race One victory
Saturday’s MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike race was held in a rainstorm at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and it was a race that Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s Jake Gagne didn’t need to win. But he did. Because he could. And that’s what Gagne does.
The three-time MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Champion won his 11th race of the season and the 40th Superbike race of his career in horrible conditions at NJMP. He won by a tick over 16 seconds and in the same manner as the majority of his other 39 wins. He led off the line, led into turn one, gapped the field quickly and maintained his lead to the finish of the 16-lapper that was shortened due to the inclement weather.
Gagne’s victory came over his teammate-of-late, JD Beach. Beach, who is filling in for the injured Cameron Petersen, was in the top four throughout the race and took advantage of crashes, off-track excursions and a penalty given to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen after the New Yorker made a pass on Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin under a waving yellow flag.
When the dust (or mud) had settled, Beach was second with Jacobsen being dropped to fourth with the penalty.
While the Tytlers Cycle Racing team saw their lead rider dropped from second to fourth, they also got to enjoy the polar opposite with Jacobsen’s teammate Corey Alexander earning the first MotoAmerica Superbike podium of his career. Alexander was steady and fast and ended up some four seconds adrift of Beach and ahead of Jacobsen.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was fifth on the track, but sixth in the official results after being penalized for punting Herrin off the track while passing the Ducati rider for fifth. Scholtz had already remounted after crashing out of third place in what was an eventful afternoon for the South African.
Seventh place went to Benjamin Smith Racing’s Benjamin Smith, who was 10 seconds clear of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim.
Tom Woods Powersports’ Nolan Lamkin and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa rounded out the top 10.
Notable non finishers included Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch and Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates. Paasch crashed out of the race in the fast last corner with Yates suffering a mechanical failure.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante had his worst finish of the season in 11th. Ditto for Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong, who was 13th.
Superbike Race 1
Jake Gagne – Winner
“A lot of little moments, for sure. It was sketchy. This morning we had that session and it felt really good, really solid, but just this little bit of extra rain we got before the race. I almost crashed in the first left-hander in turn 3B in the lead on the first lap. Just pushed the front. Then I kind of calmed down. I was so focused on just hitting my marks that I didn’t even look at the pit board for a while, and then I kind of saw that plus two. Then there was that lap where I’d get reeled in and then it was just back and forth. So, I was trying to just hit my marks. It was really easy to crash today. I think we saw quite a bit of them today. It was just one of those days where if you could get a little offline, like JD (Beach) said, in a puddle, you were down quick. But I’m happy riding this Yamaha. I had a lot of fun riding out there. A couple good moments, little moments. I just hit my marks. Congrats to JD and Corey (Alexander). These guys up on the podium, they deserve it. I could see both Corey and JD. There’s a section of the track like (turn) 10 where I could see them. The last half of the race, the last five laps, they were in the same spot every time. I was still pushing, so they had a good pace. I think everybody probably learned a lot today. I think it will be closer tomorrow. It seems like every time we come to this place we get some crazy weather. So, I’m happy that we pulled home a win. Last race of the season tomorrow, so just try to have fun and enjoy it and hopefully have a good battle with these guys. I think everybody wants to get that last one, so it will be fun.”
JD Beach – Second Place
“When I’m with a guy out there it definitely helps because I think one thing for me, I like to be able to get my knee down but being so short, I’m stretching to try and do that. But when I got a guy in front of me, I kind of pick my eyes up a bit more and just roll through the turns better. It was definitely a hard race. This track in the rain is no joke. There’re so many slick spots. It’s weird because it will hold water in a few spots and then as the race goes on, it’s almost like the water gets pushed to a new spot. So, you’re kind of looking for the line all the time. You think it would start to dry out, but the water just gets pushed around. To get on the podium again as a fill-in rider is awesome. To be up here with Jake (Gagne) is great, and to see Corey (Alexander) get on the box is great too. I know he said that his titles might have asterisks on them, but on that day he’s racing against the best guys in that class. So, a title is a title. It doesn’t matter. To be on the box with two guys that have won titles in the last two seasons in great.”
Corey Alexander – Third Place
“I had no idea until I rolled in over here (that he’d finished third). I actually stopped to talk to James Rispoli really quick to give him some info about the track before his race. He was like, ‘I think you were third.’ I was like, ‘No, man, I was fourth. I was close, but I was fourth.’ Then they pulled me into the podium. Definitely a good surprise, for sure. I wasn’t expecting that one. I always seem to surprise myself in the rain somehow. Today more so than others. My first career win was in the rain, a long time ago now. I said to my mechanic before we rolled out and he was like, ‘This is going to be fun, huh?’ Like real sarcastic. I was like, ‘It’s all right. We’ve been here before.’ Usually in the rain somehow my riding style clicks with it. It takes me a little bit to get going, but once I get going, I get pretty comfortable. Felt really good towards the end. I knew I couldn’t catch JD (Beach) on those last couple laps. I was pushing and he was coming back to me. I wasn’t ready to take as big enough of a risk to really reel him in as I needed to. The tires were starting to get a little bit shot and I was losing the rear in a couple spots. I was very content with fourth place. That would have been a very good place for me to finish. I was happy enough with that. I was celebrating like it was a podium for fourth, and I would have celebrated a lot harder if I knew it was a podium. But it is what it is. Super happy to be up here. Like I said on the podium, anybody who has kind of been in my inner circle knows how hard these last few races have been for me. I haven’t been having much fun, honestly. So, to do this for my guys that are working so hard and just everybody that supports me personally, it’s nice to pay them back with something at least before the year is over.”
JD Beach surprises with Superbikes win in Race Two
JD Beach was the master of iffy track conditions on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing rider controlling the final race of the season from the sixth of 16 laps to score the second MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike victory of his career and his first in four years.
With a drying track throwing a bit of confusion into the mix prior to the start, Beach and the majority of the Medallia Superbike contingent went with Dunlop rain tires while two of them opted for slicks. As it turns out, rain tires were the right call and one that Beach and his team made just prior to the start of the race.
It was Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen who led the race for the first five laps before Beach made his move on the New Yorker. Once past, Beach steadily pulled away before slowing his pace to cross the finish line 5.4 seconds ahead of Jacobsen.
With Jacobsen finishing second, it was his teammate Corey Alexander who finished third for the second straight day. On Sunday, however, the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW-mounted Alexander was third on the track and it didn’t take Jacobsen’s two-spot penalty to move him to the position as it did the day prior. Alexander was happy with his first podium but was happier with his second.
Three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne finished fourth, the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha rider finishing off the podium for the first time all season in races that he finished. The Colorado resident had a DNF with a mechanical issue that was his only non-score in what was an 11-win season in which he scored 420 points.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch was fifth, three seconds behind Gagne and just .274 of a second ahead of his teammate Richie Escalante.
Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis had his best MotoAmerica Superbike finish in seventh with Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong eighth.
Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounded out the top 10.
Notables missing from the results are Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz. Both Herrin and Scholtz opted for slicks, and both crashed early in the race.
The final 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship point standings were led by Gagne’s 420 points with Herrin second and Jacobsen third. Scholtz ended up fourth, tied with Escalante. Sixth went to Cameron Beaubier with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion missing the final four races of the season with injury.
Superbike Race 2
JD Beach – Winner
“Honestly, PJ (Jacobsen) thought I was going to be fast, but out on the grid I was crapping my pants. I was scared. I’m like, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.’ When I went out for the warmup lap, as soon as I tipped it in, a few times the thing would slide. But the track didn’t look wet. So, I was nervous. Before the race started, I was going back and forth – slicks, rains, slicks, rains. Richard (Stanboli) came out on the grid. We talked about it. I was down to the last minute. I was like, only two guys went to slicks. Actually, (Josh) Herrin tried to trick me. I asked him if he switched and he said no, but I watched him do it. So, he’s not going to get no help anymore. So, then we just went with rains. PJ (Jacobsen) got a hell of a start. It was like a Jake (Gagne) start. The first lap, he was just gone. So, I was behind Jake (Gagne) and I was just like, I’m just going to match what he does. If he picks the bike up, I’m going to pick the bike up. So, I was just matching him, and I was making time on him, so I’m like, I guess I’ll just go by him. So, I went by Jake. PJ was out there, so I just put my head down and I started charging. I caught PJ and I tried to get by him as quick as I could. Just put my head down. I felt really good. I was just enjoying it. The bike was sliding around. I was spinning up. I just thought to myself, I wasn’t going to try to save the tire. I’d rather blow them off than have tires left at the end and not win. I just went for it. It feels really cool to get a win again after four years, and just getting on this bike for the last three rounds.”
PJ Jacobsen – Second Place
“Yeah, just like after yesterday and stuff like that I was still pretty pissed off, to be honest with you. It was hard to take that yesterday. Then I feel like I got a decent start and I just wanted to lead and try to run away with it and see what I could do. Honestly, I knew JD (Beach) before the start of the race would be pretty fast because we’re both dirt trackers, and it was like completely so sketchy out there when it’s half wet, half dry. Then also I was kind of nervous about the guys with the slicks because I was kind of shaking my head when we rolled up to start the race. I was just like, “I might just go backwards after five laps here.’ So, I don’t really know what’s going to happen. But once JD passed me, it was very hard to stay with him because I kept losing the rear going into all the corners with some lean angle. I just knew my tire was done. There was no going through water or anything saving me like that. So, it was kind of just riding the struggle bus through the rest of the race. I could see the gap behind me. So, I was managing that. Then I wasn’t pushing too much more to try to catch JD. It was just a big risk, because I was sideways a lot in the entry of the corners, and I don’t really want to crash like that. So, it was good to come back in second today. But I’m actually really happy for Corey (Alexander). That’s awesome that he got a podium today. He really deserved it. It’s really good. It’s awesome that we’re both up here for the last race of the season. He’s (Alexander) had a difficult season with a lot of things going on, so I’m pretty happy for him here at New Jersey Motorsports Park, his home race and my home race. So, it’s really cool to be sharing the podium with him. It’s good to get a podium at the end of the season here before it all ends before the winter.”
Corey Alexander – Third Place
“I guess so because I’m not happy with third. I feel like I’ve got a lot of pace left. But either way, just to be up here with these guys again. Passing Jake (Gagne) was pretty surreal. I thought, ‘he’s got to have some kind of plan. He must be saving his tire or something. He’s going to come back by me in a bit.’ And then we just had a huge gap. So, it was surreal during the race. For me, yesterday was obviously huge. It was amazing to get a podium, but just having PJ’s (Jacobsen) penalty and whatnot is not exactly how I’d want it to go down if I could dream up a podium. So, to be able to do it again and have him up here with me is amazing for our team and just for me confidence-wise to know that I actually went out and earned this one. Super excited. Super thankful for all the people that helped me to get here. It’s been a long road. Just hope to get to do it again next year.”
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