It was a perfect day for Gagne at the 2.78-mile track in Wampum, Pennsylvania. He set the tone early with his seventh pole position of the season and broke another track record with a blistering 1:39.344. When it came time to go racing, he grabbed not one but three holeshots in the twice-restarted race. The reigning Superbike Champion continued to set the pace with some fast laps and built a gap up front to remain unchallenged. Even in the five-lap sprint race after the second restart, Gagne crossed the line with a two-second lead to return to the top of the podium and move within eight points of the championship leader.
Petersen got off to a flying start from the fifth spot on the grid and slotted into second behind his teammate. Although he was shuffled to third five laps into the race, he had a better starting spot on the front row of the grid for the restart. Once again, the South African claimed the runner-up spot but was soon shuffled to third. The second red flag was drawn, making for a heated five-lap sprint. Petersen was third after the start and found himself under pressure, and was passed by his fellow Yamaha rider on the final lap. He tried to counter but ultimately had to settle for fourth.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing team returns tomorrow for MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
