Gagne came out swinging from day one in Alton, Virginia, topping the timesheets in every session and breaking the track record to keep his perfect qualifying streak in 2022. He got a good start from pole position and just edged his teammate out for the holeshot. The defending champ tried to ride away, but the points leader was hot on his heels. Just after the halfway mark, Gagne was able to break away and rode on to score his 19th-career Superbike victory in the punishing conditions. His second win of the season gave him a valuable 12-point gain and moved up from sixth to third in the points standings.
Petersen qualified third to join his teammate on the front row. He got a great start, but it was a hectic first few turns, and he was ultimately shuffled to fourth. The South African regrouped and closed the gap to the podium around the halfway point. On Lap 12, he advanced to third after the competition made an error and then closed in on his fellow Yamaha rider in second. Petersen continued to keep his cool in the heat and ultimately crossed the line third. He currently sits fourth in the championship and is only one point behind his teammate.
The Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing Team lines up again tomorrow at the VIRginia International Raceway for Race 2 of the third round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on Sunday, May 21.
