The duel between the two big names MotoAmerica Superbike is back: Jake Gagne (Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing) sets a qualifying record, Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) is his closest pursuer in Pittsburgh. In race 1, Danilo Petrucci tries but Jake Gagne is unapproachable. Danilo Petrucci holds off Mathew Scholtz for second place and maintains an 8-point lead in the championship.
Alessio Piana / Corsedimoto.com
Yesterday, he failed to attack the best time, today Jake Gagne caught up with interest at the expense of Danilo Petrucci. The second and final official MotoAmerica Superbike qualifying session at Wampum put the reigning champion in pole position, setting the new track record with a monstrous 1'39″344. The Italian flag bearer returns the second time, 855 thousandths from the lead, with the prospect of having to find appropriate countermeasures for the two planned races.
The @Petrux9 versus @jakegagne battle was raging in @Medallia Superbike final qualifying at @PittRace as the two rivals fought for the pole position. As the checkered flag flew, it was defending champ Gagne who went fastest, got the pole, and broke the track record. #motorsports pic.twitter.com/hMokhbkusJ
— MotoAmerica (@MotoAmerica) August 20
SUPER WIN AT PITT
Called to make up for his mistake in race 2 at Brainerd and make up for his 13-point deficit in the standings, Jake Gagne appeared like a “man on a mission” during qualifying 2. Head-to-head with the R1 of the Attack team, the star of the 2021 season, shod on new tires, made a clear difference on the lap. If at the start of the session he had established the hierarchy in 1'40″492, in the end he demolished the ambitions of the others. A first attempt with a new Pitt Race record in 1'39"344, followed by a 1'39"986 which would have earned him pole anyway.
DANILO PETRUCCI FIRST PURSUANT
Once again, Danilo Petrucci had to face a Gagne-Attack-Yamaha trio in great form, benefiting from the circuit references of the previous two years. The Ducatista achieved an excellent final lap in 1'40″199, better than the Tylers BMWs of PJ Jacobsen et Héctor Barbera and Cameron Petersen
(Attack Yamaha) and a Matthew Scholtz (Westby Yamaha) sore. He suffered the clock especially in the second sector, an intermediate time where the #1 in the category made the difference.
RACE 1
Two red flags, three starts, only one winner. A roaring MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex returned Jake Gagne to the top step of the podium, with the winner coming within 8 points of the Italian
Danilo Petrucci in the championship. The Ducatista, second on the line, actually obtained the best possible result of this first race of the weekend in Pennsylvania.
DANILO PETRUCCI LIMITS DAMAGE
For all purposes, Danilo Petrucci managed to get a silver medal this day, which is very valuable for the championship. During the first two starts, he was forced to overtake the other Attack Yamaha from Cameron Petersen, while in the third start he tried to put pressure on the defending champion. He tried everything in taming the Ducati Panigale V4 R, landing his 13th podium of the season in 15 races so far in MotoAmerica Superbike.
TWO RED FLAGS
The three departures did not pose any problems for Jake Gagne. The first red flag was caused by the engine failure of the BMWEzra Beaubier (brother of multiple AMA/MotoAmerica champion Cameron, now in Moto2), who left oil at the exit of turn 14. The same happened during the following restart, 8 laps from the finish, the fall of
Jeremy Coffey (without consequences) making the offending section slippery.
5 SPRINT LAPS FOR DANILO PETRUCCI
At the third start, 5 laps from the finish, Danilo Petrucci outlines an attempted attack on Jake Gagne, but the defending champion manages the situation and wins his ninth victory of the season. For 'Petrux' in the finale, the problem came from the return of Matthew Scholtz, who came back to him after a tormented day. At the first start, the South African actually found himself 15th, finishing on the grass to avoid reckless braking by Richie Escalante.
. @jakegagne gets his 9th win of the year. @Petrux9 second with @Scholtzm20 third to @PittRace. pic.twitter.com/5wh3WRHEfL
— MotoAmerica (@MotoAmerica) August 20
TOMORROW RACE 2
Tomorrow at 15:10 p.m. local time (21:10 p.m. French time) the start of race 2 with Danilo Petrucci who will be 8 points ahead of Jake Gagne in the championship. Live broadcast of the event will be provided by the service (by subscription) MotoAmerica Live+.
Read the original article on Corsedimoto.com
