Splish-Splash, It’s Gagne In Alabama Storm

Cameron Beaubier (6) leads Jake Gagne (32), Josh Herrin (1), Sean Dylan Kelly (40), Bobby Fong (50), and the rest of the Superbike pack at the start of Sunday's race two at Barber Motorsports Park. (Bryan J. Nelson photo)

LEEDS, Ala. — Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne ended a winless drought of 350 days on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, and he did so in dominant fashion with a runaway victory in an Alabama rainstorm.

The three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion’s previous race victory was a year ago in April when he won race two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Following his lone 2024 victory, Gagne suffered with carpal tunnel syndrome, which eventually led to him ending his season to forget early.

But Gagne showed that he’s back on form this weekend in Alabama, winning Sunday’s wet race two after finishing third in a dry race one Saturday.

On Sunday, there was no stopping Gagne. He jumped into the lead in turn one and was never headed, leading by as much as 13 seconds before backing off in the closing stages on a treacherous racetrack. At the finish line, Gagne had a comfortable 6.7 seconds in hand.

Saturday’s race-winner Cameron Beaubier finished second on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M1000 RR, with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion crossing the line just a tick over a second ahead of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin.

Herrin improved from his fifth-place finish on Saturday to a fighting third on Sunday, right on Beaubier’s tail and five seconds ahead of fourth-place finisher Sean Dylan Kelly. Kelly had a productive first weekend on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, with a pair of fourth-place finishes.

Gagne’s teammate Bobby Fong was in the fight for second when he started to drop back with severe vision issues prompted by a fogged-up faceshield. Fong blindly rode to a fifth-place finish a day after finishing second to Beaubier.

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was sixth, a day after crashing out of Saturday’s race. Escalante was well back of Fong and five seconds clear of Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach at the completion of the 15-lap race. With his seventh-place finish, Beach again claimed top honors in the Superbike Cup, which is a race within a race for Stock 1000-spec motorcycles.

Beach’s teammate Hayden Gillim had a tipover, remounted, and finished eighth.

Edge Racing’s Jason Waters and Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounded out the top 10.

Notable non-finishers included Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates and FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith, with both riders crashing out in separate incidents.

Race two featured four different manufacturers in the top four: Yamaha, BMW, Ducati and Suzuki.