No MotoAmerica team has more experience at the Podium Club than the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team and on the first day of the two-day MotoAmerica Dunlop preseason test, it showed with teammates Bobby Fong and Jake Gagne one-two at day’s end.
It was Fong who led the way with his 1:26.13, a time that broke his own lap record set last year during a test session on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1 in what Fong said were “perfect conditions.” Today may not have been perfect, but the conditions were ideal with 80-degree temperatures and a slight breeze.
“The test today went good and I went faster than I did the last time we were here,” Fong said. “We’ve been working through a lot of different chassis stuff on the R1. I got comfortable pretty easy because I raced a Yamaha last year. The team and I are working well together, and I feel very comfortable so I’m looking forward to continuing the progress and starting the season strong.”
Fong’s best put him .493 of a second ahead of his teammate and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne, who lapped a 1:27.106.
Gagne’s quick lap put him slightly ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, who was enjoying his first day at the Podium Club. The five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion only recently inked his contract to remain with the team, which has been downsized to just a one-man Superbike team.
Fourth-fastest on day one at the 2.32-mile Podium Club course was Sean Dylan Kelly in his first ride on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000r after a late off-season team change. Kelly, who was working out of a van with a skeleton crew that included his crew chief Jeremy Toye, said the team only decided to the attend the test a day prior to it starting.
Meanwhile, Andrew Lee was the fastest of the two OrangeCat Racing Stock 1000-spec BMWs with Lee .399 of a second quicker than his teammate Jayson Uribe.
Josh Herrin was the fastest of the Supersport testers with the two-time AMA Superbike Champion riding the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Panigale V2 on which he will be trying to win his fourth Daytona 200 title in a few weeks.
Herrin’s pseudo-teammate Cameron Petersen was the second-fastest Supersport rider on his first outing on the Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, though his day ended early in the final session of the day with a tipover in turn one.
The test was divided into two groups, A and B, and it was SDI Racing’s Petersen who led Group B on the team’s Mission King Of The Baggers Indian Challenger with the South African’s 1:32.639 besting MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed. Wristin Grigg ended the day third-fastest in that group on his Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2. Petersen was the only rider on a Bagger on day one.
Today was also Petersen’s first day back on a motorcycle since he tested for the factory Indian Motorcycle team at the Podium Club at the end of last year. Petersen said he was a bit worn out at the end of day one after pulling double duty with the Indian and his Supersport Ducati Panigale V2.
MotoAmerica/Dunlop Test: Day 1
Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 1:26.613
Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:27.106
Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 1:27.326
Sean Dylan Kelly (Suzuki) 1:28.282
Andrew Lee (BMW) 1:28.809
Jayson Uribe (Ducati) 1:29.208
Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:30.841
Cameron Petersen (Ducati) 1:31.305
