Two-time and defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne was the fastest rider during an invitation-only Dunlop test Tuesday morning at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but more importantly Gagne was close to his 2022 race pace on the freshly repaved circuit.
Riding his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, Gagne lapped the 2.2-mile course in 1:24.920 during the short test, which ended at 1:15 p.m. local time.
Gagne’s fastest lap on his way to winning both Superbike races at Laguna Seca in 2022 was a 1:23.443.
That 1.5-second difference is promising considering the new surface is only 22 days old and has only had 1.5 days of activity on it prior to Tuesday.
Other riders at the test were 1.5-2.0 seconds off their fastest race lap times from 2022.
According to Dunlop Tire Technician Tony Romo, all compounds of Sportmax Slicks that were tried were working well once the track temperature reached 40°C and Dunlop is continuing with its plan to supply only R7 and R8 tire compounds for the race weekend.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin rode only a few untimed laps on a Ducati Panigale V4 streetbike because he is nursing injuries, including a broken right ankle, he suffered in a crash at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Joe Roberts also did not record a lap time on the temporary timing and scoring system as he was riding what appeared to be a Yamaha YZF-R1 with only basic track preparation.
MotoAmerica is considering scheduling extra unofficial practice sessions for the Superbike and Supersport classes on the afternoon of Thursday, July 6, to help further improve track conditions. Tire stickers will not be required for these sessions, 50 minutes for each class, but plans are still being finalized and will be announced by MotoAmerica via a competitor bulletin.
We will update this post with more details and comments from riders as they become available.
Unofficial Lap Times (all on Dunlop tires):
- Jake Gagne (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:24.920
- Cameron Petersen (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:25.594
- Mathew Scholtz (Yam YZF-R1), Superbike, 1:25.804
- Richie Escalante (Suz GSX-R1000R), Superbike, 1:25.859
- Cameron Beaubier (BMW M 1000 RR), Superbike, 1:25.959
- Brandon Paasch (Suz GSX-R1000RR), Superbike, 1:26.418
- Bryce Prince (Yam YZF-R1), Stock 1000, 1:27.439
- Gabriel Da Silva (Yam YZF-R1), Stock 1000, 1:29.352
- Josh Herrin (Duc Panigale V4), streetbike, no time recorded
- Joe Roberts (Yam YZF-R1), Stock 1000, no time recorded
Update:
“When it started out, the track was pretty green and we were ripping up tires left and right,” said Beaubier. “At the beginning of the day the R5s were shredding. I tried an R3 on my second session, but it shredded up in two laps. Then the track started coming in. It got quite a bit better. The rear tires were hanging in there pretty decent, then I started shredding the fronts a little bit. We were on softer tires than we’ll be on during the weekend, so it should be good. I’m curious to try the harder options, because I think they will be good for the weekend.”
Social media posts from people who attended the SCCA event at Laguna Seca this past weekend reported that sections of the track’s new surface were “failing,” so we asked Beaubier about the condition of the track.
“They had some paint down here and there just on some of the problem areas that they’re going to patch, I think, before the [MotoAmerica] weekend starts,” the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion said. “I think they’re going to take care some of those problem areas, but they were all offline for us. There are a couple of bumps and stuff from the cars that were out last weekend, but other than that I’d say it’s in pretty good shape.”
For Paasch, helping assess and put rubber on the track was secondary to his career-first ride on a Superbike.
“I’m pretty happy with how everything went [for my] first day on the Superbike and my first time riding a 1000 in seven or eight months. I’m just excited to be here,” said Paasch, who finished fourth in the 2022 Stock 1000 Championship on an Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000R. “Honestly, the Superbike just kind of does everything that I wanted the Stock bike to do [but] just a little easier, so it’s a little bit less physical for me. But, dude, the thing is such a beast! It’s definitely hard to control, but it’s also a little easier to ride at the same time, if that makes any sense. The thing is it’s pretty awesome. I’m loving it and I’m excited to keep riding the thing and keep chipping away at it.”
