Beaubier Seals MotoAmerica Dream Season with Laguna Seca Sweep

Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Beaubier was unbeatable at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last weekend. The five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion scored two dominant victories in different race conditions at the season finale. Jake Gagne scored a pair of top-five results to secure a Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing 1-2 finish in the points standings.

The day started with some drama as rain before race two of the weekend’s triple-header created a wet but drying track. No matter the conditions, it was a repeat performance for Beaubier, the Californian launching from pole position to lead from start to finish, crossing the line over 10 seconds ahead of the competition for his 15th win of the season.

Teammate Gagne quickly worked his way into third after the start and claimed second on the next lap. He then found himself in a three-rider battle and was passed for third in Turn 5. After the halfway mark, he lost another position going into the corkscrew and maintained fourth to the finish.

In the final race of the season, Beaubier took his third holeshot of the weekend, continuing to set a blistering pace. On Lap 2, he bested his own qualifying time to build another comfortable gap upfront and then cruised to his 16th victory of the season, tying the season win record with his former teammate Josh Hayes. It was a perfect end to a dream season for the five-time premier class champ who added to his Superbike legacy in the U.S. before heading off to the Moto2 Championship next season.

The afternoon race looked like a repeat of Saturday’s race one for Gagne. He slotted in behind his teammate after the start but lost the runner-up position in Turn 2. It was another multi-rider battle for the final podium spots, but unfortunately for Gagne, he was unable to find his flow on the track and eventually finished fifth. Although not the result he was hoping for, Gagne secured the runner-up position in the championship behind his teammate to complete a superb season for the team.

Richard Stanboli (Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager)

“Today was another example of how well the team and Cameron have gelled to make the R1 unbeatable. His commitment to riding at such a high level allowed us to accelerate our development. He will be missed as he moves on to new challenges in the world championship. Securing first and second in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship is a testament to the R1 and our team to achieve such a result. Hats off to both riders for giving us such a great season. We will immediately go back to work to ensure that we bring the best machines for Jake and his new teammate in 2021.”

Cameron Beaubier (Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing)

“It was an emotional day, a bittersweet weekend. I was happy to get everything out of the way and get the announcement out about going to Moto2 and be able to let Yamaha know how thankful I was for these past nine years. There have been so many great moments, some great people. This past year has been one of the most fun years of my life. I’m happy to cap it off with three wins this weekend.” 

Jake Gagne (Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing)

“It was another crazy day. We had some rain going into race one and made the change to a dry setup on the grid at the last minute. I got off to a good start but unfortunately was struggling with an unfamiliar setup and managed a fourth-place finish. Race two started well, but right away, I was just lacking in some areas on the track and getting the power where we wanted it. All in all, I’m really happy to finish second in the championship and want to give a massive thanks to the whole Attack Yamaha crew!” 

credit: yamaha-racing.com

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