Californian Jake Gagne simply dominated the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Series to earn his first Superbike crown and his third AMA Championship, the Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team leader crushing the record books en route to the title. Gagne won a record 17 out of 20 races on the team’s Yamaha YZF-R1, including a record-setting 16 in a row. Gagne returns to the team in 2022 and will begin the campaign as the heavy favorite to win a second Superbike title.
After suffering a mechanical failure in the opening race of the season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Gagne went on a tear, winning the next 17 races in a row. He wasn’t stopped until the first of three races in the series finale at Barber Motorsports Park when Mother Nature wreaked havoc with a torrential downpour. In race two at Barber, Gagne finished third and, fittingly, he won the final race of the season on Sunday in Alabama.
The Superbike Championship is the third AMA title for Gagne as he won the AMA Daytona SportBike Championship in 2015 and was crowned champion of the inaugural MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship in 2015. Gagne won 11 races during his 2015 championship-winning campaign.
In 2018, the former youth motocrosser competed overseas in the World Superbike Championship on a Ten Kate Honda but returned stateside to the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship in 2019 and rode a Scheibe Racing BMW to eighth in the title chase.
Gagne, who was born and raised in San Diego, California, now resides in Durango, Colorado.
Little Known Fact: Jake Gagne qualified for and raced in the 2015 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship round at the Utah Motorsports Campus and very nearly finished in the top 20.
MotoAmerica Stats
Wins: 17
Podiums: 29
Career Highlights
2021 – Won the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with a record-setting 17 wins out of 20 races on his Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha. 2020 – Finished second in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with 11 podiums as a teammate to champion Cameron Beaubier on the Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha team. 2019 – Rode a Scheibe Racing BMW to eighth in the Superbike title chase with a best finish of fourth. 2018 – Raced a Ten Kate Honda in the World Superbike Championship and ended up 17th in the championship. 2017 – Finished 11th in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on a RoadRace Factory Honda. 2016 – Finished 10th in the 2016 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with a best result of third at Road Atlanta. 2015 – Won the MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship on a RoadRace Factory Yamaha YZF-R1 with 11 victories. 2014 – Won the AMA Daytona SportBike Championship. 2013 – Raced a RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha to second to Cameron Beaubier in the AMA Daytona SportBike class and was the only rider to beat Beaubier when he scored victory at Road America. 2012 – Won his first-career AMA Daytona SportBike race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on his RoadRace Factory/Red Bull Yamaha. 2011 – Raced as a wild card in the Moto2 World Championship round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 2010 – Won four rounds of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and won the championship. 2009 – Competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and two rounds of the AMA Supersport East Series with a best finish of sixth. 2008 – Competed in the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup, winning two rounds at Road Atlanta and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, respectively. 2005 – 65cc Ponca City Amateur National Motocross Champion.