BY THE CN STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J. NELSON
H
e might not have
crushed the competi-
tion like he did here
last year, but Jake Gagne
crushed them enough en
route to his first double vic-
tory of the season at VIR-
ginia International Raceway.
Winning by 2.9 seconds on
Saturday and 3.2 seconds on
Sunday, and with champion-
ship leader Danilo Petrucci
not having one of his best
outings of the young season,
Gagne planted himself right
back in the championship
hunt. After getting off to a
rough start to the season,
including two DNFs, Gagne
now trails Petrucci by just 13
points and runner-up Mathew
Scholtz by nine.
"There's no such thing as
those big eight-second leads
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J. NELSON
crushed the competi-
tion like he did here
route to his first double vic-
ginia International Raceway.
Winning by 2.9 seconds on
Saturday and 3.2 seconds on
Sunday, and with champion-
ship leader Danilo Petrucci
outings of the young season,
Gagne planted himself right
including two DNFs, Gagne
now trails Petrucci by just 13
points and runner-up Mathew
"There's no such thing as
those big eight-second leads
anymore," Gagne said at the
end of the weekend. Last
year, Gagne won by 11.8 and
13.9 seconds, respectively.
"Every half-tenth or tenth, I'll
take it."
In race one, Gagne led the
pack into turn one from his
fifth pole position in succes-
sion (and the new VIR lap
record that came with it),
withstood early-lap pressure
by Warhorse HSBK Racing
Ducati NYC's Petrucci, then
did the same with Westby
Racing's Scholtz.
When all was said and
done, Gagne had his 19th ca-
reer MotoAmerica Superbike
win in pocket, his second win
in a row in 2022, and a jump
all the way up to third in the
championship standings.
Scholtz ended up second,
his fourth runner-up finish out
of the five races held thus far
in 2022.
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 21 MAY 24, 2022 P69
looks like the Jake Gagne
double victory in Virginia
