Gagne Gets First DSB Pole

Henny Ray Abrams | October 6, 2012

NEW ORLEANS, LA, OCT 6 – Road Race Factory/Red Bull Yamaha’s Jake Gagne followed up his first Daytona Sportbike win at Homestead-Miami Speedway by taking his first pole position in the class late on a warm morning at NOLA Motorsports Park near New Orleans, La.

Gagne’s win in Florida came in mixed conditions, on a wet but drying track. This morning the sun was shining and the track was hot, and no one was hotter than Gagne. He not only took his first pole, he did it with authority. His time around the 2.75-mile, 16-turn road course was 1:42.443 mins. Second fastest was Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier, a six-time DSB winner this season who was on the provisional pole. Beaubier, who missed three races early in the season, is trying to take second in the DSB championship. He currently trails M4 Suzuki’s Dane Westby by 14 points. Westby qualified sixth for the final DSB weekend of the year.

Meen Motorsports Racing’s Bobby Fong qualified third ahead of 2012 Daytona Sportbike champion Martin Cardenas. The Colombian qualified nearly a second behind Gagne.

The second row was more tightly spaced. Kneedraggers.com/Triple Crown Industries Tommy Aquino (Yam), Westby, Latus Motors Racing’s Jason DiSalvo (Tri), and Road Race Factory/Red Bull Yamaha’s JD Beach were covered by .3 sec.

Daytona Sportbike Qualifying Results:
1. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:42.443
2. Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 1:42.882
3. Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 1:43.250
4. Martin Cardenas (Suzuki) 1:43.403
5. Tommy Aquino (Yamaha) 1:43.757
6. Dane Westby (Suzuki) 1:43.828
7. Jason DiSalvo (Triumph) 1:44.052
8. JD Beach (Yamaha) 1:44.057
9. Jake Zemke (Ducati) 1:44.158
10. Austin Dehaven (Yamaha) 1:44.450