Road Racer Jake Gagne To Race AMA Pro Motocross
Andrea Wilson | July 18, 2015
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN J. NELSON
MONTEREY, CA, JULY 18— MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 rider Jake Gagne is going back to his motocross roots. The 2014 Daytona Sportbike Champion will attempt to qualify for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Utah National in the 450cc class at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah on August 11.
“I grew up racing motocross,” Gagne said, “and it was always a dream of mine to race an Outdoor National. I still ride motocross all the time, and earlier this year, Yamaha gave me a YZ450F. I’ve been putting a lot of time on that.”
The Southern California native rides frequently with national-caliber Motocrossers and felt like giving it a go.
“I feel like I could do a decent job,” he said. “Keith McCarty at Yamaha stepped up huge and helped me with a sweet in-house 450, and I’ve been testing that since I got home from Miller. That bike has everything—motor, suspension—I could possibly need.”
Gagne is confident he will qualify.
“It’s going to be tough,” he admitted. “There are a lot of good guys, but I just want to qualify and ride both races. That’s all.”
Andrea Wilson | Managing Editor
Andrea has been shooting everything from flat track to road racing in her job as a professional freelance photographer, but she's made the move to a full-time staff position at Cycle News where her love of all things motorcycling will translate well. Wilson has proven her worth as more than a photographer as she migrates to the written word with everything from race coverage to interviews.
