Podium Club Test: Fong Leads Yamaha One-Two On Day One In Arizona

Bobby Fong Breaks The Motorcycle Lap Record At Podium Club

ATTESA, AZ – February 23, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – No MotoAmerica team has more experience at the Podium Club than the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team and on the first day of the two-day MotoAmerica Dunlop preseason test, it showed with teammates Bobby Fong and Jake Gagne one-two at day’s end.

It was Fong who led the way with his 1:26.13, a time that broke his own lap record set last year during a test session on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1 in what Fong said were “perfect conditions.” Today may not have been perfect, but the conditions were ideal with 80-degree temperatures and a slight breeze.

“The test today went good and I went faster than I did the last time we were here,” Fong said. “We’ve been working through a lot of different chassis stuff on the R1. I got comfortable pretty easy because I raced a Yamaha last year. The team and I are working well together, and I feel very comfortable so I’m looking forward to continuing the progress and starting the season strong.”

Fong’s best put him .493 of a second ahead of his teammate and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne, who lapped a 1:27.106.

Gagne’s quick lap put him slightly ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, who was enjoying his first day at the Podium Club. The five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion only recently inked his contract to remain with the team, which has been downsized to just a one-man Superbike team.

Fourth-fastest on day one at the 2.32-mile Podium Club course was Sean Dylan Kelly in his first ride on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000r after a late off-season team change. Kelly, who was working out of a van with a skeleton crew that included his crew chief Jeremy Toye, said the team only decided to the attend the test a day prior to it starting.

Meanwhile, Andrew Lee was the fastest of the two OrangeCat Racing Stock 1000-spec BMWs with Lee .399 of a second quicker than his teammate Jayson Uribe.

Josh Herrin was the fastest of the Supersport testers with the two-time AMA Superbike Champion riding the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Panigale V2 on which he will be trying to win his fourth Daytona 200 title in a few weeks.

Herrin’s pseudo-teammate Cameron Petersen was the second-fastest Supersport rider on his first outing on the Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2, though his day ended early in the final session of the day with a tipover in turn one.

The test was divided into two groups, A and B, and it was SDI Racing’s Petersen who led Group B on the team’s Mission King Of The Baggers Indian Challenger with the South African’s 1:32.639 besting MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed. Wristin Grigg ended the day third-fastest in that group on his Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V2. Petersen was the only rider on a Bagger on day one.

Today was also Petersen’s first day back on a motorcycle since he tested for the factory Indian Motorcycle team at the Podium Club at the end of last year. Petersen said he was a bit worn out at the end of day one after pulling double duty with the Indian and his Supersport Ducati Panigale V2.

MotoAmerica/Dunlop Test: Day 1

1. Bobby Fong (Yamaha) 1:26.613
2. Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:27.106
3. Cameron Beaubier (BMW) 1:27.326
4. Sean Dylan Kelly (Suzuki) 1:28.282
5. Andrew Lee (BMW) 1:28.809
6. Jayson Uribe (Ducati) 1:29.208
7. Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:30.841
8. Cameron Petersen (Ducati) 1:31.305

Bobby Fong set a new lap record at the Podium Club during the first day of a two-day MotoAmerica/Dunlop test in Arizona. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

Cameron Beaubier enjoyed his first day at Podium Club and ended up third fastest on the Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

Three-time MotoAmerica Champion Jake Gagne ended up second quickest and said his arm-pump issues are behind him. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

Sean Dylan Kelly had his first outing on a Suzuki Superbike and ended up fourth fastest. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

Cameron Petersen tested the Ducati Panigale V2 that he will race in the MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport Series. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

About MotoAmerica

MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+

Source: MotoAmerica

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