Bobby Fong Continues Late-Season Charge with Superbike Victory at COTA.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong gains ground in the MotoAmerica Superbike title fight with a podium finish and a Race 2 victory at the penultimate round in Texas.
It’s been a rollercoaster MotoAmerica Superbike season, with multiple riders in play for the 2026 crown. Continuing his late-season charge, Bobby Fong earned his third win in five races, topping the podium in Sunday’s Race 2 at the penultimate round at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Together with a third-place finish on Saturday, the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider gained some points back in the title fight to stay in the hunt heading into the Superbike tripleheader at the season finale in New Jersey.
His teammate JD Beach rebounded from a crash in Race 1 to finish the weekend with a top-five finish. Unfortunately, a pair of DNFs for Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz made for a heartbreaking weekend in Texas, but with three races remaining, both he and Beach are still mathematically in contention for the title.
Fong showed good speed from the start at COTA, qualifying fourth and getting a decent start from the second row of the grid in Race 1. He quickly made his way to fourth, and although he was shuffled back to fifth, he regained the position after his teammate crashed. Around the halfway mark, Fong made the pass on Sean Dylan Kelly for third and then started to close the gap to the leaders. Although he ran out of time to challenge for the win, the Californian rode on to secure the final spot on the podium.
“It was cool to get a podium and beat the people ahead of me in the championship, just to gain a few points,” said Fong. “But it’s hard to really think about the championship. We’re still a little ways out. It feels good to get on the podium here and keep the podium streak alive. I’m looking forward to more tomorrow.”
In Race 2, Fong got another good start and quickly made his way into the top three. After a multi-rider battle for position in the opening laps, he moved into second on Lap 4 and set his sights on race leader Cameron Petersen. Fong steadily closed the 2.7-second gap and was on Petersen’s heels with two laps to go. The Californian made the pass for the lead at the end of the penultimate lap and rode on to secure his third win in five races. With four wins and 10 podiums so far this season, Fong heads into the season finale 26 points from the leader with 75 points available.
“It was a good weekend,” said Fong. “I’m happy about the win. We changed the tire plan a little bit, and it paid off. We’re a little closer on points, but really, there’s so much racing left, I can’t think about the championship. I just have to keep digging, keep doing our thing, and race wins are our goal.
“Whatever happens at the end, happens. We just have to keep our head down, keep plugging away, and not even bat an eye at this championship yet. Like I said, we just have to give it our all, and I’ll be happy no matter the outcome.”
It was a tougher weekend for Fong’s Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing teammate, JD Beach. After qualifying seventh, Beach got a great start from the third row of the grid in Race 1 and slotted into third. He battled up front in the opening laps, making his way past Kelly on Lap 5 before setting his sights on the leaders, but unfortunately crashed out of the race.
Beach got another great start in Race 2 but was shuffled back to fifth early. He continued to battle for position in a multi-rider fight, but after a big moment, Beach shifted his focus to securing the top-five finish. He heads to the season finale fourth in the standings and 49 points from the championship lead.
“The weekend was tough,” said Beach. “We started out Friday, and I was feeling good. Then in yesterday’s race I was feeling really good and smooth, running in third. I felt like I had great pace, and then just one little mishap – I tucked the front in Turn 16. It sucks to crash out of a race after a start like that, and especially with the pace we had.
“Today, I just kind of felt off a little bit. The first two or three laps of the race, I was riding a little nervous and not pushing the front. I started getting a little bit of the feeling back and made a charge for the podium. I made a couple passes, but then got passed back. With four laps to go, going through the esses, I tucked the front big and somehow saved it. In the end, it’s points on the table, but you want to be at the front, so it sucks, especially with how hard the team is working. But we finished the day, and we’ll keep fighting.”
It was an especially tough weekend for Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz, who arrived at COTA just 17 points from the championship lead. After qualifying sixth, Scholtz was running inside the top six in Race 1 when a technical issue forced him to withdraw on Lap 3.
Scholtz looked to bounce back in Race 2 and was again fighting inside the top six before another technical issue forced him into the pits with four laps remaining. The team was able to get him back on track, but he had lost too much time and ultimately finished 17th. The South African heads to the season finale 46 points from the championship lead.
“Coming into COTA only 17 points down in the championship, the goal was not to lose too many points and maybe try to gain a few back, because COTA has been a little bit of a difficult track for me in the past,” said Scholtz. “Unfortunately, we had an issue with the bike in Race 1, and I wasn’t able to finish. We definitely found something for the second race on Sunday, but unfortunately on Lap 9, the clutch had come loose. We got that fixed, but we weren’t able to score points. It hurts a lot to score zero points out of the two races here. Now we go to Jersey to just try to get some wins there and hopefully finish top three in the championship. That’s the goal for us.”
The 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship concludes at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, on September 25-27, with three races and 75 points up for grabs.
More, from another press release issued by Yamaha:
Yamaha BLU CRU Riders Celebrate Championship and Wins at COTA.
Bryce Kornbau seals the Super Hooligan title with a COTA sweep, Harrison Voight and Josh Hayes score a double podium in Supersport, and Sam Drane earns his first Talent Cup victory of the season
It was a successful weekend for Yamaha BLU CRU riders in the MotoAmerica support classes at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau capped off a strong season with a pair of wins to secure the Super Hooligan National Championship over his teammate Andy DiBrino. In Supersport, Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Harrison Voight impressed in his MotoAmerica debut, finishing runner-up in Race 2 ahead of BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes. Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane also had a standout weekend, earning his first MotoAmerica Talent Cup victory of the season and a runner-up finish.
- Bryce Kornbau Wins 2026 Super Hooligan Championship at COTA
The stage was set for an exciting Super Hooligan season finale at COTA, with BPR Racing Yamaha teammates Andy DiBrino and Bryce Kornbau separated by five points in the championship coming into the weekend. In the end, team owner/racer Kornbau did what he needed to do to secure his second MotoAmerica title – win.
DiBrino led the first half of Race 1 aboard his Yamaha MT-09, with Kornbau taking over the top spot with three laps remaining. The teammates exchanged positions in the closing laps, but it was Kornbau who ultimately prevailed. With the victory, he drew even with DiBrino in the standings, setting up a winner-take-all showdown in the final race of the season.
In Race 2, DiBrino once again led from the start, and the BPR Racing Yamaha duo quickly rode away from the competition. It became a game of strategy between the teammates, with Kornbau staying on DiBrino’s heels and waiting for his opportunity. When DiBrino ran wide and off track late in the race, Kornbau took over the lead and rode on to complete the sweep and secure the 2026 Super Hooligan Championship.
“I did what I needed to do,” said Kornbau. “We won both races, and Andy didn’t make it easy. We’re on equal equipment, and he’s stronger than me in some areas, and I’m better than him in some areas. We just go at each other differently.
“Today, I had one goal, and that was to just sit behind him the whole race, not show anything, and try to make the move on that last lap. I didn’t know if it was going to work out, and it did. We went 1-2 in the championship in our first year. It’s good for our team, it’s good for our sponsors, and it just shows everybody what we can do. It’s very exciting.”
Although DiBrino came just shy of the championship, it was a strong season for the rider from Oregon, who overcame a difficult start to the year and took the title fight down to the final race.
“It’s been an amazing season,” said DiBrino. “Coming into this, I knew I would be a contender, but we had a rough start to the season, and it took my home round to turn things around. We’ve just been on a tear ever since. I’ve been growing throughout the season and learning, and this weekend we made some big steps.
“I got my first pole position, and I felt like I could set the pace. I was able to do so all weekend long, but Bryce is so smart, so crafty, and I knew I couldn’t beat him on pace alone. So it got to be a bit of a game of strategy there, and his expertise and experience came out on top. I’m grateful that I got to learn from him all season long and get this result.”
Kornbau ended the season with four victories and eight podium finishes aboard the Yamaha MT-09, while DiBrino scored three wins and eight podiums to complete a stellar 1-2 finish for BPR Racing Yamaha in the championship.
- Harrison Voight and Josh Hayes Score MotoAmerica Supersport Double Podium at COTA
Making his MotoAmerica debut as a fill-in rider for the injured Dominic Doyle, Harrison Voight quickly got up to speed with the Liberty St. Yamaha Racing team, the Yamaha YZF-R9 and the challenging Circuit of the Americas. It was a strong debut for the newly crowned 2026 Australian Superbike Champion, who battled up front in both races and left Texas with a runner-up finish.
Voight led the way for the Yamaha BLU CRU riders in qualifying, earning fourth on the grid. He was fourth after the start of Race 1 and quickly made his way into the runner-up position, joining the championship leaders in the fight at the front. As the race wore on, it came down to Voight and Darryn Binder battling for the victory. The Australian stayed on his heels but unfortunately crashed out while fighting for the win on the final lap.
Voight reset for Race 2 and got another great start, moving into second early. It became a multi-rider battle for the final podium positions, with BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes also in the mix. Voight crossed the line third after being passed on the final lap, but following a post-race review, the rider ahead was disqualified, promoting Voight to second.
“It was a pretty great weekend racing at COTA for Liberty St. Yamaha Racing,” said Voight. “It was my first time ever seeing the track and riding the Yamaha R9. Friday was challenging as I was trying to get to grips with the circuit and bike. Afterwards, we were able to start being competitive from Saturday, qualifying fourth.
“Unfortunately, I crashed in Race 1 battling for the lead on the last lap, but I still had good confidence going into Sunday’s second race. I was happy to finish the weekend second and get a good result for the team, as they worked so hard for me all weekend. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to race this weekend, and I had a great time. I hope to be back sometime soon.”
Hayes also put together another solid weekend aboard the BPR Racing Yamaha YZF-R9. After qualifying fifth, the four-time AMA Superbike Champion battled inside the top five throughout the race and ultimately crossed the line fourth. In Race 2, Hayes was once again in the fight for the podium and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2. He ultimately earned third following the post-race penalty, and heads to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park just three points from third in the Supersport Championship.
“I was pretty pleased with my results at a track that has typically been difficult for me,” said Hayes. “It was great to have another Yamaha up front also, with Harrison riding so well, but my personal highlight was having the fastest race lap in Race 2. I think we’re in a good place going into New Jersey, which has traditionally been a good track for me, and my down-to-the-wire fight for third in the championship.”
Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis left Texas with a pair of solid results. After qualifying sixth to complete an all-Yamaha second row of the grid, the young Virginian battled for a top-five result early in Race 1 before dropping back to 11th. Davis put his head down and worked his way back through the field to finish sixth. He followed that up with a top-five result in Race 2 and heads to the season finale fifth in the championship.
- Sam Drane Wins MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race 2 at COTA
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane enjoyed another strong weekend at COTA. The 15-year-old Australian qualified second and battled for the podium throughout Race 1, ultimately earning a runner-up finish.
Drane got another good start in Race 2 and was initially locked in a battle for second. After breaking free, he set his sights on race leader Nathan Gouker and closed the gap around the halfway mark. Drane took over the lead with three laps remaining, setting up a fight to the finish between the talented young riders. The duo exchanged positions in the closing laps, with Drane reclaiming the lead to earn his first MotoAmerica Talent Cup victory of the season.
“I definitely had a good weekend,” said Drane. “I started off okay with second, and then I really wanted to win Race 2. I went into it with a good mindset and just really put my head down. I got held up a little bit but ended up catching back up to Nathan, and it was a good race.”
With the 2-1 result, Drane maintains third in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship heading into the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, on September 25-27.
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
Bradley Smith scores King of The Baggers victory for Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory race team at Circuit of the Americas. Second Season Win Moves Smith to Second Place in Series Points.
Harley-Davidson® x DynoJet Factory Race Team rider Bradley Smith won one race and finished second in another in the MotoAmerica Mission Foods King of the Baggers championship aboard a race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide® motorcycle in a double-header race weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Del Valle, Texas. Smith also won the three-lap Mission Foods Challenge sprint bonus race Saturday. The victory on Sunday was the second of the season for Smith and moved him into second place in the season points standings.
Also, at Circuit of the Americas, Saddlemen Race Development rider James Rispoli finished third in the first race of a Mission Super Hooligan double-header aboard a Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST motorcycle. Rispoli, the reigning Misson Super Hooligan National Champion, won once and earned three additional podium results in the class this season to finish fourth in the series championship.
Smith qualified second for the Mission King of the Baggers weekend with a best lap time of 2:13.077 on the 3.427-mile, 20-turn Circuit of the Americas road course. He won the Mission Foods Challenge sprint by 0.259 seconds over Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss. Throughout the weekend teams and racers dealt with very hot conditions, with air temperature reaching 96 degrees and track temperature exceeding 120 degrees.
In the Saturday race, Harley-Davidson® x DynoJet Factory Race Team rider Kyle Wyman battled with Herfoss for the lead in the opening laps before sliding off the track at turn 1 on lap three of the seven scheduled laps. Smith moved up from fourth to third place behind Herfoss and Factory Indian rider Hayden Gillim and then claimed second position when Herfoss ran off the track. Smith finished 2.191 seconds behind Gillim. Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Rispoli finished fifth. Wyman was able to remount and continue the race and finished eighth.
At the start of the second race on Sunday, Smith again found himself chasing race leader Gillim after passing Herfoss on the opening lap. Smith passed Gillim for the lead on lap four and began opening a gap that stretched to 4.717 seconds at the finish. Rispoli finished fourth. Wyman retired from the race on lap five.
“I knew I could put Hayden under some pressure as he’d be thinking about the championship,” said Smith following the second race. “I stuck it in at turn 13 and stayed a little longer on the brakes to make the pass and then brought it home. The team learned a lot yesterday and made some adjustments that made the motorcycle a little more favorable in these hot conditions. I knew I needed half a second a lap and we found it.”
After 12 of 14 rounds in the 2026 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series Gillim leads with 251 points and has secured the championship. Smith moves up to second place with 197 points, followed by Herfoss with 194 points, SDI Racing Indian rider Tyler O’Hara with 141 points, Wyman with 134 points and Rispoli with 132 points.
The Harley-Davidson® x Dynojet Factory Race Team will close out the 2026 season on September 25-27 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. Experience racing as a VIP with the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Fan Pass. Visit this site to learn more.
Harley-Davidson® x DynoJet Factory Race Team Road Glide® motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team’s racing motorcycles also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork. The Harley-Davidson® x DynoJet Factory Race Team partner roster includes DynoJet, Rockford Fosgate®, Öhlins®, Akrapovič,STM Racing Clutch, K&N Filters, SYN3® lubricants, and Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts and Accessories.
MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Race Results – Circuit of the Americas Race 1:
- Hayden Gillim (Ind) J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian
- Bradley Smith (H-D) Harley-Davidson® x Dynojet Factory Race Team
- Rocco Landers (Ind) J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) SDI Racing
- James Rispoli (H-D) Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen Race Development
- Kyle Ohnsorg (Ind) TAB Performance
- Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson® x Dynojet Factory Race Team
- Max Flinders (H-D) M3/Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson
MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Race Results – Circuit of the Americas Race 2:
- Bradley Smith (H-D) Harley-Davidson® x Dynojet Factory Race Team
- Hayden Gillim (Ind) J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) SDI Racing
- James Rispoli (H-D) Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Troy Herfoss (Ind) J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian
- Kyle Ohnsorg (Ind) TAB Performance
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen Race Development
More, from a press release issued by Real Steel Honda Racing:
Real Steel Honda Racing, the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and Andrew Lee secure the 2026 Motoamerica Superbike Cup championship
Andrew Lee, riding his Real Steel Honda Racing CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP won both Superbike Cup races of a race weekend for the 5th time this year and clinched the 2026 Superbike Cup championship with the win on Saturday. Hayden Gillim qualified 10th for the Superbike grid leading row 4 and moved forward in race 1 to finish 7th. Race 2 on Sunday saw Hayden slip back to 13th place on lap 2 but pushed back to a 9th place finish at the end. Hayden regained 10th place in the Superbike championship standings with 103 points.
In the Talent Cup class Ian Fraley suffered a DNS in Race 1 and then suffered a DNF in Race 2. Derek Sanchez scored 4th and 5th respectively in the Talent Cup races.
Next up for the team is the MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey event September 25-27 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville NJ.
Real Steel Honda Racing is proudly supported by American Honda, HRC, Progressive Insurance, Pro Honda Oils. Southern Honda Powersports, Idemitsu, Last Ark: Tactics Analogue, Vesrah, K-Tech suspension, Orient Express, Dunlop, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, Sprint Filter, Armor Bodywork, Vortex and REB Graphics.
Hayden Gillim – Rider #69 / Team Principal: “COTA is always a fun weekend. The track is fun, but tough. Add in the heat and things get interesting. It’s usually a weekend of survival and my main goal was to keep the bike on two wheels. Chipped away all weekend and got faster and faster every session. Came away with a 7th and a 9th so not exactly the results I want but fought hard for it. Looking forward to going out with a bang at Jersey after returning from competing in the Bol d’Or 24-hour endurance race with the TRT 27 AZ Moto Honda team in France this coming weekend.”
Andrew Lee – Rider #14: “I’m really happy to wrap up the Superbike Cup Championship for our team this weekend. The weekend wasn’t easy, it felt like we were racing on the surface of the sun, but we managed to win both races. My eyes are set on New Jersey next and I’m eager to get the season wrapped up on a positive note!”
Ian Fraley – Rider #10: “This weekend tested me in every way possible. From struggling to find the right setup, to fighting through problems that seemed to keep coming one after another, every session felt like another battle. Just when things started to feel right, something else went wrong. Then, after finally having a warm-up where I went a second faster than I ever have and the bike felt better than ever, the motor locked up before the warm-up lap was even over. It wasn’t the weekend we wanted, but it showed me how much fight I have left in me. Some weekends give you trophies; others give you lessons. This one gave me both—just not the kind you can put on a podium.”
Derek Sanchez – Rider #23: “It was a solid weekend overall, coming away with a P4 in Race 1 and a P5 in Race 2. Our pace was competitive right out of the gate. After working through a slight drop in pace during the first race, we made strong adjustments for Race 2 and were actively fighting for a podium spot before a mechanical issue limited our push. Despite the setback, we banked valuable championship points and maintained our upward trajectory. Up next is the season finale at New Jersey—my home track. I’m fully focused, love racing there, and we’re going into the final round aiming for the top step.”
