More from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Mathew Scholtz Strengthens Championship Lead with Barber Superbike Sweep.
Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz extends his MotoAmerica Superbike Championship lead with a pair of victories, while Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach earns his first podiums of the season.
After a strong debut aboard the Strack Racing Yamaha R1 at the MotoAmerica Superbike opener at Road Atlanta, Mathew Scholtz raised the bar at Round 2 at Barber Motorsports Park with a dominant weekend sweep. It was a statement ride from the back-to-back MotoAmerica Supersport champ, who thus far has three wins and a runner-up finish to give him a healthy 34-point lead early in the title chase.
It was also a strong weekend for fellow Yamaha BLU CRU rider JD Beach. Although the weekend didn’t start out smoothly, the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider continued to make improvements, with Beach earning a pair of podium finishes in just his second full-time Superbike round with the squad.
Superbike Race 1 was an intense battle on the 2.38-mile circuit in Leeds, Alabama. Scholtz grabbed the holeshot, with the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing duo of Bobby Fong and Beach also getting strong starts inside the top five despite not qualifying on the front row. The teammates battled throughout the opening laps before settling into fourth and fifth, respectively. Just before half-race distance, PJ Jacobsen crashed, moving them both up a spot before bringing out the red flag.
After the restart, Scholtz once again nailed the start and quickly began to distance himself from the field, putting in consistently fast laps to secure the win by a healthy four-second margin.
Behind him, Fong slotted into second and Beach third after the restart, with the duo remaining in the thick of a multi-rider fight for the podium positions. Beach battled with Cameron Beaubier and was shuffled back to fourth, while Fong was also passed by the reigning champion with around four laps to go. In the closing laps, Beach continued to push, making a decisive move in Charlotte’s Web on the final lap to secure third – his first podium of the season – with Fong finishing right behind in fourth.
Race 2 featured many of the same players, with Scholtz once again asserting himself early. After slotting into second off the start, the South African took over the lead on the opening lap and quickly began building a gap.
Beach once again showed a strong pace, quickly moving into podium contention after starting sixth. The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider made his way into second on Lap 3 and once again found himself battling with Beaubier, who briefly passed him before crashing shortly after. From there, Beach settled into a strong pace and rode a lonely race in second.
In fourth after the start, Fong remained locked in a multi-rider battle for the podium position. He was shuffled back to fifth on that opening lap and continued to fight. Fong made his way back to fourth and then into third after Beaubier’s crash, but ultimately dropped back to sixth in the latter half of the race.
At the front, Scholtz continued to control the race, securing his second dominant victory of the weekend by a margin of 6.6 seconds. Beach followed him home in second and moved to third in the championship standings, with Fong sitting fourth and trailing his teammate by a point.
“Coming into the Barber weekend, I was pretty excited,” said Scholtz. “It’s been a good track for me. After having a great outing with the team at the first race, I was excited to get back on it and carry on working on the development of the Yamaha R1. We definitely had some setbacks during the practice sessions, but when we needed to come through in the race, we did. To come out with a double win – I couldn’t be happier. I’m thankful for the situation that I’m in and looking forward to going to Road America. It’s been a bit of a difficult track for me in the past, but this season, everything feels different.”
In MotoAmerica Supersport, Scholtz’s teammate, Blake Davis, continued to show speed in the highly competitive class. After qualifying seventh, the young Virginian battled inside the lead group in both races. Race 1 featured multiple red flags and restarts, but Davis remained firmly in the mix throughout, running as high as third before ultimately finishing sixth. In Race 2, the Strack Racing Yamaha rider once again battled inside the top five before securing another sixth-place finish.
Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle also continued to make progress in the Supersport class. After qualifying 11th, Doyle improved throughout the weekend and worked his way to seventh in Race 1. In Race 2, he was once again battling inside the top 10 before an unfortunate crash with around five laps remaining ended his race early.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA:
Ty Scott on the podium for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki in Alabama.
Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer continued their trophy winning ways this weekend as the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship picked back up at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Over the course of the weekend, the factory-backed squad combined to tally six top fives, including a pair of podium finishes.
Race Highlights:
- M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
- Supersport
- Tyler Scott notched up his fourth podium finish of the season with another all-around impressive weekend.
- Superbike
- Richie Escalante charged his way to a pair of top fives.
- Brandon Paasch twice battled forward to fight his way into the top ten.
- Twins Cup
- Matthew Chapin picked up a second-place finish on Saturday and backed it with a close fourth on Sunday.
- Bodie Paige was ruled unfit following a qualifying crash on Friday.
- Supersport
MotoAmerica Supersport title hopeful Tyler Scott finished off the podium aboard his next-generation GSX-R750 for the first time all season in Saturday’s contest, missing out on the box by just 0.067 seconds after taking the checkered flag only 0.296 seconds behind the winners.
The M4 ECSTAR Suzuki ace made his amends in Sunday’s rematch, parlaying his front-row grid position into a third-place finish. Scott got his revenge for his Saturday fourth with a last-lap strike on Sunday that saw him nudge into third at the checkered flag by an impossibly close 0.009 seconds, while again finishing only a half second away from victory.
Scott said, “I felt really good this weekend. We’re not quite where we want to be yet, but we’re getting there. I can’t give my M4 ESCSTAR Suzuki crew enough thanks. They’ve got the bike dialed in, and I’m comfortable on the bike. I can really ride it the way I know how to ride it, and it’s going to battle on it now.”
Meanwhile, the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki duo of Richie Escalante and Brandon Paasch were on the charge aboard their GSX-R1000Rs at Barber Motorsports Park.
Despite qualifying on the outside of Row 3, Escalante twice fought his way into the top five. He took fifth – and only 1.5 seconds away from second – on Saturday. The Mexican star went one better on Sunday, racing up from the bottom of the top ten to come home in fourth.
“It was a nice weekend,” Escalante said. “We got two top fives, which is good for the championship. But the most important thing is that I have a really good feeling from the bike again. The crew did a great job, always pushing to improve and find more. I am really happy about our race pace. Qualifying has changed this year to just 15 minutes, so my focus at Road America will be to get up to speed and get a good flying lap. That puts us closer to the podium again. I am really happy with the weekend, the bike, and the team.”
Paasch pulled a similar trick. He twice finished eighth after starting on Row 4, including a Sunday ride that saw him climb to that position from outside the top 15 after being forced to take evasive action to avoid a downed rider.
He said, “There were some nice positives from the weekend. It started out a little rough. I have never gone that great at Barber, which is no excuse, and we didn’t qualify very well. In Race 1, I was trying to stick with the top ten pack and was able to get a good result. I tried to do it in Race 2, but there was a crash in front of me. I had to avoid it and ended up last but was able to charge up to eighth by the end. I wasn’t really happy at the time, but we were able to run some people down and make passes. I didn’t crash all weekend, and we made the bike better, so we continued our forward momentum. I really like Road America so it should be good.”
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Twins Cup squad was down a rider early after Australian Bodie Paige was ruled out following a Friday qualifying crash. Class title contender Matthew Chapin picked up the slack on the GSX-8R, winning out in a last-lap duel for second on Saturday. He narrowly missed out on a double-podium weekend by finishing a close fourth on Sunday.
Following his runner-up finish, Chapin said, “That was a fun race. I had a lot of fun battling and the pace was pretty good. I want to give a huge thanks to my M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team – we’ve struggled with small things all weekend, but together we were able to get it sorted for the race. I dropped like a second compared with my qualifying time in the race, and that’s absolutely absurd.”
The 2026 MotoAmerica season will resume in ultra high-speed fashion when it arrives at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on May 29-31.
For more Road racing news please visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.
More, from a press release issued by OrangeCat:
OrangeCat Racing Secures Its Third Superbike Podium of the Season at Barber. Sean Dylan Kelly turned a difficult start into a Superbike podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park, with teammate Jayson Uribe having an up-and-down weekend in Alabama.
The second round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, held at the picturesque Barber Motorsports Park, started strongly for OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, with the Floridian leading both Superbike sessions on Friday on his BMW M 1000 RR.
On Saturday morning, however, things changed with Kelly having a big crash in the final qualifying session that left him with an injured hand. Kelly managed to fight through the discomfort to finish seventh in Saturday’s race one. On Sunday, birthday boy Kelly rebounded to finish the weekend on a high with a third-place finish, and his third podium of the season.
Kelly’s teammate Jayson Uribe had a difficult weekend that saw the Californian finishing a fighting twelfth and sixteenth in the two races after off-track excursions in both.
With three podiums in four races, Kelly holds on to second in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Despite his difficult weekend, Uribe is tenth in the title chase.
The weekend started on a high for Kelly as his 1:23.372 in Free Practice 1 put him atop the leaderboard. On Friday afternoon, Kelly went even quicker in Superbike Q1, with his 1:22.908 leading the pack going into the eventful Saturday morning qualifying session. Despite the crash, Kelly still ended up fifth-fastest and would start both races from the second row of the grid. Uribe ended the 15-minute Superbike qualifying session tenth.
The first of two Superbike races on the 2.380-mile Barber Motorsports Park road course was red-flagged after a crash deflated a section of Air Fence. By this point in the race, Uribe was already having issues after contact with another rider led to an off-track excursion. He would eventually finish twelfth.
Kelly was sixth for the first two laps of the restarted eight-lap race before losing a spot on the third lap. From there, Kelly rode to a seventh-place finish.
Sunday was a much better day for Kelly and his BMW as he moved forward from seventh on the opening lap to sixth on lap three, fifth on lap five, fourth on lap six, and third on lap eight. He would hold onto the final podium spot throughout the completion of the 20-lap race.
Uribe’s race two ended with a sixteenth place finish.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal: “Our Superbike program went through some adversity this weekend. It was a bummer, because Friday was extremely positive for both bikes. SDK was top of the board and Jayson was happy with the feel of the BMW. We came into Saturday with some confidence, maybe too much. The team did a great job getting SDK back on the podium in race 2. Jayson and SDK have some injuries going into Road America, but the week off should help get them back to 100 percent. SDK has the pace to compete for another podium and Jayson just needs to catch a break. I am proud of the team and how they handled the adversity. We have an incredible group and with the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport and alpha Racing, we are looking forward to the next event.”
Jayson Uribe – No. 36: “We had a roller coaster of a weekend at Barber! I felt comfortable right off the bat on Friday, being able to flirt with the top five consistently throughout the weekend. We made a positive step in bike setup, which allowed me to push more than I have previously and feel more at home on the Superbike. In both races, I started strong but got tangled up in other riders’ issues. In Race 1, I was rammed off track in the early laps and had to play catch-up the rest of the race. Race 2 was the same story — a good start and fighting for the top five until I was hit by another rider, taking us both down.
We got unlucky. The speed was there, the starts were good — just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Huge shoutout to the OrangeCat crew for giving me a package I could fight with! It felt good to be in the lead pack. It’s where we belong!”
Sean Dylan Kelly – No. 40: “It was great to start off the weekend topping both Friday sessions and feeling really confident on the bike. Saturday turned out to be a bit tougher after a heavy crash in qualifying left me pretty banged up, but I’m thankful to have walked away from it. We regrouped well for Sunday’s race 2, and despite still dealing with some pain, I pushed as hard as I could and was happy to finish on the podium with a P3. Huge thank you to my whole team for all the effort they put in throughout the weekend, especially after working hard to get the bike repaired and ready to go again after the crash. I’m already focused on Road America and excited to come back there at 100%.”
For full results of the opening round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The third round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, May 29-31.
More, from another press release issued by OrangeCat:
OrangeCat Racing Marks the Lightfighter’s First MotoAmerica Podium Finish at Barber Motorsports Park. Josh Herrin raced the Lightfighter V3-RH to second place on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, putting the all-electric Lightfighter on the podium for the first time at MotoAmerica.
Josh Herrin of OrangeCat Racing rode the Lightfighter electric bike to fourth place on Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park. On Sunday, he did even better, leading the Super Hooligan race for three of the eight laps before finishing second place in what was the MotoAmerica racing debut for the electric bike.
On a motorcycle beginning its development journey, Herrin and his teammate Kaleb De Keyrel progressed throughout the weekend on the Lightfighter, with Herrin finishing fourth and second in the two races with De Keyrel eleventh and eighth.
Starting from his position on the front row after qualifying third-fastest, Herrin was in the mix on both Saturday and Sunday. It was Sunday, however, that showed just what the Lightfighter is capable of. In Saturday’s race, Herrin was fourth with a best lap time of 1:28.217. On Sunday, he was second with a best lap of 1:27.519.
Herrin finished almost three seconds clear of last year’s Super Hooligan National Champion James Rispoli.
On Saturday, Herrin completed the first lap in fifth place before pushing himself and the Lightfighter into the battle for third. With three laps to go, Herrin looked to have a realistic chance of a podium finish as he circulated in third place. A lap later, he lost the spot and would race to fourth.
De Keyrel started fifteenth, but pushed ahead and battled his way to eleventh in the eight-lap race. Along with Herrin, De Keyrel topped the speed trap in the race.
Herrin wasted no time in racing to the lead on Sunday, settling in for a race-long battle at the front. Herrin led laps two through four and chased race winner Gus Rodio to the finish with those two well clear of the chasing pack.
De Keyrel showed big improvements, as well, finishing eighth a day after his eleventh place finish. He also set fastest trap speed in Sunday’s race with a recorded speed of 142.5 mph.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal: “The Super Hooligan races were awesome! I get nervous when we race in this class with the Lightfighter, because it is such a new package. What an incredible performance by Josh to get the first MotoAmerica podium for Lightfighter. Both bikes get better every time they hit the track. It is such a cool project to be a part of and I am very happy for everyone involved. The amount of work that OrangeCat Racing, Lightfighter, and alpha Racing put into these bikes since Daytona is impressive. I can’t wait to get to the Ridge.”
Brian Wismann – CEO and Co-founder, Lightfighter: “Coming into the weekend we had high hopes of redemption after the heartbreak of Daytona but never expected to find ourselves landing a maiden podium. We’re out to show that an EV powertrain can race competitively with its gas-burning brethren, and I think we’ve achieved that this weekend. We’re looking forward to continuing our development at The Ridge next month.”
Kaleb De Keyrel – No. 51: “Overall, it was a great weekend: we got better every time we hit the track. My crew, Alex and David, worked extremely hard to give me the best possible set up and they nailed it for race 2. The bike felt amazing and I could put it exactly where I wanted. Josh was able to show the true potential of the bike and that it’s a frontrunner in the class. I’m looking forward to growing and improving in the races to come!”
For full results of the second round of the 2026 Mission Super Hooligan Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The third round of the Mission Super Hooligan Championship will be held at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 26-28.
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:
Progress for Sonya Lloyd in Alabama.
Team Hammer’s Sonya Lloyd continued her upward trajectory in MotoAmerica Twins Cup competition during the Barber Motorsports Park race weekend, even if the final results obscured the extent of her progress.
The Georgian picked up where she left off at Road Atlanta on her M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R, qualifying 16th fastest with a best lap of 1:35.580. Lloyd carried a similar pace into Saturday’s race, claiming her third points-paying result of the young season by coming home 15th.
The former WorldWCR pilot had designs of making significant gains in Sunday’s rematch after locking in a much-improved set-up during the morning warm-up. Race 2 opened in promising fashion, as she made her way up to 13th before a sensor issue halted her progress and forced her into the pits. Following a quick correction by her crew, Lloyd returned to the fray to log more laps, allowing her to accumulate additional data and experience.
Following the up-and-down weekend, she said, “It was a lotta good and some not so good, but I am leaving the track feeling like we are in a good spot. Practice and qualifying went well. I started 16th, about where I thought we would be. We had tried out a lot of settings changes over the weekend. There was some chaos in our class with red flags and moving the races to the end of the day, too. I got good starts and in the first race I was able to match my qualifying pace to get 15th.
“For Sunday, we found a really good setup and that was a night-and-day difference. I felt great in the race, and we had moved up to 13th, but we had a sensor failure, the bike went into limp mode, and I had to pit. The team did a great job and was able to quickly fix the bike. I went back out, a couple of laps down. The good news is I felt great on the bike the rest of the way and got some good laps in. We are in a good position going forward. I wish the next one in two weeks was even sooner.”
Lloyd will next take on the high-speed and tactically demanding Road America when the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season resumes on May 29-31, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
More from a press release issued by Real Steel Honda:
Real Steel Honda Racing and Andrew Lee dominate the Superbike Cup races at the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Alabama event.
Andrew Lee, scoring both wins in the Superbike Cup class at the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Alabama, leads that championship with 95 points. Hayden Gillim in the Superbike class reversed his Atlanta results with a 6th place finish instead of a DNF in Race 1 but unfortunately suffered a DNF in race 2. Hayden remains in 11th place in the Superbike championship standings with 19 points.
Real Steel Honda Racing’s Talent Cup competitors had a good showing with Derek Sanchez scoring a 7th place finish in Race 1 and a 5th place finish in Race 2. Ian Fraley, after his best ever qualifying result with a 6th place on the second row of the grid, came away with 10th and 8th place finishes in the 2 races. Derek lies in 6th place while Ian is in 8th place in the Talent Cup championship standings.
Next up for the team is the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America event May 29-31 at Road America in Elkhart Lake WI.
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: “Coming into Barber I was really excited about the gains we had made since last season there. It’s always been one of my best tracks and kind of a home race for me.
We got off to a great start ending Friday 4th fastest and made more strides Saturday. With times being so close at Barber you know it’s always going to be a fight in the races and that is exactly what took place. After a not-so-great start in the first go of race 1 I got a little fortunate with a red flag and was able to capitalize on it by being in the hunt for the podium ultimately ending up 6th.
Sunday, I felt with it being warmer out and the track being a bit greasier so that I could have a very good race. Again, I got off to a bad start and got caught up with a slower rider on lap 1 and 2 that allowed the front group to get a gap and forced the other rider into a mistake that ended with us both on the ground. I am glad to walk away safe, but bummed feeling like we should have had a top 5 finish in race 2. We will keep making strides with the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and continue getting stronger.
Thanks to all of the fans, my family, my team, and everyone from American Honda and Southern Honda Powersports for coming out.”
Andrew Lee – Rider #14: “I’m happy with how Barber went for us. Our goal this weekend was to find a setting in the bike that helped give me a bit more confidence. The whole crew worked together to get us closer. We are not fully there yet, but we are closing in. Finished with 2 top 10s in superbike and 2 firsts in superbike cup. So, it was a good weekend for us. Looking forward to continuing the progress in Wisconsin in a few weeks.”
Ian Fraley – Rider #10: “It was a very positive weekend! I mean we qualified on the second row! I made a little mistake which made race 1 end early. This weekend showed us that we can be up there with the other boys every weekend. Thanks to the team for putting a great bike underneath me.”
Derek Sanchez – Rider #23: “What can I say? It was a good weekend, and I couldn’t be happier with how we finished considering the hand we were dealt. Coming off the damage from that Road Atlanta crash, we were fighting uphill from the start. Friday was a disaster mechanical in FP1, another mechanical in Q1, and a total of only 5 laps. By Q2, the track was too cold to drop times, leaving us to start all the way back in 8th. But I wasn’t worried about the starting position or the problems. The only goal was to battle for the podium. In Race 1, I was fighting in 4th early on, but the bike’s issues made it tough to hold that brutal pace, and we crossed the line in 7th. By Sunday morning, a switch flipped. I refused to be outside the top 5. I went out for warmup and just sent it, finishing the session 4th.
In Race 2, I got an awesome start—5th into Turn 1—and spent the first half of the race in an absolute dogfight for 3rd. We crossed the line in 5th. Even though it was not a podium, it was a 5th place I worked my absolute hardest for. Massive thank you to my dad and the whole crew. It was a brutal weekend in the pits trying to get the bike comfortable, but we rode through every single problem. Even with all the issues, we were right there in the mix. Next round at The Ridge, it’s podium time.”
More from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
Gerardo Finishes 5th; Collins Gets Double Top 10s; Martinez Keeps Momentum from Atlanta; Nassaney Builds On New Chassis Setup.
Round three of the 2026 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship took place at Barber Motorsports Park, where the Altus Motorsports team continued to make improvements to the YZF-R9 chassis which led to them finishing as the top Yamaha in Race 2.
Supersport – Altus leaves Barber as the top Yamaha.
Torrin Collins started from 9th on the grid and secured two top 10 finishes over the course of the weekend. Despite the chaos of Race 1 that had red flags and three restarts, Torin was able to finish in 10th overall after battling for position the entire race. Race 2 went better for Collins, who fought his way from 12th at the end of the first lap all the way to a strong 8th place finish. He was especially fast in the final four laps where he set lap times that were equal with riders in the top 5. Collins finished the weekend at 11th place in the championship standings with 26 points in total.
Torin Collins: “Barber is always a challenging track because it’s so technical and you spend so much time right on the edge of the tire. We came away with 10th in Race 1 and 8th in Race 2. Can’t be too upset with a double top 10, but I’m definitely hungry for a top 5 soon. Despite dealing with a couple clutch issues and me making a few mistakes throughout the races, I’m still really happy with the progress my crew and I are making. I was able to run top-5 pace on Sunday, which is super positive moving forward. Road America is always electric with the fans, so I’m super excited to get there”.
Maximiliano Gerardo qualified in 10th right behind Collins and made the most of his strong race pace. Gerardo was able to climb up to 9th place in race 1, but was relegated back to 13th place due to a jump start penalty. Gerardo was able to put the penalty behind him and give everything he had on Sunday in race 2. Gerardo had an excellent start which gained him four positions in the first lap, and was able to set consistently fast laps as the race went on which chipped away at the gap to the rider in front of him. Gerardo managed to make a pass on the last lap in the last corner to take the position. Gerardo finished the weekend as the fastest Yamaha and took 9th place in the championship standings.
Maximiliano Gerardo: “Barber was a weekend of hard work to be competitive. After qualifying 10th and finishing the race 1st in 13th due to a penalty, we managed to come away with a good result in race 2 that we finished 5th grabbing our first top 5 of the year. I am happy for this result which motivates us to continue working for the next round in Road America”
While it was another challenging weekend for Jaret Nassaney, he continued to improve his positions in qualifying and in both races and build on the momentum from Road Atlanta. Nassaney qualified 17th and finished 16th in Race 1. The team made some chassis setup changes on Saturday night, which made Nassaney feel more confident on the bike for Race 2 where he finished in 15th place. The changes the team made have helped Nassaney steer into corners and drive out of them even better, and he is looking forward to achieving even better results in a couple weeks time at Road America.
Jaret Nassaney: “A 16th and a 15th on the weekend. Not the result I’m looking for, but we are making big strides in getting the bike to work better for me! So a big positive there, and we will continue to improve our results as the season goes on! I believe we have a good base setup now and won’t have to make too dramatic of changes.”
Austin Martinez qualified 25th on his Suzuki GSX-R 750 and made big strides in both races to work his way forward. He finished 24th on Saturday after the restart and made even more passes on Sunday in Race 2 to finish 17th overall. Martinez continues to improve with each session and is working hard to get comfortable in his rookie year of the MotoAmerica Supersport class.
The racing at Barber was filled with surprising challenges, but the Altus Motorsports team worked tirelessly to push through and end the weekend better than it started. The team made excellent progress on the technical side and are understanding the chassis setup more and more with each session. Finishing the weekend as the top Yamaha was an incredible achievement, and the team is looking forward to continuing the upward trajectory at Road America.
“Barber was a good weekend for our team. All of our riders made improvements and to leave as the top Yamaha in race 2 was nice. Road America is in 10 days. We are already working on setup ideas to keep us moving forward. I appreciate all the hardwork our guys put in this past weekend.” Said Team Co Owner George Nassaney.
More from a press release issued by Robem Engineering Aprilia:
Vossberf vive veloce: the 15-year-old Robem Engineering Aprilia rider shows maturity in dominant double at Barber.
The Aprilia RS 660 proved once again to be the benchmark of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup class during the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park (May 15–17, 2026).
Highlighting the technical prowess and versatility of the platform, 23 of the 38 registered riders for the event chose the Aprilia RS 660 as their machine of choice, representing more than 60% of the most competitive field in this lightweight twin-cylinder race class, while an Aprilia RS 660 was the top of the charts for every session of the Alabama weekend.
While the depth of the field was on full display with a battle of brands across the MotoAmerica round at Barber, the RS 660 was piloted by five of the top 10 riders that finished the Qualifying 1 event on Friday: Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Hank Vossberg (P1), Speed Demon Racing powered by Ready to Ride’s Logan Cunnison (P2), Ghetto Customs’ Chris Parrish (P3), Brown Town Racing’s Chase Brown (P8), and MotoACE Racing’s Zachary Foster (P10).
As temperatures rose into Saturday, it was Vossberg (P1), Cunnison (P4), Brown (P6), and Parrish (P10), who held on to top 10 positions for the weekend’s race grid, while the Aprilia RS 660 was the machine that slated every grid placement from P11 through P18.
When the racing began, the weekend belonged to who else but Hank Vossberg. His victory in Race 1 saw a 5.316-second margin over the nearest competitor, leading every lap of the 12-lap race. Cunnison battled for a podium position, before a mid-race mechanical ceased his challenge from fourth place ending his race early. Parrish finished fifth, and Weyh Racing’s Andrew Weyh seventh, while Foster rounded out the top 10.
After the initial Race 2 was red-flagged and delayed until later in the day for a restart, the 15-year-old Wisconsinite, Vossberg – with a plane to catch and school Monday morning – nearly doubled his lead in Race 2, crossing the finish line 9.809 seconds ahead of the field. Parish (P5), Weyh (P9) and Foster (P10), completed the final Aprilia RS 660 Machines within Race 2’s top 10.
Leaving Barber Motorsports Park, Vossberg makes an impressive jump in the championship standings leading the title chase with 136 total points, with a 45-point lead over second place. The championship heads to home track for Vossberg at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (May 29-31, 2026).
Hank Vossberg / Robem Racing Aprilia: “Super excited about the double [win] this weekend. My Aprilia RS 660 was hooked up all weekend, and I can’t give it up to the team enough for giving me such an amazing bike to ride!”
More from a press release issued by Karns / TST Industries:
Karns / TST Industries Delivers Breakthrough Weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in MotoAmerica Twins Cup Round 3.
Karns / TST Industries continued its strong 2026 MotoAmerica Twins Cup campaign with another standout weekend at Round 3 at Barber Motorsports Park, highlighted by podium finishes, championship points from all three riders, and continued growth across the team.
The self-proclaimed “Little Team That Could” once again proved it belongs among the front-runners, leaving Barber with momentum, confidence, and some of its strongest results of the season.
Isaac Woodworth #27 Continues Rise with First Twins Cup Podium
Isaac Woodworth delivered his strongest weekend of the year, qualifying on the front row in P3, finishing P4 in Race 1, and capturing his first MotoAmerica Twins Cup podium with a P2 finish in Race 2.
After showing pace from the opening session, Woodworth immediately established himself as a contender.
Qualifying – P3
“Qualifying went really well this weekend. I was able to put together a strong lap and secure a spot on the front row. The pace felt strong from the beginning of the weekend, and the team gave me a bike that I felt confident pushing every session.”
Race 1 – P4
A difficult launch off the line forced Woodworth to fight back through the field. Despite missing the podium, he maintained strong pace and consistency to secure a solid fourth-place finish.
“Race 1 was a bit of a struggle at the start. I didn’t get the launch I wanted and lost some ground early, which made it difficult to stay in the podium fight. I tried to recover throughout the race and stayed consistent, but by the end I came home in P4, just missing out on the podium.”
Race 2 – P2
Woodworth rebounded in a major way, getting a stronger start and immediately joining the battle at the front.
“Race 2 was definitely the highlight of the weekend. I got a much better start and immediately put myself in the fight for second. The pace felt really good, and I was battling hard up front for most of the race. Unfortunately, my teammate crashed out during the battle, and from that point I focused on staying smooth and bringing the bike home safely in P2.”
“Overall, this was definitely our strongest weekend of the season so far. Getting my first podium in the Twins Cup class is a huge confidence boost, and it shows that all the work from me and the team is paying off. We’re getting closer every round and building more momentum heading into the next round at Road America.”
Solly Mervis #25 Continues Rapid Development with Career-Best Twins Cup Results
Fresh off his European campaign in Italy, Solly Mervis returned focused and determined, producing his best
MotoAmerica Twins Cup weekend to date aboard the Karns Performance / Ice Barn Racing Suzuki GSX-8R.
Mervis improved his personal best lap time in every session of the weekend and continued to show major growth as he gains confidence and experience in the class.
After qualifying P9, earning a third-row start, Mervis delivered back-to-back career-best finishes.
Race 1 – P8
Mervis continued adapting to the 2026 Suzuki GSX-8R and secured his best Twins Cup finish at the time.
“I continue to feel more comfortable on the Karns Performance / Ice Barn Racing Suzuki, and it’s showing in my results. I know I can continue to learn and grow as a racer as I gain experience. It’s what I want, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to improve. I’ve never let anything stop me before, and I’m not about to start now!”
Race 2 – P7
Mervis built again in Race 2, lowering his lap times further and earning another career-best finish in seventh.
“I had a blast today. I had a lot of fun in morning practice with the fifth-best lap time, and I knew then I was going to have a good race. I just had to stay cool, calm, and focused during the delay and heat, and be ready for the green flag. My team has my bike perfect for me, and I just need to do my job and compete hard. It was nice to reach P7, but I want more, and I believe I can continue to improve.”
Kevin Olmedo #116 Shows Front-Running Pace and Leadership
Kevin Olmedo entered Barber carrying strong momentum as he continues rebuilding pace following a lengthy layoff due to illness.
Throughout the weekend, Olmedo once again demonstrated speed, consistency, and leadership for Karns/ TST Industries.
He earned a podium finish in Race 1 with P3, adding valuable championship points.
“I felt really good with the bike from FP1 and wanted to do as many laps as possible to build confidence and understand race pace. We had a strong qualifying session, which helped me stay with the front group in both races. I was happy with the podium in Race 1 and to score points for the championship.”
In Race 2, despite two red flags disrupting momentum, Olmedo remained in contention before a low-side crash ended his race early.”At the restart, I tried to have a good start and follow the leader. I felt comfortable running in the 1:29s and wanted to finish the race with that pace, but unfortunately a low-side ended our race early. I really appreciate all the support and all the hard work of the team, and I want to continue fighting for podiums and championship points.”
Jason Karns team principal: “ I could not be more proud, this was a very good weekend. I think we are in a good place with the team everyone deserves credit for the way the weekend went. Especially with all the delays and moving both races till the end of the day. Keeping focus with delays is difficult and the team did a spectacular job. Also shout out to all the riders that couldn’t finish the weekend due to injury. With a heartfelt GET WELL SOON.”
Team Momentum Builds Heading to Road America
Karns TST Industries leaves Barber Motorsports Park with continued momentum and strong championship positioning:
•Isaac Woodworth — 4th in Twins Cup standings
•Kevin Olmedo — 6th in Twins Cup standings
•Solly Mervis — 12th in Twins Cup standings
With podium pace, all three riders scoring points, and visible growth across the board, the “Little Team That Could” now heads to Road America for Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup, May 29–31, before the summer break.
Karns Performance continues to prove that determination, development, and teamwork can put even a small team in the fight with the best in the paddock.
Thank you to all that help us get to where we are.
