Catch up on everything from the MotoAmerica weekend at Mid-Ohio with the latest team press releases and race recaps.

 

 

More from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Yamaha BLU CRU riders enjoy successful outing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with MotoAmerica Championships heating up in the second half of the 2026 season. 

After a disappointing weekend at Laguna Seca and a challenging start to Mid-Ohio, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz rebounded on Sunday, returning to the top step of the podium in a drama-filled Race 2. The back-to-back Supersport Champion’s fourth win aboard his YZF-R1 also put him back into the thick of the title fight with eight races remaining in the 2026 season.

Also making trips to the podium in the premier class were Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong and JD Beach. Fong took home a second- and third-place finish, while teammate JD Beach rounded out the Race 1 podium in third and salvaged points after an off-track excursion in a shortened Race 2, keeping his title hopes alive with an eighth-place finish.

In the Super Hooligan Championship, BPR Yamaha Racing’s Bryce Kornbau and Andy DiBrino continued to lead the way aboard their MT-09s. The duo split wins on the weekend and left the penultimate round of the championship separated by five points. Their teammate Josh Hayes also continued to carry momentum to the East Coast, returning to the podium in Supersport Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

 

• MotoAmerica Superbike

From the start, the times were tight in MotoAmerica Superbike at the 2.4-mile circuit in Lexington, Ohio, with the top 11 all within .797 of a second in qualifying. Limited track time due to technical issues left the South African on the back foot, qualifying ninth and starting both races from the third row.

In Race 1, he got a good start into the top five and was locked in a multi-rider battle. He maintained fifth for the first six laps, but dropped back to seventh around the halfway mark. Scholtz continued to push, and with five laps to go, regained sixth to salvage points.

“I came into Mid-Ohio knowing it was a little more difficult right off the bat, considering it was my first time on the Superbike here,” said Scholtz. “I do enjoy the layout, though. It’s a high-grip track, and those are always fun to ride.

“The first session started off well, but we suffered a few electrical gremlins and didn’t get as much track time as we would’ve liked. We knew our outright pace was pretty decent – we managed to do a 1:24 in qualifying – but the field was stacked so tightly for a one-lap pace. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try the harder tire, so we went into Race 1 on the softer compound. It started to go away pretty early, and I spent most of the race struggling around sixth and seventh. In the end, we brought it home in sixth and collected some valuable points.”

 

 

Between races, the Strack Racing Yamaha team went to work and made some changes for Sunday that paid off. Race 2 delivered plenty of drama. Rain sprinkled the grid during the pre-race ceremonies, threatening mixed conditions, before a first-lap crash brought out the red flag.

After the restart, Scholtz got another great start from the third row of the grid, moving into the top five. He quickly worked his way into second in the opening laps before charging to the front on Lap 5, first passing Fong and then his title rival, Sean Dylan Kelly. Under pressure, Scholtz held them off until another crash brought out the red flag. The race was declared complete, with Scholtz’s fourth win of the season moving him back to second in the standings, 24 points behind the leader.

“Going into Sunday, we knew we had to do something drastic, so we turned the bike upside down, and we could see in warm-up that the pace was much better – not just for a few laps, but over the full race distance,” said Scholtz. “The race started with a red flag, but I managed to work my way to the front and get behind Bobby and Sean (Dylan Kelly). I learned a little bit from them, got to the front, and decided the best thing for me was to make myself as wide as possible and try to hold them off.

“Fortunately for us, the red flag came out before the front tire started to wear too much. Sometimes luck goes against you, and sometimes it’s on your side. Today, we had a bit of luck on our side. Not to say we couldn’t have been in the fight anyway, but a win is a win. We’ll take the 25 points, keep the championship fight alive, and look ahead to VIR. It’s always been a strong track for me, and I’m looking forward to trying to claw some points back while continuing to develop the motorbike.”

 

 

After a tough couple of rounds, Fong bounced back in Mid-Ohio. With some adjustments to the setup that made the Northern California native more comfortable, he was third in qualifying and got two great starts from the front row of the grid. In Race 1, he was third after the start and briefly held the runner-up spot on that first lap. With multiple riders in that lead group, Fong made his way back to second on Lap 3 as the top three started to build a gap on the rest of the competition. Then, just before the halfway mark, he made the pass on Benjamin Smith for the lead, but Sean Dylan Kelly remained right on his heels. Fong held the points leader at bay, but ultimately was shuffled back to the runner-up spot, where he would finish.

Fong got another great start to the twice-started Race 2, slotting into the runner-up spot where he rode before getting passed by fellow Yamaha rider Scholtz on Lap 4. He got shuffled back another spot a couple of laps later, but would regain third after a rider ahead crashed and brought out the red flag, with Fong securing his sixth podium finish of the season. The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider heads to the next round fourth in the standings and 55 points from the top spot.

“I’m happy to get two podiums this weekend,” said Fong. “We found something on the bike that I’m a lot more comfortable with. We are hungry for some wins, and I’m looking forward to VIR in two weeks, where I had two strong finishes last season.”

 

 

Coming off of a great weekend at Laguna Seca where he brought home a Superbike sweep, Beach was looking to keep the momentum rolling at Mid-Ohio. Although Beach was just half a second off pole, the Kentucky rider was 10th in qualifying, putting him on the fourth row of the grid.

Beach got a good start to Race 1, slotting in behind Scholtz in sixth. Locked in a multi-rider battle for the top five, the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider made a pair of passes before the halfway mark to move into fourth. Although the top three had built a sizeable gap, Beach put his head down and reeled in Benjamin Smith, making the pass for third with five laps remaining. In the end, there was not enough time to advance further, and he settled for his sixth podium finish of the season.

In Race 2, he got another good start amidst the chaos of multiple riders in the lead group and was sixth on the opening lap. Beach set about making another charge to the front, moving to fifth on the next lap. He went to make the pass for fourth on Lap 5, but would end up off track and rejoining in 15th. Undeterred, Beach made good time, working his way back into the top 10 by the halfway mark and then to ninth before the red flag ended his forward progress, ultimately scoring eighth. Beach leaves Ohio third in the standings, and 32 points from the leader as the championship heats up with three rounds remaining, two of which are triple headers.

“The weekend didn’t go as smoothly as Laguna did,” said Beach. “I made a small mistake in qualifying that cost us a lot. The times were so close, so it put me starting 10th. In Race 1, I had to fight through the pack, but the R1 was working so well it made my job easier. We were able to string good laps together and fight up to a podium position.

“I had the same game plan for Race 2. I was marching my way forward and tried to make a pass around the outside going into Turn 6. I put myself in a bad position and just got run off the track. It was just a racing incident. I got the bike back on track and just tried to salvage as many points as I could.”

 

• Super Hooligan

In the support classes, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau and Andy DiBrino carried the momentum from the West Coast rounds to Mid-Ohio, once again splitting wins in the Super Hooligan Championship. Team owner Kornbau led the initial charge, topping the timesheets and setting a new lap record for the class at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After passing his teammate on the second lap, he rode away to secure his second win in the class and tie DiBrino for the points lead.

 

 

“Mid-Ohio was a great weekend for the whole BPR team,” said Kornbau. “I got pole position and a new track record in Super Hooligans for Mid-Ohio. Then in Race 1, I was able to break away and maintain a gap in the field and take the win, while Andy finished second. In Race 2, I led the whole race until the last lap, setting another new track record. Andy made a late brake pass on me at the end of the back straight, and took the lead on the last lap, ultimately taking the victory.”

 

 

 

DiBrino answered back on Sunday, reclaiming the championship lead after another BPR Racing Yamaha 1-2 finish. It started out as a repeat of Race 1 with the rider from the Pacific Northwest grabbing the holeshot and then being passed by Kornbau on Lap 2, but in the end DiBrino would take home his third win of the season.

“I’m proud to go 2-1 on the weekend for the third round in a row,” said DiBrino. “We have the bike absolutely dialed, and we didn’t change anything from Laguna Seca. I have a five-point lead going into the Super Hooligan finale at the Circuit of the Americas, and I’m looking to finish this dream season with Yamaha on top.”

 

• MotoAmerica Supersport

In Supersport, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes returned to the podium in Race 1 aboard his YZF-R9. The multi-time AMA champ battled up front in the lead group and ran second for a lap before dropping back to third, where he would finish. In Race 2, Hayes once again battled for the podium and was holding down third before being passed on the final lap, finishing fourth.

 

 

Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis continued to build confidence at Round 7 of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. The 20-year-old got a good start to Race 1. As the race developed, Davis found himself in an intense three-rider battle for the top five. On Lap 11, he made the pass for fourth and then kept cool under pressure to hold off challengers and cross the line fourth. In the end, he scored ninth after Race Direction assessed a five-second penalty for contact made with Tyler Scott during the pass. In Race 2, Davis was sixth after the start, making the pass for fifth in the opening laps and riding on to finish there.

 

 

Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle earned another top-10 finish in Supersport, crossing the line eighth in Race 1. Unfortunately, it was a tough Race 2 for the South African, which saw his race end early with a late-race crash.

 

• MotoAmerica Twins Cup

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane had a strong weekend aboard his YZF-R7 in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship. Fresh off earning his second Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award of 2026, Drane added his name to the short list of riders to win the honor in both flat track and road racing. With a bit of rain before the start of Race 1, Drane was third in the tricky mixed conditions. He then made his way to the runner-up spot on Lap 3, and led a four-rider group. On the following lap, he was shuffled back to fifth, and then further back to seventh before the halfway mark. The young Australian continued to fight in the multi-rider battle and finished fifth. In Race 2, Drane was fourth after the start but ultimately dropped back to fifth in the final laps, where he would finish to earn a pair of top-five results.

 

 

MotoAmerica racing resumes in two weeks at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, on Aug. 14–16. Seventy-five points will be on the line in the Superbike class, while the championship battles continue in Supersport, Twins Cup, and Talent Cup.

The Super Hooligan Championship concludes Sept. 11–13 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by OrangeCat Racing:

Kelly Extends Superbike Points Lead With A Win And Second Place At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.  

OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly Wins Race One, Finishes Second In Race Two To Build On Championship Lead; Jayson Uribe Nabs Two Top 10s And Kaleb De Keyrel Finishes Second Twice In Superbike Cup Debut.

A red flag in the second of two Superbike races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course brought an early end to the proceedings, costing OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly a chance at a perfect weekend in Ohio. Still, a win on Saturday combined with a runner-up finish on Sunday allowed Kelly to extend his MotoAmerica Championship points lead. 

Kelly came into the Mid-Ohio round with an 11-point lead over JD Beach. After his win and second-place finish, the Floridian leaves Ohio with a 24-point lead over Mathew Scholtz.

At the end of the shortened nine-lap race, Kelly was just .177 of a second behind Scholtz but was robbed of any chance of victory when the race was called complete. Kelly was, in turn, just .357 of a second ahead of Fong when the race was declared complete.

Kelly’s teammate Uribe, meanwhile, continues to pile on the championship points after finishing ninth in Saturday’s race one and sixth in Sunday’s race two. Uribe is eighth in the championship standings, just one point out of seventh and five points from sixth.

Kelly and Uribe were joined on the OrangeCat team by Kaleb De Keyrel, with the Texas resident riding one of the team’s BMWs in the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup. De Keyrel made the most of the opportunity and finished second in both Superbike Cup races.

Qualifying on Saturday morning saw the three OrangeCat Racing riders turn in strong performances, with Kelly finishing the 15-minute session in second. Uribe matched his best qualifying result of the year in sixth, with De Keyrel making his Superbike Cup qualifying debut with the 15th-best time in the session.

Saturday’s race one saw Kelly jump to the front of the pack from his middle-of-the-front-row start, and he held the spot for two laps before dropping back to third. There was no panic in the ever-patient Kelly, however, and he was content to sit in third for five laps before passing Benjamin Smith to move into second place behind Bobby Fong. Kelly sat on Fong’s rear wheel for six laps before taking the lead and ultimately pulling clear from his pursuers.

After 19 laps of the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Kelly crossed the finish line with a 2.597-second margin of victory and a 20-point lead in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.

Uribe, meanwhile, started from row two after qualifying sixth on Saturday morning, and he soon found himself in 10th place for almost the entire race. Never giving up, the Californian managed to work his way to ninth with two laps to go after making a pass on PJ Jacobsen.

De Keyrel’s 2026 debut on the team’s third BMW was a successful one as he stormed through from the sixth row of the grid to finish second in the Superbike Cup behind championship points leader Andrew Lee. 

Sunday was more of the same for De Keyrel, with another second-place finish in the Superbike Cup battle. Sunday’s race two featured two red flags, the second of which marked the end of the race.

Uribe’s Sunday was better than his Saturday as he crossed the line in sixth, just a second and a half behind fifth-placed Cameron Petersen and well clear of Brandon Paasch, who ended up seventh. Uribe was ninth on lap one, but he was able to move forward to finish sixth. 

Kelly led the first four laps of race two before being passed by Scholtz. From there, the OrangeCat Racing rider was content to sit behind and wait for the closing laps. Those laps didn’t come, as PJ Jacobsen’s crash brought out a second red flag and the race was consequently called complete.

With six rounds and 12 races in the books, Kelly leads the title chase over Scholtz by 24 points, 217-193. Beach slips to third, 32 points behind Kelly. 

 

 

Jayson Uribe/No. 36: “Overall, it was a positive weekend for my side of the garage. I think we made a lot of good steps on soft tires and made a lot of new discoveries on harder tires that are going to help carry us through to the next few rounds.

We need to work more on the hard tire setup, but we’re making progress, and at the end of the day, the results were decent. I’m pretty disappointed with how race 2 went, having the red flags and then having the race cancelled. I felt like I was in a great position to fight for that top five.

The riders were starting to come back towards me, which I had planned for. So, that’s a hard one to take on the chin, but that’s racing and I’m just super thankful for all of the OrangeCat racing team for all their support and hard work this weekend. It’s paying off. Thank you.” 

 

 

Sean Dylan Kelly/No. 40: “We had an extremely positive weekend. We were fast and competitive straight out the gate, and I think I had one of my best Fridays ever, not just leading, but also just having a really good pace.

Yesterday for race one, we had an incredible race, my first time winning with a gap, and that felt amazing. And today (Sunday), I also felt very strong, but unfortunately, the race got cut short and I had to settle with 2nd place, which obviously is positive, but doesn’t feel as strong as I would have liked it to considering that I felt like I had a lot more in the bag. But that’s racing.

We have to look at the positives. We were really strong this weekend, and as always, I want to thank the entire team. All of OrangeCat Racing, and let’s get ready for VIR.”

 

 

 

Kaleb De Keyrel/No. 51: “Amazing weekend. It felt great to get back on the BMW. Huge thank you to the Orange Cat guys for giving me a super competitive bike.

I’m excited what we were able to do this weekend being my first time back on this bike. I felt great right away thanks to the team for just making me feel comfortable so I could go out and do what I do.

It was really cool to fight for podiums again. I love the BMW and I had a blast here at Mid-Ohio. I got 2nd in both races, which was good. I just think with a little bit more time and testing, we can push and battle for that win.”

 

Jeff Connor – Team Principal: “Mid-Ohio was a strong weekend for Orange Cat Racing across the board. Sean Dylan Kelly qualified 2nd, won Race 1, and finished 2nd in Race 2 aboard the BMW M 1000 RR — he showed winning pace in every session and the bike performed flawlessly all weekend. It’s disappointing that Race 2 got cut short, because we believe we could have had a shot at the win. Credit to crew chief Dave Weaver and the whole team — the work they’re putting in to find performance gains before every round is really paying off on track. 

Jayson Uribe qualified 6th and came home 9th in Race 1 and 6th in Race 2 — I’d call this his best weekend of the season. The gap to the leaders is shrinking session by session, and once we sharpen up our starts in those first five laps, we’ll have a real shot at the podium. Ed Sullivan and the 36 crew are putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to showing that improvement at VIR.

We also gave Kaleb DeKeyrel a chance to shine in Superbike Cup this weekend, running one of our 2025 stock bikes while we sat the Lightfighter out of Superhooligan. He qualified 3rd and finished 2nd in both races — a great result for Kaleb and a great return on a pretty small lift for the team.

None of this happens without the support of Alpha Racing and BMW Motorrad Motorsport — their partnership and technical support continue to be a huge part of what’s making this team competitive. We also want to tip our hats to all of our competitors this weekend; racing at this level against a strong field is what pushes everyone, us included, to keep raising the bar.”

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Ducati:

A competitive MotoAmerica weekend at Mid-Ohio puts Benjamin Smith on pole and Loris Baz in the fight for the win for Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law. 

The 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship produced a career-first Superbike pole position for Benajmin Smith and the Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team during a tense final qualifying session.

Smith’s season has been a bruising one, but the Pennsylvanian showed he belonged with America’s best in race one at Mid-Ohio, leading four laps before fading to fourth place at the flag behind winner Sean Dylan Kelly.

Unfortunately for Smith, after a lightning start in race two that saw him grab the holeshot, he touched the still wet grass from overnight rain and was launched into a vicious highside crash on the entry to turn two, thankfully, without injury.

A red flag was pulled and Smith’s promising weekend was over, but there was plenty of good to come out of it for the #78.

With Cameron Beaubier still out with injury, his place was again taken by Loris Baz. The French ace carded a fifth place in race one and was in the fight for the win in the second encounter, but a crash for PJ Jacobsen ensured a second red flag was shown and as per the MotoAmerica rules, the race was called and Baz was classified as finishing fourth, 1.7-seconds from winner Mathew Scholtz.

In the Supersport category, South African superstar Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse) took both race wins, the first by 0.050-seconds and the second by 0.039-seconds in two nail-biting encounters.

Binder’s teammate, Wristin Grigg, failed to finish race one and finished 13^th in race two.

The result means Binder now enjoys a 19-point gap over Josh Herrin in the title race with three rounds remaining.

 

 

Benjamin Smith (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team – #78): 

“Man, what a roller coaster of a weekend,” Smith said. “I want to keep this super positive because that’s the weekend we had—it was a massive step for us to put it on pole position, lead laps in race one, and ultimately finish a solid fourth yesterday.

“Today didn’t go the way that I wanted. I got the start and was leading into the first turn and just misjudged it, touched the grass and that was the end of it. I take full ownership for that. The team has done an unreal job of getting us to where we need to be with the bike and I think the evidence is clear we are getting there. Luckily, I’m coming away mostly unscathed.

“I’ve got a week or so to heal up and then it’s on to VIR. I’ve always loved that place, so the plan is to come out swinging and keep making steps.”

 

Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team – #76): 

“I’m not happy with the result we bought home, but I am really happy with the work we did this weekend,” Baz said. “I felt really good on the bike since Friday. We made a big step since Laguna Seca, and getting the race finishes means the guys on the team now have some good data to help move the bike forward.

“We had a bit of an odd strategy on the rear of the bike during qualifying—we were a bit overprotective in terms of saving tires, and it didn’t pay off as I was eighth on the grid. But the first race was good. I made a decent start, lost a bit of time at the beginning but fought back to fifth by the finish.

“I felt much better on the bike this morning. We topped the morning warm up and then it was a dramatic second race with Ben unfortunately going down early. With the red flag coming out, it felt like everything was against us, but I was always coming back and, in the end, I was only half a second from the podium.

“It was frustrating to end on another red flag, but the pace was good and I’m thankful to all the guys in my team for all their hard work.”

 

 

Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse – 53): 

“I feel really good,” Binder said after the second Supersport race. “This was one of the tracks I couldn’t visit before the race weekend, so coming in, and seeing the forecast calling for mixed conditions, I was a little nervous. To come away with the double win is a fantastic result.

“Friday wasn’t our best day—I qualified fourth—but yesterday we put together a proper charge chasing Josh, and I was able to make a good move to get the win.

“Today was a very different race. I’m not sure if the red flag had anything to do with it, stopping and restarting on the same tires, but the grip just wasn’t the same. Josh would lead, then I’d get in front, and it felt like we were playing a bit of cat and mouse. I just kept my head down and started thinking about a plan for the final lap.

“When it came down to it, I knew I had to make him go the long way around. If he got by, we’d figure it out from there, but it’s difficult to make that move stick around the outside here. It worked out in my favor, we added some more points to the championship, and I’m really excited for the next round.”

 

The seventh round of the 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will see the crews head to the far northeast and Virginia International Raceway, one of the favored stops on the tour, over the August 14-16. 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA: 

Paige and Chapin lead the way for M4 Ecstar Suzuki at Mid-Ohio. 

Brea, CA – With their young chargers leading the way, Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reeled in a 1-2 finish and another double podium as the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship continued at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Race Highlights:

• M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
  • Twins Cup
    • Bodie Paige was rewarded for his bravery with a Saturday race win.
    • Matthew Chapin racked up a pair of close runner-up finishes.
  • Superbike
    • Brandon Paasch picked his way up to seventh on Sunday.
    • Richie Escalante qualified fourth but crashed out of podium contention.
  • Supersport
    • Tyler Scott had a promising weekend go south after getting taken out in Race 1.

 

 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Twins Cup duo of Bodie Paige and Matthew Chapin were back in action aboard their Suzuki GSX-8R racebikes following a summer break in the schedule for the Twins Cup class and immediately reasserted themselves at the front.

Fortune once again favored the bold, as young Australian Paige decided to push the issue early in Saturday’s race while the rest of the field tiptoed around in light rain. Paige stormed into the lead at the end of the first lap and opened up nearly nine seconds of padding at one point. While teammate Chapin led a hungry pack in closing the gap, Paige held them off to secure the victory. He’d back that up with a fighting third on Sunday.

After claiming his win, Paige said, “The first few laps I knew that it was going to be a little slick. It was just going to come down to who had the most confidence. I went on the out lap, and I saw everyone was a little bit timid and I felt pretty good. The plan from the start was to get a good start and try to get out front, just be smooth and tick my laps off… It’s the first time Matt and I have been one and two in a race, so that’s pretty sick. A good weekend for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.”

 

 

Chapin put in another huge effort on Sunday, going back and forth at the front in an attempt to secure the team a second win on the weekend. It wasn’t to be, however, as he came up just 0.250 seconds short a day after missing out on victory by just over a half second. Still, Chapin was upbeat about his twin runner-up performance on the GSX-8R.

“I’m stoked on that race,” he said on Sunday. “We were pushing each other the whole time. We did some ‘29s, and I didn’t know I had that in me, but I guess I did. That was probably the most fun race I’ve had all season even though I didn’t come out on top. Of course, I want to beat everybody – I want to win every weekend. That’s the goal, and that’s what we’ll look to do at the next one, and we’ll see how it pans out. I want to give a huge thanks to my M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team and everybody here supporting me.”

 

 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike pilot Brandon Paasch steadily improved throughout the weekend. After qualifying 12th, he picked up a position on Saturday to finish 11th aboard his GSX-R1000R. Sunday was considerably better still, as he was credited with seventh position while in the midst of a forward climb when the race was red flagged and ultimately called complete.

“We didn’t have the outright pace to run up front but we stayed consistently improving,” Paasch said. “We made progress with setup this round, especially the electronics, and I think it was a big step. On Sunday, we were able to stay in sight of the front, but it was a little frustrating knowing we couldn’t do much about it to close the gap right now. We’re not that far off. We know exactly what is next, and that is getting the chassis dialed for me so we can start taking off the couple of tenths we need to close the gap.”

 

 

Superbike teammate Richie Escalante flashed podium potential but was unable to capitalize. The Mexican qualified in fourth position before finishing Saturday’s race eighth. Sunday’s rematch was trending more in his favor, as he ran third in the early going and remained firmly in the battle for the box before suffering a low-side crash that took him out of the contest.

Escalante said, “We finished Mid-Ohio, and it was a good weekend in many ways. The results were not what we wanted, but we had a good practice and qualifying. Our setup on the bike felt really competitive, and we were able to earn fast lap times. The top ten is very tight, and we were able to qualify fourth. On Sunday, we decided to go with the harder front tire at the last minute. We had used the other tire all weekend, so that may have been a factor in the crash. We have to keep working and translate the speed into podium results again.”

 

 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport ace Tyler Scott suffered through a second consecutive weekend in which his strong pace aboard the next-generation GSX-R750 went unrewarded in terms of race results. Scott worked his way up to fourth on Saturday but crashed after being contacted from behind. He was forced to retire despite riding his heavily damaged machine back to the pits. Sunday proved another frustrating affair. He ran as high as fifth early but tumbled down the order to finish an uncharacteristic 12th due to a mechanical issue.

Scott will now look to return to his more typical form and add to the tally of six podiums he’s already reeled in this season. He said, “I thought we had a really good race pace on Saturday. I did not get a good start, but I had made up two spots and was going forward when I got taken out in a crash. It tore up the bike and made for a lot of work for the team. For Sunday, I felt pretty good again, but we had a power delivery issue and that hindered our performance.”

The MotoAmerica season will resume in less than two weeks at Virginia International Raceway from August 14-16 in Alton, Virginia.

For more Road racing news please visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.

 

 

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More from a press release issued by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki: 

Lloyd fast in the rain, gains experience at Mid-Ohio. 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sonya Lloyd continued to pick up both speed and experience as the MotoAmerica Twins Cup resumed action at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, following a mid-season layoff.

Lloyd’s improvement over the course of the weekend on the technical, undulating circuit aboard her GSX-R8 racebike was obvious on both the timesheets and in the results.

After qualifying 21st, Lloyd fought her way forward in the tricky wet-to-dry conditions that challenged the Twins Cup competitors on Saturday. She ultimately came home an impressive 13th, picking up eight positions on her grip position.

Sunday’s warm-up showed that the speed was still coming, as the Georgian lapped three 10ths quicker than she’d managed all weekend long. That trend continued in Sunday’s race, when she was timed at 1:35.492, nearly seven 10ths of a second better than her previous best of the weekend and almost a full second better than her qualifying time.

 

 

Lloyd finished 17th on Sunday but might have finished considerably higher if not forced to take evasive action to avoid a downed rider at one point during the race.

At the end of the weekend, the former WorldWCR contender said, “It was a mixed weekend for us, but I felt like we made progress. We tied our best result of the year on Saturday. I go pretty well in the rain, so I didn’t mind to see it a little wet. I was able to stay in sight of the front the first few laps. But as things dried out, I was able to improve my lap times but not as much as those riders.

“On Sunday, I got a great start and was able to gain quite a few positions but there was a low-side crash in front of me. I had to avoid a sliding rider and lost all the ground I had gained. The hopes of getting a better result were gone, but I concentrated on my lap times. My last two laps were my fastest of the race.

“We are definitely making progress and not plateauing. Also, (my teammates) Bodie (Paige) and Matthew (Chapin) have been really helpful in sharing their data, and I would like to thank them for being helpful. I think we are getting there. In between the races, I was able to ride at VIR. I was happy with the lap times at our test. I am really looking forward to that race.”

The MotoAmerica season will resume in two weeks at Virginia International Raceway from August 14-16 in Alton, Virginia.

 

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER: 

The 2026 season marks Team Hammer’s 46th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 138 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 407 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Real Steel Honda:

Real Steel Honda Racing bounces back at Mid-Ohio.

Hayden Gillim bounced back from a bike destroying Friday afternoon crash to again qualifiy at the head of the 3^rd row with a 7^th place. In Race 1 on Saturday Hayden scored a 7^th place finish and was keeping the lead pack in sight in Race 2 on Sunday in 5^th place when he suffered a crash on lap 6. Hayden slipped to 9^th in the Superbike championship standings. Andrew Lee bounced back from his Laguna Seca finishes in the Superbike Cup class with another weekend filled with double wins. Andrew now leads that championship by 98 points with 265 points.

Both Hayden and Andrew thank Honda and KYT for the collaboration on the special helmet livery for this round. Next up for the team is the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Virginia event August 14-16 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton VA.

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: “Going into the weekend I felt really good. With this being a home track for myself and the team I had a lot of confidence. I had good speed all weekend, but that speed was held back by a big crash on Friday afternoon that led to us having to go to the backup bike. The guys got everything back together and we were able to have a really good qualifying.

Race 1 I was in the lead group. I was having to wait for everyone else to make mistakes in order for me to make passes though. Eventually, coming home in 7th place. Race 2 again I was up in the mix and after some early chaos found myself in 5th place, but detached a bit from the front group. I was pushing as hard as I could to get to them and ended up tucking the front off the back straight. I want to thank everyone that came out to support us. Thank you to the team for all the hard work this weekend after all the crashes. VIR is up next and last year we had some good results there!”

 

 

Andrew Lee – Rider #14: “We had a great weekend in Ohio, at the team’s home round! We ended up going 1-1 and had some great lessons throughout the weekend. We used Friday as a full-on test, learning some new things on the bike to better understand options for the remainder of the season. I’m really happy with the recovery after a DNF and Second at laguna. Moving into VIR in a week and a half, I look forward to continuing the momentum. Thank you to the whole Real Steel Honda Racing team, American Honda, and the HRC corporation for the continued support!”

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:

Aprilia RS 660 claims victory at Mid-Ohio in MotoAmerica. Hank Vossberg of Robem Engineering ended a standout weekend with third place in race 1 and victory in race 2. 

Aprilia’s positive momentum in MotoAmerica continued thanks to Hank Vossberg’s victory in Race 2 with the Aprilia RS 660 in the sixth round of the Twins Cup, held at Mid-Ohio.

The 15-year-old Robem Engineering Team rider confirmed his excellent form with another front-running performance in the Twins Cup class. After claiming pole position, Vossberg finished Race 1 in third place, just six tenths of a second behind the winner, before going on to take victory in Race 2. Thanks to these results, the American rider extends his lead in the Twins Cup standings to 218 points, opening up a 63-point advantage over his closest rival.

 

 

In addition to Vossberg’s victory, three more Aprilia RS 660 riders finished inside the top ten in Race 2: Andrew Weyh in sixth, Logan Cunnison in seventh, and Eli Block in ninth. Race 1 had also highlighted the RS 660’s competitiveness and consistency, with five Aprilia bikes finishing inside the top ten.

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

Mesa charges through the field in Race 2 after a difficult Saturday; Nassaney fights through setup struggles to finish in the top 15.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course hosted the sixth round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Championship as Altus Motorsports worked through setup challenges to showcase a strong comeback on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by ARCH Motorcycle Racing: 

Mid-Ohio Tests ARCH Racing’s Consistency in Championship Stretch. 

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course brought ARCH Racing into a different kind of fight this past weekend as the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan National Championship moved into the final stretch of the season.

After the highs of The Ridge and Laguna Seca, where the team earned its first Super Hooligan victory and continued a run of podium finishes, Mid-Ohio demanded clean execution across two closely contested races.

Corey Alexander and Jeremy McWilliams both put the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R in competitive positions during combined qualifying, with Alexander qualifying eighth overall and McWilliams 11th overall. In a field where the gaps remained tight throughout the weekend, both riders started within reach of the front group.

Race 1 saw Alexander settle into a strong rhythm and keep pressure on the riders ahead, ultimately bringing the 2s-R home in fourth place. McWilliams also delivered one of his strongest finishes of the season, taking seventh and giving ARCH Racing two bikes inside the top seven.

Sunday’s Race 2 produced another hard-fought result. Alexander again ran near the front of the field and finished fourth for the second time on the weekend. McWilliams backed up Saturday’s result with an eighth-place finish, closing out Mid-Ohio with two complete races and two top-eight results.

 

 

Corey Alexander
Q: 8th R1: 4th R2: 4th

“Mid-Ohio was a solid weekend for us,” said Corey Alexander. “Of course, after the last few rounds, we came in wanting to fight for podiums again, but this class is extremely tight and fourth place in both races still gives us a lot to take away. The 2s-R was competitive, Jeremy had two strong finishes, and the team kept putting us in good positions all weekend. We know where we need to improve between now and COTA.”

 

 

Jeremy McWilliams
Q: 11th R1: 7th R2: 8th

“It was a much more complete weekend for us,” said Jeremy McWilliams. “We qualified in a better position, finished both races, and were able to keep moving forward with the bike. Mid-Ohio is a tricky place and the field is very close, so to come away with two solid finishes is a good step. The crew did a great job all weekend, and we have more useful information to carry into the next round.”

 

For ARCH Racing, Mid-Ohio was not defined by one standout moment, but by two complete race days in a highly competitive field. Across the weekend, Alexander finished fourth twice, McWilliams delivered two top-eight rides, and both ARCH 2s-R machines stayed in the fight from start to finish.

The team now turns its focus to the next and final round of the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan National Championship at Circuit of The Americas, September 11–13.

Season one of Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project is now streaming on Samsung TV Plus. For updates, visit archmotorcycleracing.com and follow @archmotorcycleracing.

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle Racing: 

Indian Motorcycle racing dominates Mid-Ohio, delivers back-to-back 1-2 finishes with Vance & Hines-Built Indian Challenger. Gillim’s Weekend Sweep Marks 50th Career Victory & Ties Record for Most Wins in a Single Season

Indian Motorcycle & Vance & Hines Eye Record Books in First Year of Factory Collaboration. 

Golden Valley, MN — Following a dominant weekend sweep at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Indian Motorcycle and Vance & Hines’ first factory racing collaboration is rewriting the King of the Baggers record books. In his first year piloting a new Vance & Hines-built Indian Challenger, Hayden Gillim has tied Kyle Wyman’s single-season record of seven wins through just 10 races this season. With four races remaining, Gillim is poised to reach a new milestone and set a new standard for performance in the KOTB series. In total, the J&P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle Racing has a combined eight victories, 17 podium finishes, four 1-2 finishes, and one full podium sweep.

“What this team is accomplishing isn’t just impressive, it’s historic,” said Mike Kennedy, CEO of Indian Motorcycle. “To record eight wins and 17 podium finishes through just 10 races speaks volumes of the Indian Challenger and the engineering prowess of Vance & Hines. We’re not simply winning races, we’re redefining what’s possible in this series.”

The Mid-Ohio performance once again showcased why the Indian Challenger remains the motorcycle to beat. Gillim claimed victories in both races, while teammate Troy Herfoss delivered back-to-back runner-up finishes to secure another pair of 1-2 results for the factory Indian Motorcycle team. With four races remaining, Gillim now leads the championship by 23 points over Herfoss and holds a commanding 54-point advantage over third place, Bradley Smith.

 

 

Race 1 was plagued with crashes resulting in a shortened five-lap sprint. Once the race got underway, Gillim wasted little time asserting himself at the front. Making his move through the Keyhole on the opening lap, the No. 69 Indian Challenger quickly established control before steadily pulling away from the field. Gillim maintained control to cross the finish line more than three seconds ahead of Herfoss. Fellow Indian Challenger rider Rocco Landers narrowly missed the all-Indian podium, finishing fourth by just 0.073 seconds after an impressive ride despite racing with a hand injury.

Sunday’s nine-lap finale required a remarkable comeback. Starting from pole position, Gillim struggled off the line and slipped to sixth entering Turn 1 as Herfoss launched perfectly to grab the holeshot and immediately assumed command of the race. Rather than forcing the issue, Gillim patiently worked his way forward, making decisive passes through the Keyhole and to climb into third by Lap 4 before overtaking the Harley-Davidson riders ahead of him.

With three laps remaining, Gillim closed the gap to Herfoss and made his move. The teammates briefly traded positions in a thrilling battle before Gillim claimed the lead and delivered a flawless closing run, denying Herfoss any opportunity to pass. Gillim crossed the finish line just 0.250 seconds ahead of his teammate to complete the Mid-Ohio sweep and secure the team’s fourth 1-2 finish of the season.

 

 

“Race 2 proved to be a hard-earned win, as I didn’t get the start I wanted, so I knew I’d have to put my head down and make up ground early,” said Gillim. “The Indian Challenger was working exactly where I needed it to, especially through the Keyhole, and that gave me the confidence to make some decisive passes. Troy rode an incredible race. I knew he’d be right there the rest of the way, so it was all about staying smooth, hitting my marks and not giving him an opening. I’m really proud of what this J&P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle Racing team accomplished and to have reached more than 50 career wins along with tying the record for most wins in a season is beyond special. We have a great team and I love competing with them each weekend.” 

The impressive showing was another testament to the race-winning performance of the Vance & Hines-built Indian Challenger, powered by the championship-proven PowerPlus 112 engine. As the 2026 Mission King Of The Baggers season enters its final stretch, J&P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle Racing continues to showcase the engineering, durability and relentless performance that has made the Indian Challenger the benchmark in Mission King Of The Baggers.

With four races remaining, Gillim sits comfortably in first with 206 points, with Herfoss right behind him with 183 points. Gillim holds a commanding 54-point advantage over third place, factory Harley-Davidson rider Bradley Smith with 152 points. The Mid-Ohio performance further solidified J&P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle Racing as the team to beat, with the championship battle increasingly centering on the factory Indian Motorcycle teammates as they chase another King Of The Baggers title.

Mission King Of The Baggers returns to action at Circuit of The Americas September 11-13 before concluding the 2026 season at New Jersey Motorsports Park September 25-27.

For information about Indian Motorcycle, visit IndianMotorcycle.com, or follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For information about Vance & Hines Motorsports, visit VanceAndHinesMotorsports.com, or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.