OrangeCat Racing to field Jayson Uribe and Sean Dylan Kelly for 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike season as a BMW Motorrad Motorsport Official Team.
Reigning Stock 1000 Championship-winning team will also field Josh Herrin and Kaleb De Keyrel in Super Hooligan class on Lightfighter electric motorcycles.
CHICAGO – OrangeCat Racing has been selected to be a BMW Motorrad Motorsport official team for MotoAmerica’s 2026 Superbike class next season, competing aboard the BMW Motorrad flagship sportbike model – the M 1000 RR. The rider lineup includes 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Sean Dylan Kelly and returning rider Jayson Uribe.
OrangeCat Racing is coming off its most successful season to date, having secured its first MotoAmerica class title and had both of its riders finish in the top three in the Stock 1000 points standings. The team’s three years of frontrunning results in Stock 1000 as a privateer entry have culminated with an official partnership with BMW Motorrad.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be an official BMW Motorrad team this coming season,” said Jeff Connors, Team Principal for OrangeCat Racing. “BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW Motorrad USA have been amazing collaborators over the years and we couldn’t ask for a better group to partner with as we take on our next challenge.”
“The entire OrangeCat organization, from the riders to the engineers and mechanics, have been absolutely first-class ambassadors for our brand and for the greater motorcycle community,” said Kevin Philips, head of BMW Motorrad, Americas. “We are proud to partner with them for the 2026 season, when we will celebrate 50 years of BMW’s first AMA Superbike win.”
Alongside BMW Motorrad, OrangeCat Racing also is happy to announce it has renewed its promotional and technical partnerships with Motorworks Chicago, alpha Racing, and Öhlins for the 2026 MotoAmerica season.
The BMW / Superbike Team
The newcomer to the team, Kelly, has had a prolific motorcycle roadracing career. In addition to his 2021 title, he finished runner-up in the Supersport Class in 2020, raced in FIM Moto2 for two seasons and recorded his first MotoAmerica Superbike win aboard a BMW in 2024.
“The Superbike program OrangeCat Racing developed with BMW Motorrad for next year is massive, and I’m grateful to be part of it. I can’t wait to jump back on the BMW M 1000 RR – a bike I felt really good with, and got a win with, in my rookie season,” said Kelly. “I’m working hard to make the most out of the opportunity and thank OrangeCat Racing and BMW Motorrad for believing in me.”
Uribe returns to OrangeCat Racing after an eight-podium season last year and achieving third in the 2025 Stock 1000 standings. After racing overseas for several years, Uribe joined OrangeCat Racing in 2024, where he finished runner-up in the Stock 1000.
“From a small fish in the Stock 1000 championship to an official BMW Motorrad team, I’m incredibly lucky and thankful to have been with OrangeCat Racing for every step of the journey. I’m confident with BMW’s help and support in 2026, we’ll be able to capitalize on an already promising top-five Superbike finish at New Jersey,” said Uribe. “With SDK as my teammate and the amazing OrangeCat Racing crew, I’m genuinely excited to see what we can achieve together in the premier class.”
The Lightfighter / Super Hooligan Team
As previously announced, OrangeCat Racing also will be teaming up with Lightfighter to compete in the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan class aboard one of the electric track motorcycle brand’s V3-RH models. Along with that, the team will be fielding Josh Herrin and Kaleb De Keyrel.
With nearly two decades of racing under his belt, Herrin has won five championships, including the 2013 AMA Superbike Championship, the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, and the 2024 MotoAmerica / AMA Superbike Championship.
“I’m really excited to be joining OrangeCat Racing, and getting the chance to race and develop the Lightfighter. I’ve had a good gut feeling about this program from the beginning, and the passion and commitment from everyone involved in the project makes me confident in what we’re building,” said Herrin. “I can’t wait to see how far we can push this bike and hopefully put it at the front, fighting for wins.”
De Keyrel has raced with OrangeCat Racing in the past, finishing runner-up in the 2023 Stock 1000 championship with the team. Prior to that, he was the 2021 Twins Cup Champion.
“I’m so excited to be back racing for OrangeCat again this season — they’re a great team and we have all the right people in place to be successful,” said De Keyrel. “I’m also honored to pilot the all-new Lightfighter V3-RH and fully believe this is the future of racing.”
The 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike season is set to feature 20 Superbike races at nine rounds and 12 Super Hooligan races at six rounds. To view the 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, visit https://www.motoamerica.com/calendar
To learn more about OrangeCat Racing, visit http://orangecatracing.com or check out the team’s Instagram feed at @orangecatracing. Follow along with MotoAmerica at @motoamerica.
More from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
BMW MOTORRAD MOTORSPORT and OrangeCat Racing Announce the new OrangeCat BMW MOTORRAD Racing Team for the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Race Season.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – December 9, 2025 – BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW Motorrad USA are proud to announce that OrangeCat Racing becomes an official BMW MOTORRAD MOTORSPORT Team for the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike racing season.
The 2026 rider lineup includes 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Sean Dylan Kelly and returning rider Jayson Uribe.
The newcomer to the team, Kelly, has had a prolific motorcycle roadracing career. In addition to his 2021 title, he finished runner-up in the Supersport Class in 2020, raced in FIM Moto2 for two seasons and recorded his first MotoAmerica Superbike win aboard a BMW in 2024.
Uribe returns to OrangeCat Racing after an eight-podium season last year, finishing third in the 2025 Stock 1000 standings. After racing overseas for several years, Uribe joined OrangeCat Racing in 2024, where he finished runner-up in the Stock 1000.
“This partnership brings together two organizations united by a passion for performance and racing excellence. The entire OrangeCat team, from the riders to the engineers and mechanics, has been absolutely first class ambassadors for our brand and for the greater motorcycle community. We are excited about our future as we continue showcasing the winning capabilities of the BMW M 1000 RR in North America’s premier Superbike championship.” said Kevin Philips, Head of BMW Motorrad, Americas.
Chicago-based OrangeCat Racing and BMW Motorrad began competing with the BMW M 1000 RR in MotoAmerica’s Stock 1000 class in 2023 and achieved immediate success. In three seasons, OrangeCat Racing brought home 10 wins and 33 podiums, including a 2nd place finish with Kaleb DeKeyrel in 2023, 2nd place with Jayson Uribe in 2024, and both a 3rd place finish with Jayson Uribe and a championship with Andrew Lee in 2025.
After three very successful years in Stock 1000, OrangeCat Racing will compete in MotoAmerica’s top Superbike class with full factory backing and support from BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
“BMW has been key to our success over the years, and we’re excited about what we can achieve with support from their team,” said Jeff Connors, Team Principal for OrangeCat Racing. “The passion and work ethic BMW Motorrad Motorsport brings to the table day-in and day-out are infectious. We feel more than up to the challenge of Superbike with BMW’s partnership.”
“I’m super proud of our whole team for continuing to embrace any challenge thrown our way, and BMW has been an outstanding partner for all of us,” said Andrew Sieja, Founding Principal of OrangeCat Racing. “We have a lot in common: from love of the sport, to a sense of adventure and trying new things, to striving for our best in anything we take on.”
BMW M 1000 RR dominates global motorcycle racing in 2025.
The BMW M 1000 RR has been a global tour de force in 2025, capturing ten out of twenty national and world championships, including 164 race wins and an additional 225 podium finishes. In the U.S. BMW M-RR teams and riders captured both the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike class Championships.
On the world stage, Turkish phenom Toprak Razgatlioglu, captured his second consecutive World Superbike Championship onboard his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M 1000 RR, winning twenty-one races in 2025.
Kenny Foray and the Tecmas BMW Motorrad France BMW M 1000 RR captured the French Superbike Championship, delivering fourteen podium finishes, twelve wins and eight pole positions.
At the 2025 Isle of Man TT, BMW M 1000 RR riders won the Superbike TT race while adding five additional podium finishes in three classes.
