Following the conclusion of the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races, Dean Harrison has been declared the winner of the Milwaukee Senior TT based on the positions at the end of lap one in Friday evening’s original race start.
After flying out of the gates, the Honda Racing UK rider pulled out a 14 second lead over the rest of the field over one lap, lapping at 135.166mph from a standing start. He had reached the Mountain section by the time of the red flag on lap two, having been on lap record pace throughout the run to Ramsey.
Harrison’s win moves him up to seven victories around the Mountain Course, putting him on par with Mick Grant, Wolfgang Kalauch, Michael Rutter, Tony Rutter. He also becomes a two-time winner of the Senior TT, and wins two races in a week for the second year in succession.
8TEN Racing’s Peter Hickman and DAO Racing’s Josh Brookes completed the top three, with the latter achieving his third podium result, and second in the Senior.
CMRA BRINGS INAUGURAL MOTO-TEXAS SUPERBIKECHALLENGE TO CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS THIS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND
$25,000 Prize Purse, July 3–5, 2026
Spectator Tickets Just $25 for the Entire Weekend
AUSTIN, Texas — The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) descends into Austin this Fourth of July weekend with the inaugural Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge, the first ever amateur sanctioned motorcycle road race event at the world-renowned Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Taking place July 3–5, 2026, the event combines high-speed superbike competition with family-friendly holiday weekend entertainment — all for a single $25 gate fee per person.
COTA, home to Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix and MotoGP’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, provides one of the most thrilling motorcycle racing venues in the world. The 3.426-mile circuit — with its iconic sweeping corners and signature Turn 1 elevation change — will now host CMRA’s most prestigious race event to date.
Event Highlights
• World-class venue: Race on the same track that hosts MotoGP and Formula 1
• $25,000 total prize purse distributed across multiple classes
• Double-header sprint races Saturday and Sunday (July 4th and 5th)
• Friday, July 3rd dedicated to practice and qualifying
• Spectator gate fee of just $25 per person for the entire weekend — Friday through
Sunday
• On-site karting and amusement park for families
• Garages equipped with electrical hookups, compressed air, and shared restrooms
About the Competition
The Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge is open to licensed road racers from any recognized road race organization in the United States. All competitors are required to hold a current American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) membership, as the event is sanctioned by the AMA.
Sprint races of 6 and 8 laps will be held on both Saturday and Sunday, with multiple class entries available at discounted additional-entry pricing.
Pre-entries are open now at cmraracing.com, with a 20% deposit required to secure a spot. (The full balance is due by June 30, 2026.)
Entry fees start at $525 for Friday practice and qualifying, with sprint race entries beginning at $195.
A Family Destination on the Fourth of July
While competitors chase the checkered flag, families can enjoy COTA’s adjacent entertainment complex, featuring a karting track and amusement rides. With the $25 gate fee covering all three days, the Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge offers one of the most affordable motorsport experiences in the region — a perfect Fourth of July outing for Austin and Central Texas families.
“We are thrilled to bring CMRA’s biggest event yet to Circuit of the Americas,” said CMRA’s Dave Johnson. “COTA is a bucket-list track for any motorcycle racer, and we can’t wait to see riders from across the country compete for a share of the $25,000 purse on one of the world’s most iconic circuits.”
Spectator & Competitor Information
• Event Dates: July 3–5, 2026 (Friday–Sunday)
• Venue: Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd, Austin, TX 78617
• Spectator Gate Fee: $25 (one-time fee per person, covers all days)
• For More Information and Competitor Pre-Entry. go to cmraracing.com — pre-entry deadline is June 30, 2026
ABOUT CMRA
The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) is a Texas-based organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable, and competitive motorcycle road racing experiences. Based in Waco, TX, CMRA has been sanctioning events across the region for decades and is a division of Moto Rides LLC.
MotoAmerica Superbike qualifying on Saturday, May 30th at Road America saw Benjamin Smith crash hard at the fastest point on the circuit, the run down into Turn Five, with his Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V4 R slamming into the back of his head and leaving him with his second concussion in two races.
A 12-inch piece of solid metal used as a weight had flown out of the hollow rear axle on Jayson Uribe’s OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR. Uribe was just ahead of Smith when the piece came out of the axle, bounced, and lodged in Smith’s front wheel, locking the wheel instantly before coming loose and flying off the racetrack. The piece then hit and damaged a chain-link fence adjacent to the track. (A spectator retrieved the axle weight, gave it to the Warhorse Ducati team, and received a cash reward.)
“The data said my front wheel went from 186 mph to zero in less than a second,” Smith said afterwards. “I saw it come out, bounce once, and it went straight into my front wheel.”
The metal piece was being used as ballast in the rear axle by the OrangeCat team. Tuners sometimes will add weight to help fine-tune suspension behavior (specifically as it relates to chatter), and while the practice does add unsprung weight, the weight is not rotating and thus doesn’t add to the gyroscopic momentum of the wheel, nor does it add to the weight that the engine is trying to spin. (A variation of the practice is also used in Moto2, where teams sometimes use solid rear axles of differing weights.)
This solid weight inserted into the hollow rear axle on an OrangeCat BMW Superbike came out and locked Benjamin Smith’s Ducati’s front wheel at 186 mph. An epic crash followed.
When adding ballast to a racing motorcycle, the MotoAmerica rulebook (and rulebooks from other series worldwide, including the Superbike World Championship and the IDM Superbike series in Germany) is specific about how it has to be done. In each of those cases, identical rulebook wording states that the ballast must be “firmly and securely connected either through an adapter or directly to the main frame or engine with a minimum of two (2) steel bolts (minimum 8mm diameter, 8.8 grade or over).” In cases where this is not possible, “other equivalent technical solutions must be submitted to the Technical Director for his approval,” the rulebook states.
According to MotoAmerica, the weight in question was “secured” inside the axle by epoxy. But as seen in photos taken after the crash, blue painters tape was wrapped around the weight in two places, leading to speculation that friction from the tape was also being counted on to hold the piece inside the axle. Looking at the photos, there was some visible epoxy on the piece that was inserted into the axle, but epoxy did not appear to have been applied to the entire length of the part.
Benjamin Smith’s Flo4Law-sponsored Ducati Superbike after a 186-mph crash at Road America.
Chuck Aksland, Chief Operating Officer for MotoAmerica, said that OrangeCat had submitted its ballast strategy to the series at the beginning of the season; the metal ballast was epoxied into the axle; and the system had worked until the incident at Road America. Aksland said that in the wake of the incident, OrangeCat had already approached the series with a different solution to adding ballast to the rear axle.
Alpha Racing is the German company contracted by BMW to build and sell BMW racebikes, including the ones OrangeCat Racing runs in MotoAmerica Superbike. According to the Alpha Racing website, the only ballast-related product made by the company for the BMW S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR models is an aluminum box that bolts under the main frame. When filled with lead shot, the combination of box and ballast adds 3.99 kilograms.
The situation did not go down well with Bobby Shekarabi, team principal for Warhorse HSBK Ducati, who saw his rider injured and a very expensive, six-figure Panigale V4 R built in the Ducati race shop in Italy destroyed. Even the engine was demolished as the motorcycle slid and tumbled, smashing Smith in the head as it spun.
“This was not the way to add weight to the axle or motorcycle,” Shekarabi said. “The FIM has very strict rules on how to add weight safely. There is nothing usable from Benjamin’s machine.”
Asked to comment, OrangeCat Racing Team Principal Jeff Conners sent an e-mail to Roadracing World that read, “Following up to your request for more information on the Road America incident. The incident is being reviewed by MotoAmerica and the AMA and (we) would prefer to wait until the issue is closed before we officially comment.
“This was a terrible crash caused by a component that fell from Jayson Uribe’s motorcycle during the session, and we apologize to both Benjamin and the Warhorse team for the incident. We hope for a fast recovery for Benjamin and look forward to competing with him on track soon.”
Smith said he posted about the incident on social media to clarify what happened in order to make sure that innocent parties were not blamed. The incident was not the result of a tire failure or wheel failure or other mechanical failure on the Ducati or of any of its components. Smith’s crash also wound up on YouTube, social media platforms worldwide, and in international photo services. The video of Smith’s crash is scary to watch as Smith reaches up to his head after he is struck by his bike.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Young continued win streak as Casas rebounded for a much-needed win in race two at AMP.
Shubenacadie, NS – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship wrapped up the weekend at Atlantic Motorsport Park an hour north of Halifax for round two of the 2026 CSBK season presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki.
It was another close battle in the GP Bikes Pro Superbike class as the trio of Ben Young, Jordan Szoke, and Andrew Van Winkle were separated by less than a second for the majority of the race. Van Winkle was able to follow Young after his less-than-ideal start. Van Winkle had a chance to pass Young, but the Mountain View Motorsports Honda rider hesitated as the opening vanished while Young and Szoke slowly pulled away, tenth by tenth.
Young would put in a stellar performance, applying the pressure consistently every lap onto Szoke, who was unable to pull away. “We put on a different compound tire in the race today,” said Young. “We had never tried it, but I was feeling comfortable, and it was exactly how we wanted the race to go.” The Thornbury, ON rider waited patiently until lap fifteen, where a move into the inside of turn two sealed the win for the Van Dolder’s Home Team Honda, as reigning champion Young pulled away to extend his championship points tally to one hundred points, twenty points ahead of second-place Szoke, and cemented himself as the firm second place in the all-time win list for Superbike.
Szoke was thoroughly impressed with Young’s ride, commenting that “the ride was a classic Jordan Szoke-esque performance.” The AIM Insurance Kawasaki was able to stick to Young even after the overtake, keeping Young honest but not enough to make another charge. “I was a little hesitant in pushing knowing that the track was at the least still a little bit wet from the morning rain, but the start was good, I was able to settle into a decent pace. It would not have been possible without the wonderful package that we were able to extract from the ZX-10RR, so I’m super grateful to my crew for that.”
Van Winkle was happy with the podium, the Chilliwack, BC rider said that, “At the end, I felt really good about this third, as I was quite disappointed with the fourth that I got yesterday.” The Superbike rookie was still able to extract a lot during the early part of the race, but unforced errors at the latter stage of the race had Van Winkle hesitant to chase after the leading pair. He now sits third in the overall standings with 58 points; fourth-place finisher MacKay is fourth in the championship with 53 points and fifth-place finisher Alex Michel is fifth in the standings with 40 points after this weekend.
In the OPP Racing Pro Supersport class, race one winner Torin Collins was not able to race Sunday due to the condition of his shoulder following a crash in practice on Friday.
Cole Alexander would once again obliterate the start, the French Glass Co Suzuki stormed to P1 after turn two and made the whole grid “look like turtles,” said Tomas Casas. “Cole (Alexander) did not look like a rookie at all.” Casas would come right back at Alexander, going past in turn seven after the Amaranth, ON rider went wide coming onto the rollercoaster back straight, Casas took advantage and slid past. Sebastian Tremblay would follow suit, the ST Motosport Suzuki performed a copy-and-paste move from race one, Tremblay taking the inside of turn eleven and overtaking Alexander in one smooth motion.
The race would continue as the field spread out, Tremblay not able to successfully mount a move on Casas. The Peterborough, ON rider rebounded from yesterday’s DNF with a win, putting him right on Tremblay’s tail in the Supersport championship, the pair separated by a single point (75 – 76 respectively). Tremblay’s back and hips would come back to haunt him, as an injury sustained at Shannonville would relapse and put a pause to the chase in race two.
While Alexander would finish third, the bike was not without its mechanical demons, as a suspected fuel issue caused the bike to jerk a lot. He is currently fourth in the championship standings (58 points) while Matthew Simpson would finish fourth, the Black Stock Motorsport Suzuki retains third in the standings (62 points). Mackenzie Weil would finish fifth again in race two, moving him up to fifth in the championship standings with 40 points.
In support class action, the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike saw Alexis Beaudoin finish first after a nail-biter of a race with Baillie Ives, and now leads the Amateur Superbike standings. The recently repaired Suzuki GSX-R600 of Ives was able to get back on the track after yesterday’s crash. He was able to keep Beaudoin honest which took him to the limit, where he held on to second after a thriller of a race. Julia Krans was able to make it two of two podiums for the weekend, on an unfamiliar track where she was able to quickly learn and gain time throughout the weekend. She went from fifth to third in the race and was able to hold off local rider Andy Hutchinson.
In the EBC Brakes Amateur Supersport class, Alexis Beaudoin would win the race with dominance as the #146 Suzuki was able to cruise to the finish with a 16-second gap. Ives would slot into second as Beaudoin cruised into the sunset. Honda rider Antoine Slater passed the Yamaha of Hutchinson to finish third. Beaudoin also leads the Amateur Supersport championship, with Ives far behind in second.
The Importations Thibault Twins Cup was spearheaded by JP Tache, who finished first and swept up wins in all four races in rounds one and two to lead the championship. On a track with variable conditions, this race had all riders use wet tires in the tricky changing conditions. Tache and Gary McKinnon were battling hard at the start, but a mishap forced the yellow Aprilia to box before rejoining, but was down to last and two laps behind. Louie Raffa would take advantage, snatching second after passing Justin Marshall, who finished third and was once again the only Suzuki on the Twins Cup podium.
The Scorpion EXO Ninja ZX-4R Cup was a barn-burner, as Jean-Pascal Schroeder was able to keep up with Jared Walker, who was not comfortable in the variable conditions. Walker was able to keep it clean and tidy to come home in first place, as he leads the ZX-4R championship with a perfect record as of round two.
There was heartbreak in Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight Sportbike, as an entertaining battle between local rider Cory Canfield and young gun Lachlan Alexander had local fans peeled to the track as both riders were battling it out with little room to spare. Canfield would unfortunately lose control on the last lap, losing the lead. Winner Lachlan Alexander would have a touching moment with his brother Cole Alexander, as the Pro Supersport rider handed him the checkered flag for the victory lap, where he coached the young gun on the lay of the land the night before. Sebastian Silva would also make it two podiums out of two this weekend, where he finished in second as Matt Covey would be the local representative on the podium in third.
Round three for the GP Bikes Pro Superbike and Lightweight Sportbike riders will be a special event in partnership with the VRRA, at Calabogie Motorsports Park June 26th to 28th.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email info@csbk.ca.
Last month’s meet and greet with Rahal Ducati Moto Team Principal Ben Spies and Supersport star Kayla Yaakov kicked off the three-day “MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber” race weekend.
MotoAmerica Senior Communications Manager Sean Bice hosted the event in the Barber Advanced Design Center on the fifth floor of the museum.
Spies surprised attendees with his Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Yamaha YZF-R1 race bikes, the very same factory machines on which the “Texan Terror” won the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship and the 2009 FIM Superbike World Championship. Spies secured his first national title, the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, at Barber Motorsports Park.
Yaakov had yet another standout MotoAmerica race weekend. The 18-year-old Pennsylvanian established a new Supersport lap record, earned pole position for the two races, and fought at the sharp end of the field on Saturday and Sunday, even leading a number of laps, and finished on the podium in both races.
The event is now available for viewing in three segments on the “Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum” YouTube page: Click Here!
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Munich, the vibrant capital of Bavaria, is renowned for its rich culture, world-famous beer, BMW heritage, and one of Europe’s most successful football clubs. Photo courtesy Leod Motorcycle Escapes.
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Take a break on the road into France, heading toward the Pyrenees. Valleys and villages shift around you—and you’ll know exactly where you are. Photo courtesy Leod Motorcycle Escapes.
More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo:
Triple 100: A record-breaking Sunday for Ducati Corse who, in Ducati’s centenary year, reach the milestone of 100 MotoGP victories with the factory team at Balaton Park.
Marc Márquez scores his 100th Grand Prix win, while Francesco Bagnaia steps onto the podium in third
The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the perfect weekend at Balaton Park by securing their 100th MotoGP victory courtesy of Marc Márquez, who in turn claimed his 100th Grand Prix win (his 74th in MotoGP). Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the podium in third position.
Márquez got a good launch from pole position but lost the lead on lap two. From lap six onwards, Marc gradually closed the gap to Acosta before overtaking him — after several attempts — on lap fifteen, then pulling away to secure his first Sunday victory of the season. After avoiding the turn-one incident, Bagnaia made his way up to third place during the opening lap and then managed the situation intelligently to secure his third consecutive Grand Prix podium.
As the eighth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is fifth in the championship standings with 108 points. Francesco Bagnaia is seventh, nine points behind his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings (207 points), while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship (225 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, June 19th, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Czechia at Brno.
Marc Márquez (93) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st: “We did an incredible job. The secret, in my opinion, was managing the effort on Friday: this allowed me to get to Saturday, and especially today, in the best possible shape. Obviously, I gave it everything today and luckily the choice of the medium tyre paid off in the closing stages, otherwise it would have been a lot harder. Now we’ll see how things go at Brno and Assen because, once again, things went better here due to the higher number of left-handers. This win came after a challenging period of surgeries and recovery, but it was worth it. As always, we need to stay positive and continue along this recovery path.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd: “The first goal for today was to get a better start. Luckily, when I released the clutch, the rear tyre spun slightly; otherwise, I would have been caught up in the turn-one incident as well. I managed to overtake Moreira and Marini straight away and then tried to stay with Pedro (Acosta), but I wasn’t able to match their lap times as I continued to struggle with grip. When they started to push harder, I focused on managing my margin over the riders behind. The podium is a good result, especially after the difficult start to the weekend, as it allowed us to score some important points. We need to keep working ahead of the upcoming races on bike stability in the changes of direction as well as on grip.”
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager: “No words can describe what Marc was able to achieve today. I’m emotionally exhausted, as I was expecting a much calmer race, but obviously I’m also extremely happy for him and the team. He’s a true champion. This is Marc’s 100th Grand Prix win as well as the Ducati Lenovo Team’s 100th MotoGP victory; we couldn’t have asked for more. Now it’s time to celebrate this success before turning our attention to Brno.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Equal best Honda result for Marini after wild Turn 1 in Hungary.
Drama at Turn 1 meant the race was wide open, Luca Marini and Joan Mir quickly inserting themselves right into the mix for the podium battle. Marini walked away with his equal best Honda result in fifth place while Mir fell after contact with another rider.
The only thing hotter than the conditions in Hungary was the action into Turn 1 as the lights went out and a multiple rider crash sent many of the race favourites down. Taking avoiding action, both Honda HRC Castrol riders escaped any damage and were instantly promoted into the mix for the podium.
Luca Marini’s trademark cool primed him to take advantage of the early drama of others, the Italian locking in and chasing down Jack Miller in the opening laps. By mid-race, the Italian was through and set his sights on closing down the sizable gap to Bagnaia in third, able to slowly chip away. Attentions would soon turn to a fast-approaching Ai Ogura who was hot on the heels of Marini in the closing stages of the race. Eventually getting past, Marini managed to equal his best result as a Honda HRC rider in fifth place.
An important result which moves the #10 to just seven points behind Aldeguer and a top ten position in the World Championship. This is Marini’s third fifth place result on the Honda RC213V.
Like his Honda HRC Castrol teammate, Joan Mir was a benefactor of the misfortune of others and found himself well inside the top ten. Chasing down his fellow Honda riders, an incident with Enea Bastianini unsettled the #36 who managed to regroup. Unfortunately, there was more damage than expected and a strange fall would end Mir’s race as he was sitting comfortably in eighth just behind Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira. He was unharmed in the fall.
After two busy back-to-back races in Mugello and Balaton Park, the Honda HRC Castrol team will now have some brief respite before another double-header in Brno and Assen arrive.
Luca Marini (10) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Luca Marini: “This was another dramatic race, always you risk a lot into Turn 1 and fortunately this time I was able to gain something – I hope all the other riders are OK. Overnight we made some setup changes which improved the bike and our race was good, of course we were helped by the situation at the start to gain some positions, but I think we could have made up some ground anyway. I tried everything I could to get back past Ogura at the end, but I couldn’t quite manage it. Still some good points in the championship overall so we must focus on this and come back strong in the next two races.”
Joan Mir (36) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Joan Mir:“What a race! I think my footpeg got damaged when I had the contact with Enea but we need to check the exact cause. I was comfortable behind Diogo managing the front tyre pressure, so it came as a bit of a surprise. It’s a shame because I think today there was the possibility obviously to get a really nice result after all of the drama at the start of the race. I am OK which is the most important. The good point of the weekend is that we were able to confirm a couple of points from the past that we had some doubts about with the setup so we can now enter the second half of the year with a clearer idea about a few things.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira finished 6th on Sunday at Balaton Park.
Starting from 11th on the grid, the Brazilian rider made a strong launch and immediately joined the battle for the top three positions.
Moreira executed several impressive overtakes throughout the 26-lap race, setting a competitive pace and delivering a consistent performance from start to finish.
He eventually crossed the line in 6th place, securing his best MotoGP result to date and once again showcasing the remarkable potential he has displayed throughout his rookie season.
Diogo Moreira (11) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira 6th:“Today I tried to handle the situation as best as I could, and I think we did a good race. Maybe we made the wrong choice with the tyre, going for the medium, as it wasn’t the ideal option. Even so, we managed to finish in a good position and with a consistent pace. I’m proud of the work we’ve done this weekend.”
More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Racing:
Iker Lecuona shines, Fermin Aldeguer would have wanted to.
RACE DAY
FERMIN ALDEGUER NC
IKER LECUONA 7º
WORLD STANDING
9º – ALEX MARQUEZ (67 points)
10º – FERMIN ALDEGUER (64 points)
21º – IKER LECUONA (9 Points)
Iker Lecuona (27) and Brad Binder (33) at Balaton Park during the MotoGP Race. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Iker Lecuona:“It was an incredible weekend with a team that welcomed me in a fantastic way. We worked well, had fun, and brought home a great result. Despite the many mistakes during the race, we found excellent feeling with the bike, especially towards the end, and that’s where I really pushed. I wanted to catch my friend Moreira, but it’s fine like this. A huge thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to be here this weekend. It wasn’t a given that we would be this fast.”
Fermin Aldeguer at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Fermin Aldeguer:“Honestly, I don’t really have much to say. In the end, the most important thing is that I didn’t get hurt, and I hope no other rider had any issues either. It was a weekend where I felt good and where we definitely could have aimed high, but you also need a bit of luck. Now it’s time to go home and rest.”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Mixed Fortunes for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in Hungarian GP Race.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins pushed for points in today’s Grand Prix of Hungary MotoGP Race, finishing in P13. Fabio Quartararo had a difficult day at the office, retiring from the 26-lap contest on lap 23.
Pushing all the way in the 26-lap Grand Prix of Hungary MotoGP Race, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins rode from P20 on the grid to P13 at the finish line. It was a day to forget for teammate Fabio Quartararo, who retired from the race with 4 laps to go.
Starting from P20, Rins emerged in P14 from a multi-rider pile-up in Turn 1. Overtaking his teammate on lap 9 and with Joan Mir crashing on lap 15, the number 42 rider was circulating in P12. The Spaniard focused on his rhythm and defending his position but was pipped at the post by Fabio Di Giannantonio. Rins finished in P13, 29.207s from first.
Quartararo commenced from P15 and moved up as high as P6 after the multi-rider-crash chaos in Turn 1. However, he couldn’t successfully defend his position and gradually dropped down the order due to an issue with the rear. He battled with Franco Mobidelli on lap 19 to keep hold of P13. However, El Diablo was given two separate long-lap penalties for taking short-cuts. After completing them he opted to retire from the race.
Today’s results see Quartararo keep 15th place in the championship standings with 37 points and Rins stays in 19th with 12 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are in 10th position in the team classifications with 49 points, and Yamaha is 5th in the constructor rankings with 49 points.
The team will be back in action in two weeks’ time at the Automotodrom Brno for the Grand Prix of Czechia, held from 19-21 June.
Alex Rins (42) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins:“I did a great start – the same as yesterday – but as soon as I saw the bike of Jorge [Martin] starting to move, I tried to reduce the speed a bit more. I couldn’t do so much because there were some guys around me. It was a long race but, in general, I made a step forward compared to yesterday.”
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo:“Because of what happened in Turn 1, I was just behind Jack [Miller] and the position was not bad. But straight away I felt that something was wrong with the rear. I kept trying, but I was losing positions. I was going wide and to the gravel a few times. The team is looking into what happened.”
Massimo Meregalli:“It was a tough Grand Prix for us overall. Álex avoided the chaos at the start and that moved him up the order. It was a long race for him, but he did feel more comfortable with the bike than yesterday. It was a disappointing race for Fabio. He made a strong start and initially capitalised on the Turn 1 incident, but he struggled to maintain his position due to an issue with the rear impacting his performance. We expect that the sensations he felt may have been caused by the medium rear tyre that, due to today’s track conditions and circumstances, did not suit our bike. It caused him to get two long lap penalties and ultimately led to the decision to retire from the race.”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Double points finish for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP as progress continues at Balaton.
Jack Miller finishes eighth and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu eleventh at the Balaton Grand Prix, securing the team’s strongest combined result of the season and further confirming the growing competitiveness of the Yamaha YZR-M1 package.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP continued its positive trajectory at the Balaton Grand Prix, with both riders delivering strong performances and securing a double points finish in what proved to be the team’s most competitive weekend of the season so far.
An incident involving several riders at Turn 1 on the opening lap reshuffled the field, but both Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu immediately capitalised on the opportunity and established themselves inside the points-paying positions. From that moment on, both riders produced determined and intelligent races, successfully defending their places against constant pressure from the riders behind.
Miller delivered one of his strongest performances of the year, combining pace, consistency and racecraft to cross the line in eighth position. Razgatlıoğlu was equally impressive, continuing the progress shown throughout the weekend and fighting hard throughout the race to secure eleventh place.
Beyond the final classification, the result provides further confirmation of the development steps made by Yamaha and the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team in recent months. On a circuit expected to suit the strengths of the YZR-M1, both riders were able to race competitively within the group and convert that potential into the team’s best combined result of the season.
Jack Miller (43) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Pramac
Jack Miller:“It was a decent race for us and I feel we got the maximum out of what we had available today. We managed to stay out of trouble at the start and put ourselves in a position to fight for points right from the opening laps. From there, it was all about managing the race as well as possible. I had to be quite careful with the rear tyre, especially on corner exit, and spent much of the race trying to protect the soft tyre and make sure it lasted until the chequered flag. We were still missing a little bit compared to some of the riders around us, particularly when accelerating out of the corners, but overall it was a stronger weekend and another step in the right direction for us. Now the focus shifts to Brno. It will present different challenges, including a couple of long straights, but we‘ll keep working hard and try to make the most of the strengths we have shown in recent races.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (07) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Pramac
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “Overall, this was my best weekend so far in MotoGP. Finishing eleventh is a positive result, but more importantly I felt that I had the pace to fight even closer to the top ten. During the race I spent almost all my time in a group with other riders. The problem is that when I catch them, it is still very difficult for me to overtake because we lose too much on the straights. I can stay with them through the corners, but making the pass is another story. We also made a small adjustment to the engine brake during the race because I was experiencing too much rear locking. It helped in some areas, but in others I lost some of the feeling I needed on corner entry, particularly in Turn 5, where I made a few mistakes. Even so, the pace was strong until the end of the race and the feeling with the bike continues to improve. We have made another step forward this weekend, and that gives me confidence that we can continue moving closer to the riders ahead in the coming races.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director:“It was a very positive weekend for the team. Both yesterday and today, our riders delivered strong performances and achieved important results, which is a great reward for all the work being done by the team and Yamaha. At the beginning of the weekend, we felt that Balaton could be a circuit suited to the characteristics of the YZR-M1, and that proved to be the case. The layout allowed us to better exploit some of the strengths of the package, and both riders were able to show competitive pace throughout the event. From a chassis and electronics perspective, we are no longer far from our rivals. In certain areas and situations, we are already able to compete at a very similar level, which is an encouraging sign considering where we started the season. The progress is evident. We know there are still areas where we need to improve, but weekends like this confirm that we are moving in the right direction. When further performance arrives, the combination of these riders and this bike has the potential to take another significant step forward.”
More from a press release issued by Tech3:
Bastianini battles adversity for ninth in eventful Balaton Bow.
Enea Bastianini avoided an early multi-rider collision and overcame two Long Lap Penalties to claim a hard-fought ninth place in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, while Maverick Viñales picked up a point for 15th despite receiving both a Long Lap and tyre pressure penalty.
As ambient temperatures hit 29 degrees ahead of the race start, rear tyre choice was something of a question mark. Both Bastianini and Viñales were confident they could manage Michelin’s soft rear compound over 26 laps, even if nine other riders opted for the medium.
The start was chaotic as five riders were caught up in a multi-bike collision caused at Turn 1. Thankfully, both Red Bull KTM Tech3 runners made it through safely, with Bastianini gaining six places from his grid position of 14th on the first lap.
‘La Bestia’ was soon involved in a multi-rider fight for fourth. Quick moves on Fabio Quartararo on lap three and Diogo Moreira on lap four meant he was in sixth and eyeing that fourth place, before a wobble exiting the final corner affected the Italian’s braking for Turn 1 of lap six.
As well as losing a position, Bastianini had contact with Joan Mir when returning to the racing line, which earned him a Long Lap Penalty. He then had to repeat the penalty for cutting the track at Turn 16. Rejoining in twelfth, the #23 rider was soon back in the fight for seventh and battled until the end. A neat move on Brad Binder at the race’s final corner earned him ninth place.
Viñales was also handed a Long Lap Penalty early in the race due to cutting the track at Turn 10. Rejoining in 16th with clear track ahead, ‘Top Gun’ continued to adapt his riding style to this year’s KTM RC16 in his third race since returning from injury. There were clear signs of progress when he set the ninth fastest lap of the race on lap 16.
After coming home 15th, he was handed a 16-second penalty due to his front tyre pressure being lower than the parameters advised by the official supplier – a likely consequence of riding alone after his Long Lap.
After a hectic run of races, Bastianini and Viñales can now enjoy a well-deserved break before the Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno from 19-21 June.
Enea Bastianini (33) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “It was a strange race. When I saw the incident at Turn 1, I thought there might be a red flag. But we continued and I was well placed, fighting for a good result. Then I arrived in Turn 1 without any brakes after the bike was shaking coming out of the last corner. I went straight on and when I came back on the racing line, I saw Joan very late. There was some contact and I was given a Long Lap.
“After I tried to recover but cut the chicane. I lost the position to Toprak (Razgatlioglu) and tried to lose one second, but I probably didn’t. So, I had to do another Long Lap! After that, it was a crazy race, and it was very difficult to overtake the other riders ahead. The grip was lower than yesterday, and the wind changed through the race. When I was alone my lap times were good, and that’s important. I managed to overtake Brad in the last corner for ninth. I’m not happy because I didn’t achieve my full potential today, but we’ll go again in Brno.”
Maverick Viñales (12) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “There were parts of the race which were quite good, and I could ride in the low 1’39s. That was the target. We were quite quick without gaining many positions. At this moment, I’m still trying to understand how to go fast with this bike, but I felt we could do that over the course of the race. Somehow when I was alone, I could brake late and deep and the lap time was coming. Toward the end of the race, I was behind (Franco) Morbidelli. I had to brake a little earlier and the bike didn’t want to stop – I really had to put the load into the front.
“The feeling I have is you have to ride the bike at the limit all the time on the brakes, and you must push over the limit physically. Still, I don’t quite have the strength to do that. I think I’ll be in a good physical condition soon. The week off will help me build up more strength.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “There’s a bit of a bitter taste with Enea’s race. He finished inside the top nine, which is a strong result considering he started in 14th, but he had to serve two Long Lap Penalties. Without those, he would’ve fought for the top five, which was our target for the race today. I want to keep the positives of the weekend, which was Enea had strong pace since Friday. We must keep this in mind and carry this good feeling to the next race in Brno.
“On the other side of the garage, Maverick scored one point. It’s been another difficult weekend for him, but after some deep analysis with his team, he improved his pace through the weekend. He had the ninth fastest lap of the race, which is quite a decent result. Of course, his position is not what we’re aiming for, but we believe the next race will be another step for him. Let’s pack up everything and head to Brno, where we hope to improve on this weekend’s results.”
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Black Sunday for Aprilia Racing at Balaton Park. Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin out on the first corner.
It was a Sunday to forget for Aprilia Racing in the long race at Balaton Park, with both riders out on the first corner.
Starting from the sixth spot on the grid, Marco Bezzecchi was involved in a crash triggered by Jorge Martín. After starting from the eighth spot, the Spanish rider lost control of his bike braking on turn 1, colliding with his teammate and Raúl Fernández of SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, as well as Fabio Di Giannantonio and Fermín Aldeguer. The episode compromised the race for three Aprilia riders just a few seconds after the start.
Regarding Marco Bezzecchi, medical checks have shown no visible fractures, he only has contusions on his right leg and hand.
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Regarding Jorge Martin, medical checks have shown no visible fractures, he only has contusions on his back and his right foot. Subsequent to the accident, Martín was also sanctioned with a double long-lap penalty that he will have to carry out during the upcoming Grand Prix in Brno.
The positive note of the day comes from SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, with Ai Ogura finishing fourth after a comeback ride.
More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR replacement rider Cal Crutchlow finished 16th on Sunday at Balaton Park.
Starting from 22nd on the grid and determined to make the most of Sunday’s race, the British rider got off to a strong start.
On one of the most demanding layouts on the calendar, Crutchlow pushed hard to close the gap to the group ahead while maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race.
Improving session after session over the weekend, Crutchlow crossed the finish line in 16th place, narrowly missing out on the points and collecting valuable data for the team.
Cal Crutchlow (35) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Cal Crutchlow 16th:“It was probably the most physically demanding race I’ve ever done. I’m happy with the result because we understand our current situation, but the lap times show that I’m making progress and getting more comfortable on the bike. It’s been tough, but I’m pleased with the work we’re doing. The racing spirit is still there despite the time I’ve spent away. The important thing is that we’re improving, understanding the bike better and better, and taking positive steps forward every time we go out on track.”
ASRA Racing and affiliated Evolve GT TrackDays just finished a combined event this weekend at newly repaved Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois, and drew what officials are saying was a large rider turnout (129) and the biggest spectator crowd seen at the track in recent years.
In the debut of a new three-day format, the weekend included ASRA races on Saturday and Sunday as well as Evolve GT trackday sessions and a new racers school on Friday. Five additional trackday sessions were held in between races on Saturday and Sunday, and riders who passed the new racer school on Friday received free entries for all their ASRA races on Saturday and Sunday. Races were live-streamed on You Tube.
ASRA and Evolve GT will repeat the same three-day trackday, race school, and race program at Blackhawk Farms Raceway on August 14-16 and on September 11-13. Evolve GT will hold Saturday/Sunday track days (plus a race license school on Saturday) on the weekend of July 11-12.
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – The oldest race in American motocross was the site for Round 19 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, as the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, traveled to the shadow of the California capital for the 57th running of the iconic Coker Pump Hangtown Motocross Classic. A challenging racetrack, combined with near-perfect weather conditions was a recipe for another compelling afternoon of racing that saw a return to dominant form for Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence, the reigning Pro Motocross and SMX World Champion who swept the 450SMX Class motos and has seemingly fast-tracked his comeback from a major offseason ankle injury. In the 250SMX Class, the unpredictability of the wide-open division was once again on display as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen grabbed his first win since the 2024 season.
Jett Lawrence Returns to Dominant Form at Hangtown for First Pro Motocross Championship Victory of the Season
450SMX Class
Timed Qualifying
Premier class rookie Haiden Deegan [#38] paced the first session aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine, but it was Jett Lawrence [#1] who made a statement when he laid down the fastest overall lap in the second session and became the lone rider to put in a sub 1:50 lap time. Lawrence’s 1:49.886 edged out Deegan’s 1:50.389 by a half second.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first premier class moto of the day kicked off with Lawrence out front for his first holeshot of the year ahead of Deegan and Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96], the championship leader. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] slotted into fourth.
The top three settled in through the opening 10 minutes of the moto, with Jett Lawrence managing about a four-second advantage over Deegan and Hunter Lawrence.
Jett continued to build on his lead and pushed it to the cusp of double digits, which left the fight for second to be decided between Deegan and Hunter Lawrence. The elder Lawrence kept the rookie within reach and as the moto dipped into its final five minutes Lawrence went on the attack. He made a quick pass around Deegan and proceeded to sprint away.
Out front, Jett Lawrence completed an impressive wire-to-wire performance to take his first moto win by 7.7 seconds over his brother. Deegan earned his first career moto podium in third, followed by Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis [#14] in fourth and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire [#24] in fifth.
Prado, who ran fourth almost the entire moto, appeared to have a chance at challenging Deegan for third, but lost power on his KTM just prior to the final lap and was forced to settle for 36th place.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The final moto of the afternoon was halted early when a red flag stopped the race for a downed rider, which necessitated a restart. When racing resumed with a second gate drop it was the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine of Cooper Webb [#2] out front ahead of the Lawrences with the holeshot. Jett Lawrence was able to make quick work to seize control of the lead as Webb engaged in a brief battle with Hunter Lawrence before the Honda rider solidified his hold of second.
The Lawrences were soon able to establish a gap over the rest of the field as Webb lost third to Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton [#4].
Deeper in the top 10, Deegan battled his way forward from an 11th-place start and methodically started to pick off riders to move into the top five within the first 10 minutes of the moto.
Soon enough it appeared as though the battle for the win was going to come down to the Australian siblings, who moved out to a double-digit margin over Sexton. The Lawrences traded bursts of momentum throughout different parts of the racetrack, with the separation between them hovering around a second. Meanwhile, Deegan stormed past Sexton for third.
As the race approached the halfway point Hunter Lawrence started to apply pressure on Jett and appeared to be gearing up for an attack for the lead. However, Jett countered with a sudden sprint and soon the lead went from less than a second to nearly four seconds in the span of a few laps. Jett added to his advantage as the moto continued.
Jett Lawrence wrapped up a sweep of the motos by a margin of 6.8 seconds over Hunter, with Deegan well back in third.
Cooper Webb (2) was the beneficiary of the Moto 2 restart as he grabbed the holeshot and early lead over Jett Lawrence and the rest of the field. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Despite his ongoing recovery that has left him competing at less than 100 percent, Jett Lawrence returned to the level that’s become custom for the Australian. His dominant 1-1 effort, the 19th of his career, brought him a milestone 25th premier class win in his 29th start.
Hunter Lawrence backed up his own 1-1 performance last weekend with an impressive 2-2 effort to give Honda its first 1-2 finish of the season.
Deegan’s first premier class podium was a quiet one, as he secured 3-3 finishes mostly riding by himself. Nevertheless, the highly touted rookie landed on the box in just his second start.
Hunter Lawrence maintains his hold of the points lead, which now sits at six points over Jett. Deegan moved into third, 19 points out of the lead.
450SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points)
Jett Lawrence (1) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Team Honda HRC Progressive (1-1): “I knew if I picked a fast pace early that Hunter would be right there with me and would make it a lot harder. I chose [instead] to get a better flow for about 15 minutes and then decided to push for a quick sprint to try and mess up his rhythm, and it worked. It’s good to be back up here with a 1-1.”
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Team Honda HRC Progressive (2-2): “It’s harder racing against Jett [Lawrence]. He’s my toughest competitor. It got to a point where I was going to take the time to reset and make a push, but he decided to do a sprint and gapped me. Still a solid result. It was a tough track today, so I’m happy.”
Haiden Deegan (96) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (3-3): “That was good today. I just want to get better and better each weekend. That’s the goal, just keep progressing with each moto and just try to be there. We’ll go back, put in the work, and try again next weekend.”
Levi Kitchen’s Consistency Ends 13-Race Winless Drought in 250SMX Class
250SMX Class
Timed Qualifying
It was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] who made the first statement in the opening session, but he was surpassed by Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker [#10], the championship leader, in the second session. Hammaker’s 1:52.621 edged out DiFrancesco’s 1:52.871 by a couple tenths in the combined results.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first moto of the afternoon got underway with Hammaker leading the field to the holeshot ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing duo of Cole Davies [#37] and Landen Gordon [#180]. As the leaders navigated the opening lap, Davies went down and remounted in 10th. That moved Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer [#13] into second and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Nick Romano [#141] into third.
Hammaker settled into the lead and built a multi-second advantage after the first five minutes. Beaumer also settled into second as the battle for third unfolded between Romano and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda [#30], the reigning SMX World Champion. After a lengthy fight, Shimoda wrestled the position away from Romano.
As the moto surpassed the halfway point the top three strengthened their respective holds on the podium spots, but no one on the track was running faster than Kitchen [#47], who started outside the top 10 and fought all the way up to fourth place.
Inside the final 10 minutes the fight for second heated up between Beaumer and Shimoda, while Kitchen closed in from fourth. The Japanese rider showed patience and pulled the trigger on a pass for second. Mere moments later Kitchen made the pass for third and then carried on, getting by Shimoda for second. At this point, Hammaker sat 11 seconds clear of the field.
While Kitchen was able to gain ground on Hammaker, the deficit was too much to overcome as the points leader won his second consecutive moto by a margin of 7.2 seconds over his teammate. Shimoda finished in a distant third, with Beaumer fourth and Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] fifth.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
Drama unfolded to begin the second moto as a massive crash unfolded in the first turn with Hammaker at the center of it after contact created a chain reaction that collected a large group of riders. Hammaker eventually remounted and began the race deep in the top 30.
The moto holeshot ultimately went to 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing rookie Deacon Denno [#199] just ahead of Davies and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Caden Dudney [#82]. A torrid opening phase of the moto saw Davies grab hold of the lead ahead of Romano in second, with Dudney settling into third.
After starting eighth Kitchen mounted a charge to the front. He showed tremendous pace early, which allowed him to make quick passes up to fourth, well within striking distance of the top three. He soon made the move around Denno for third and then got by Romano for second. With a little more than 20 minutes left in the moto, he faced a double-digit deficit to Davies.
As the leaders settled in through the middle of the moto, the attention shifted to Hammaker and his recovery from the first-turn crash. He did well to claw his way up the running order and had made his way into the top 15 by the halfway point of the race.
Back up front, Davies’ lead over Kitchen stabilized but the battle for third heated up between Beaumer and Romano, with the KTM rider able to make the pass. Behind them, Hammaker continued his forward push and broke into the top 10, which carried major implications in the overall standings.
Davies went unchallenged throughout the entirety of the race and cruised to the second moto win of his career by a margin of 9.3 seconds over Kitchen, followed by Beaumer in third. Hammaker capped off a valiant come-from-behind effort in ninth.
Seth Hammaker (10) stormed to the Moto 1 holeshot and carried on to a dominant win in what was the most impressive single moto of his career. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Another afternoon of fluctuating results throughout the field easily landed Kitchen atop the overall podium for the fourth win of his career following a consistent 2-2 afternoon. It’s his first win since the 2024 Budds Creek National, ending a 13-race winless drought.
Beaumer broke through for his first career podium finish with a runner-up performance after a 4-3 effort. He’s already the fourth different rider to capture a maiden podium finish through the first two races.
Hammaker’s resilience placed him in a tie with Beaumer, but he ultimately settled for third (1-9) to secure back-to-back podiums to open the season.
Hammaker’s gritty performance also helped him maintain his hold of the points lead, which decreased to seven points over Kitchen. Beaumer moved into third, 14 points out of the lead.
Hammaker (10) was in position for another good start in Moto 2 but ultimately initiated a multi-rider incident after contact with another rider forced him to lose control. Photo MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
250SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)
Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (2-2 // 44)
Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (4-3 // 38)
Levi Kitchen (47) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Levi Kitchen | #47 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (2-2):
“Luck was on my side today. I stayed out of the carnage [in Moto 2] and just tried to get around it all. There was a massive gap to the lead [once I got to second] so I didn’t want to risk pushing too hard. It’s been a long time since I won so it feels good. I just want to keep the momentum going.”
Julien Beaumer (13) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Julien Beaumer | #13 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (4-3): “I didn’t think I’d be up here this quick [coming back from injury]. There were a lot of long nights, but this result shows it was all worth it. I can’t thank my team enough for sticking behind me and supporting me the whole way and giving me an incredible bike to ride.”
Seth Hammaker (10) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Seth Hammaker | #10 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (1-9): “Those first couple laps [after the crash] were hectic coming through the pack. I tried to just be patient and knew that if I could get into the top 10 that I’d have a chance at the podium. It definitely could have been worse, but we survived. All in all, it feels good to still be up here on the box.”
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will continue next Saturday, June 13, with Round 20 of the SMX World Championship regular season from Colorado’s Thunder Valley Motocross Park. The mile-high challenge of the Toyota Thunder Valley National Presented by American Petroleum Institute will serve as the summer network television premiere on NBC, with live coverage beginning at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Additionally, the race will be shown live in its entirety on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET, followed by coverage of the motos at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.
For information about the Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Young beats Szoke in nailbiter race one Saturday at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
Shubenacadie, NS – Round two of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki, is fully underway at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
The GP Bikes Pro Superbike class featured the race of the day as Ben Young and Jordan Szoke battled from the lead to the final laps. Both riders were on the pace right away, quickly setting times in the 1:08s around the 2.57-KM circuit near Halifax, NS, and then cutting that down to a 1:07 shortly after. Szoke would get the better launch and force Young to play catch-up, with the Van Dolder’s Home Team Honda sandwiched between Szoke’s AIM Insurance Kawasaki and the Octagon Energy Services Yamaha of Torin Collins for the opening laps.
Young was able to get past and into the lead, but Szoke was more than content, stating, “I started noticing Ben making little mistakes here and there, so I kept the pace up and tried to line up a move.” Young was vigilant and defensive but Szoke was not discouraged, and was able to retake the lead on lap 14 of the 20-lap race one.
Young still had the pace, as he caught Szoke napping in turn seven, retaking the lead again. The dogfight between them would be tight until the last lap, when Szoke tried to make another move into turn one and made contact with Young at the exit, resulting in Szoke running off and being forced to rejoin in second place. “I’m happy that both of us got out after the slight contact,” said Young ecstatically. “it’s been so long since we had a battle like this, so I’m glad we can come out of this smiling about it.” With this nailbiter of a win, Young ties for second in the all-time win list with Steve Crevier, with 26 wins each.
Collins, who was only able to stay close to the lead pair for a couple of laps, explained, “I lost my knee slider early, and I was making too many mistakes, so I settled with third instead of, well, crashing out.” The Honda-mounted pair of Andrew Van Winkle and David MacKay rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the OPP Racing Pro Supersport class, Cole Alexander had a bullet-like start, with reigning champion Collins noting that he was surprised at how quick Alexander was able to pull away from him after taking the lead from fourth on the grid. The French Glass Co. Suzuki rider was able to pull at least a bike’s length at the exit of turn one, but Collins was quick on the charge, overtaking Alexander and speeding off for a dominant first place finish with a 17-second margin.
The podium was decided by a wonderful switchback overtake on turn ten by Sebastian Tremblay, as the Deux-Montagne, QC rider cut to the inside of turn eleven to pass Alexander to finish second after he studied Alexander until the closing laps. Matt Simpson would finish fourth off the back of the podium battle. Mackenzie Weil had a feisty race with Moncton, NB’s Vincent Wilson, neither rider giving an inch as Weil would slip into fifth in turn nine at lap sixteen.
AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike saw a dramatic race with two retirees, as Brookfield, NS rider Baillie Ives would gun for the lead but over-cook the exit of turn one, wiping out as his bike went out for a gymnastics lesson in the grass. Andy Hutchinson had a good shot at the lead, but a second attempt at an overtake proved costly as the bike slid out at turn four and his chance at a victory went with it. The win went to Alexis Beaudoin from St Maurice, QC.
Julia Krans would rejoice, as the two DNFs propelled her to P3, a sleek pass through the inside of turn nine was a move that Krans was waiting to set up after the Caledon East Suzuki rider studied Jeremy Lazure for a couple of laps. “I was watching him and he was quite sluggish out of the back straight, so I knew I had a chance to put my bike right up the inside, especially when my front wheel was right at his rear wheel,” said Krans, who finished second as Lazure rounded out the podium.
Race one for EBC Brakes Amateur Supersport was action from the jump, with Ives diving down the inside of turn nine on Beaudoin and promptly speeding off, finishing almost five seconds ahead. Beaudoin had a tough time once again with Andy Hutchinson, who was not willing to go down without a fight, with the pair finishing P2 and P3 respectively.
In the Importations Thibault Twins Cup, JP Tache had his toughest opponent yet, as local Gary McKinnon from Debert, NS was able to tail Tache for more than half of the race. Tache noted, “McKinnon was the only one that I knew would be close to me, so I knew it would be a great race.” But Tache was able to unlock another gear in his Aprilia, and he rocketed off to a 20-second gap as McKinnon settled into second. Suzuki rider Justin Marshall completed the podium in third.
The Scorpion EXO Ninja ZX-4R Cup saw Jared Walker break the lap record for the class as he produced a 1:15:157 to solidify his lead at the top of the class. He was ecstatic, declaring, “Even with a false start and staying at the start line longer than I needed to, I was able to move back to the front and even challenge one of the Twins (Sebastian Silva), so I am pretty proud that I was able to work with the quirks of the bike and set the time that I did, at a track that I like riding at.”
The Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight Sportbike race saw local experience beat out young, up-and-coming talent, as Cory Canfield passed Lachlan Alexander for the lead at turn 5, a beauty of a move to cement the home hero’s well deserved first place, a first national series podium for the Halifax local.
Round two action continues on Sunday at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email info@csbk.ca.
TT 2026 Senior Race Winner Dean Harrison. Photo by Barry Clay.
Following the conclusion of the 2026 Isle of Man TT Races, Dean Harrison has been declared the winner of the Milwaukee Senior TT based on the positions at the end of lap one in Friday evening’s original race start.
After flying out of the gates, the Honda Racing UK rider pulled out a 14 second lead over the rest of the field over one lap, lapping at 135.166mph from a standing start. He had reached the Mountain section by the time of the red flag on lap two, having been on lap record pace throughout the run to Ramsey.
Harrison’s win moves him up to seven victories around the Mountain Course, putting him on par with Mick Grant, Wolfgang Kalauch, Michael Rutter, Tony Rutter. He also becomes a two-time winner of the Senior TT, and wins two races in a week for the second year in succession.
8TEN Racing’s Peter Hickman and DAO Racing’s Josh Brookes completed the top three, with the latter achieving his third podium result, and second in the Senior.
Current CMRA Champion Alan Phillips (1) in action. Photo by Blair Hartsfield/Hart Photography.
CMRA BRINGS INAUGURAL MOTO-TEXAS SUPERBIKECHALLENGE TO CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS THIS FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND
$25,000 Prize Purse, July 3–5, 2026
Spectator Tickets Just $25 for the Entire Weekend
AUSTIN, Texas — The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) descends into Austin this Fourth of July weekend with the inaugural Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge, the first ever amateur sanctioned motorcycle road race event at the world-renowned Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Taking place July 3–5, 2026, the event combines high-speed superbike competition with family-friendly holiday weekend entertainment — all for a single $25 gate fee per person.
COTA, home to Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix and MotoGP’s Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, provides one of the most thrilling motorcycle racing venues in the world. The 3.426-mile circuit — with its iconic sweeping corners and signature Turn 1 elevation change — will now host CMRA’s most prestigious race event to date.
Event Highlights
• World-class venue: Race on the same track that hosts MotoGP and Formula 1
• $25,000 total prize purse distributed across multiple classes
• Double-header sprint races Saturday and Sunday (July 4th and 5th)
• Friday, July 3rd dedicated to practice and qualifying
• Spectator gate fee of just $25 per person for the entire weekend — Friday through
Sunday
• On-site karting and amusement park for families
• Garages equipped with electrical hookups, compressed air, and shared restrooms
About the Competition
The Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge is open to licensed road racers from any recognized road race organization in the United States. All competitors are required to hold a current American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) membership, as the event is sanctioned by the AMA.
Sprint races of 6 and 8 laps will be held on both Saturday and Sunday, with multiple class entries available at discounted additional-entry pricing.
Pre-entries are open now at cmraracing.com, with a 20% deposit required to secure a spot. (The full balance is due by June 30, 2026.)
Entry fees start at $525 for Friday practice and qualifying, with sprint race entries beginning at $195.
A Family Destination on the Fourth of July
While competitors chase the checkered flag, families can enjoy COTA’s adjacent entertainment complex, featuring a karting track and amusement rides. With the $25 gate fee covering all three days, the Moto-Texas Superbike Challenge offers one of the most affordable motorsport experiences in the region — a perfect Fourth of July outing for Austin and Central Texas families.
“We are thrilled to bring CMRA’s biggest event yet to Circuit of the Americas,” said CMRA’s Dave Johnson. “COTA is a bucket-list track for any motorcycle racer, and we can’t wait to see riders from across the country compete for a share of the $25,000 purse on one of the world’s most iconic circuits.”
Spectator & Competitor Information
• Event Dates: July 3–5, 2026 (Friday–Sunday)
• Venue: Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd, Austin, TX 78617
• Spectator Gate Fee: $25 (one-time fee per person, covers all days)
• For More Information and Competitor Pre-Entry. go to cmraracing.com — pre-entry deadline is June 30, 2026
ABOUT CMRA
The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) is a Texas-based organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable, and competitive motorcycle road racing experiences. Based in Waco, TX, CMRA has been sanctioning events across the region for decades and is a division of Moto Rides LLC.
Benjamin Smith (78) seen on his Flo4Law-sponsored Ducati Superbike at Road America, before a loose part off another bike stopped his front wheel and caused him to crash at 186 mph. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MotoAmerica Superbike Crash At 186 mph:
Why Benjamin Smith Is Lucky To Be Alive
FIRST PERSON/OPINION:
By Michael Gougis
MotoAmerica Superbike qualifying on Saturday, May 30th at Road America saw Benjamin Smith crash hard at the fastest point on the circuit, the run down into Turn Five, with his Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V4 R slamming into the back of his head and leaving him with his second concussion in two races.
A 12-inch piece of solid metal used as a weight had flown out of the hollow rear axle on Jayson Uribe’s OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR. Uribe was just ahead of Smith when the piece came out of the axle, bounced, and lodged in Smith’s front wheel, locking the wheel instantly before coming loose and flying off the racetrack. The piece then hit and damaged a chain-link fence adjacent to the track. (A spectator retrieved the axle weight, gave it to the Warhorse Ducati team, and received a cash reward.)
“The data said my front wheel went from 186 mph to zero in less than a second,” Smith said afterwards. “I saw it come out, bounce once, and it went straight into my front wheel.”
The metal piece was being used as ballast in the rear axle by the OrangeCat team. Tuners sometimes will add weight to help fine-tune suspension behavior (specifically as it relates to chatter), and while the practice does add unsprung weight, the weight is not rotating and thus doesn’t add to the gyroscopic momentum of the wheel, nor does it add to the weight that the engine is trying to spin. (A variation of the practice is also used in Moto2, where teams sometimes use solid rear axles of differing weights.)
This solid weight inserted into the hollow rear axle on an OrangeCat BMW Superbike came out and locked Benjamin Smith’s Ducati’s front wheel at 186 mph. An epic crash followed.
When adding ballast to a racing motorcycle, the MotoAmerica rulebook (and rulebooks from other series worldwide, including the Superbike World Championship and the IDM Superbike series in Germany) is specific about how it has to be done. In each of those cases, identical rulebook wording states that the ballast must be “firmly and securely connected either through an adapter or directly to the main frame or engine with a minimum of two (2) steel bolts (minimum 8mm diameter, 8.8 grade or over).” In cases where this is not possible, “other equivalent technical solutions must be submitted to the Technical Director for his approval,” the rulebook states.
According to MotoAmerica, the weight in question was “secured” inside the axle by epoxy. But as seen in photos taken after the crash, blue painters tape was wrapped around the weight in two places, leading to speculation that friction from the tape was also being counted on to hold the piece inside the axle. Looking at the photos, there was some visible epoxy on the piece that was inserted into the axle, but epoxy did not appear to have been applied to the entire length of the part.
Benjamin Smith’s Flo4Law-sponsored Ducati Superbike after a 186-mph crash at Road America.
Chuck Aksland, Chief Operating Officer for MotoAmerica, said that OrangeCat had submitted its ballast strategy to the series at the beginning of the season; the metal ballast was epoxied into the axle; and the system had worked until the incident at Road America. Aksland said that in the wake of the incident, OrangeCat had already approached the series with a different solution to adding ballast to the rear axle.
Alpha Racing is the German company contracted by BMW to build and sell BMW racebikes, including the ones OrangeCat Racing runs in MotoAmerica Superbike. According to the Alpha Racing website, the only ballast-related product made by the company for the BMW S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR models is an aluminum box that bolts under the main frame. When filled with lead shot, the combination of box and ballast adds 3.99 kilograms.
The situation did not go down well with Bobby Shekarabi, team principal for Warhorse HSBK Ducati, who saw his rider injured and a very expensive, six-figure Panigale V4 R built in the Ducati race shop in Italy destroyed. Even the engine was demolished as the motorcycle slid and tumbled, smashing Smith in the head as it spun.
“This was not the way to add weight to the axle or motorcycle,” Shekarabi said. “The FIM has very strict rules on how to add weight safely. There is nothing usable from Benjamin’s machine.”
Asked to comment, OrangeCat Racing Team Principal Jeff Conners sent an e-mail to Roadracing World that read, “Following up to your request for more information on the Road America incident. The incident is being reviewed by MotoAmerica and the AMA and (we) would prefer to wait until the issue is closed before we officially comment.
“This was a terrible crash caused by a component that fell from Jayson Uribe’s motorcycle during the session, and we apologize to both Benjamin and the Warhorse team for the incident. We hope for a fast recovery for Benjamin and look forward to competing with him on track soon.”
Smith said he posted about the incident on social media to clarify what happened in order to make sure that innocent parties were not blamed. The incident was not the result of a tire failure or wheel failure or other mechanical failure on the Ducati or of any of its components. Smith’s crash also wound up on YouTube, social media platforms worldwide, and in international photo services. The video of Smith’s crash is scary to watch as Smith reaches up to his head after he is struck by his bike.
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Jordan Szoke (101) leads early in Sunday's Pro Superbike race at Atlantic Motorsport Park but would ultimately finish second to Ben Young (1) ahead of Andrew Van Winkle (45) in third. Photo by Rob O'Brien / courtesy CSBK.
Young continued win streak as Casas rebounded for a much-needed win in race two at AMP.
Shubenacadie, NS – The Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship wrapped up the weekend at Atlantic Motorsport Park an hour north of Halifax for round two of the 2026 CSBK season presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki.
It was another close battle in the GP Bikes Pro Superbike class as the trio of Ben Young, Jordan Szoke, and Andrew Van Winkle were separated by less than a second for the majority of the race. Van Winkle was able to follow Young after his less-than-ideal start. Van Winkle had a chance to pass Young, but the Mountain View Motorsports Honda rider hesitated as the opening vanished while Young and Szoke slowly pulled away, tenth by tenth.
Young would put in a stellar performance, applying the pressure consistently every lap onto Szoke, who was unable to pull away. “We put on a different compound tire in the race today,” said Young. “We had never tried it, but I was feeling comfortable, and it was exactly how we wanted the race to go.” The Thornbury, ON rider waited patiently until lap fifteen, where a move into the inside of turn two sealed the win for the Van Dolder’s Home Team Honda, as reigning champion Young pulled away to extend his championship points tally to one hundred points, twenty points ahead of second-place Szoke, and cemented himself as the firm second place in the all-time win list for Superbike.
Szoke was thoroughly impressed with Young’s ride, commenting that “the ride was a classic Jordan Szoke-esque performance.” The AIM Insurance Kawasaki was able to stick to Young even after the overtake, keeping Young honest but not enough to make another charge. “I was a little hesitant in pushing knowing that the track was at the least still a little bit wet from the morning rain, but the start was good, I was able to settle into a decent pace. It would not have been possible without the wonderful package that we were able to extract from the ZX-10RR, so I’m super grateful to my crew for that.”
Van Winkle was happy with the podium, the Chilliwack, BC rider said that, “At the end, I felt really good about this third, as I was quite disappointed with the fourth that I got yesterday.” The Superbike rookie was still able to extract a lot during the early part of the race, but unforced errors at the latter stage of the race had Van Winkle hesitant to chase after the leading pair. He now sits third in the overall standings with 58 points; fourth-place finisher MacKay is fourth in the championship with 53 points and fifth-place finisher Alex Michel is fifth in the standings with 40 points after this weekend.
In the OPP Racing Pro Supersport class, race one winner Torin Collins was not able to race Sunday due to the condition of his shoulder following a crash in practice on Friday.
Cole Alexander would once again obliterate the start, the French Glass Co Suzuki stormed to P1 after turn two and made the whole grid “look like turtles,” said Tomas Casas. “Cole (Alexander) did not look like a rookie at all.” Casas would come right back at Alexander, going past in turn seven after the Amaranth, ON rider went wide coming onto the rollercoaster back straight, Casas took advantage and slid past. Sebastian Tremblay would follow suit, the ST Motosport Suzuki performed a copy-and-paste move from race one, Tremblay taking the inside of turn eleven and overtaking Alexander in one smooth motion.
The race would continue as the field spread out, Tremblay not able to successfully mount a move on Casas. The Peterborough, ON rider rebounded from yesterday’s DNF with a win, putting him right on Tremblay’s tail in the Supersport championship, the pair separated by a single point (75 – 76 respectively). Tremblay’s back and hips would come back to haunt him, as an injury sustained at Shannonville would relapse and put a pause to the chase in race two.
While Alexander would finish third, the bike was not without its mechanical demons, as a suspected fuel issue caused the bike to jerk a lot. He is currently fourth in the championship standings (58 points) while Matthew Simpson would finish fourth, the Black Stock Motorsport Suzuki retains third in the standings (62 points). Mackenzie Weil would finish fifth again in race two, moving him up to fifth in the championship standings with 40 points.
In support class action, the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike saw Alexis Beaudoin finish first after a nail-biter of a race with Baillie Ives, and now leads the Amateur Superbike standings. The recently repaired Suzuki GSX-R600 of Ives was able to get back on the track after yesterday’s crash. He was able to keep Beaudoin honest which took him to the limit, where he held on to second after a thriller of a race. Julia Krans was able to make it two of two podiums for the weekend, on an unfamiliar track where she was able to quickly learn and gain time throughout the weekend. She went from fifth to third in the race and was able to hold off local rider Andy Hutchinson.
In the EBC Brakes Amateur Supersport class, Alexis Beaudoin would win the race with dominance as the #146 Suzuki was able to cruise to the finish with a 16-second gap. Ives would slot into second as Beaudoin cruised into the sunset. Honda rider Antoine Slater passed the Yamaha of Hutchinson to finish third. Beaudoin also leads the Amateur Supersport championship, with Ives far behind in second.
The Importations Thibault Twins Cup was spearheaded by JP Tache, who finished first and swept up wins in all four races in rounds one and two to lead the championship. On a track with variable conditions, this race had all riders use wet tires in the tricky changing conditions. Tache and Gary McKinnon were battling hard at the start, but a mishap forced the yellow Aprilia to box before rejoining, but was down to last and two laps behind. Louie Raffa would take advantage, snatching second after passing Justin Marshall, who finished third and was once again the only Suzuki on the Twins Cup podium.
The Scorpion EXO Ninja ZX-4R Cup was a barn-burner, as Jean-Pascal Schroeder was able to keep up with Jared Walker, who was not comfortable in the variable conditions. Walker was able to keep it clean and tidy to come home in first place, as he leads the ZX-4R championship with a perfect record as of round two.
There was heartbreak in Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight Sportbike, as an entertaining battle between local rider Cory Canfield and young gun Lachlan Alexander had local fans peeled to the track as both riders were battling it out with little room to spare. Canfield would unfortunately lose control on the last lap, losing the lead. Winner Lachlan Alexander would have a touching moment with his brother Cole Alexander, as the Pro Supersport rider handed him the checkered flag for the victory lap, where he coached the young gun on the lay of the land the night before. Sebastian Silva would also make it two podiums out of two this weekend, where he finished in second as Matt Covey would be the local representative on the podium in third.
Round three for the GP Bikes Pro Superbike and Lightweight Sportbike riders will be a special event in partnership with the VRRA, at Calabogie Motorsports Park June 26th to 28th.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email info@csbk.ca.
Rahal Ducati Moto Team Principal Ben Spies (on the left) and MotoAmerica Senior Communications Manager Sean Bice (on the right) at a meet and greet event, held at the Barber Advanced Design Center inside the museum. Photo by Anthony Sansotta
Last month’s meet and greet with Rahal Ducati Moto Team Principal Ben Spies and Supersport star Kayla Yaakov kicked off the three-day “MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber” race weekend.
MotoAmerica Senior Communications Manager Sean Bice hosted the event in the Barber Advanced Design Center on the fifth floor of the museum.
Spies surprised attendees with his Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Yamaha YZF-R1 race bikes, the very same factory machines on which the “Texan Terror” won the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship and the 2009 FIM Superbike World Championship. Spies secured his first national title, the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, at Barber Motorsports Park.
Yaakov had yet another standout MotoAmerica race weekend. The 18-year-old Pennsylvanian established a new Supersport lap record, earned pole position for the two races, and fought at the sharp end of the field on Saturday and Sunday, even leading a number of laps, and finished on the podium in both races.
The event is now available for viewing in three segments on the “Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum” YouTube page: Click Here!
More than a tour—Trippinars and Track & Tour experiences combine epic roads, rider training, local culture, and the freedom to ride your own pace. Photo courtesy Leod Motorcycle Escapes.
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Take a break on the road into France, heading toward the Pyrenees. Valleys and villages shift around you—and you’ll know exactly where you are. Photo courtesy Leod Motorcycle Escapes.
Pedro Acosta (37) and Marc Marquez (93) during the MotoGP race at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo:
Triple 100: A record-breaking Sunday for Ducati Corse who, in Ducati’s centenary year, reach the milestone of 100 MotoGP victories with the factory team at Balaton Park.
Marc Márquez scores his 100th Grand Prix win, while Francesco Bagnaia steps onto the podium in third
The Ducati Lenovo Team completed the perfect weekend at Balaton Park by securing their 100th MotoGP victory courtesy of Marc Márquez, who in turn claimed his 100th Grand Prix win (his 74th in MotoGP). Francesco Bagnaia rounded out the podium in third position.
Márquez got a good launch from pole position but lost the lead on lap two. From lap six onwards, Marc gradually closed the gap to Acosta before overtaking him — after several attempts — on lap fifteen, then pulling away to secure his first Sunday victory of the season. After avoiding the turn-one incident, Bagnaia made his way up to third place during the opening lap and then managed the situation intelligently to secure his third consecutive Grand Prix podium.
As the eighth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is fifth in the championship standings with 108 points. Francesco Bagnaia is seventh, nine points behind his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings (207 points), while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship (225 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, June 19th, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of Czechia at Brno.
Marc Márquez (93) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st: “We did an incredible job. The secret, in my opinion, was managing the effort on Friday: this allowed me to get to Saturday, and especially today, in the best possible shape. Obviously, I gave it everything today and luckily the choice of the medium tyre paid off in the closing stages, otherwise it would have been a lot harder. Now we’ll see how things go at Brno and Assen because, once again, things went better here due to the higher number of left-handers. This win came after a challenging period of surgeries and recovery, but it was worth it. As always, we need to stay positive and continue along this recovery path.”
Francesco Bagnaia (63) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd: “The first goal for today was to get a better start. Luckily, when I released the clutch, the rear tyre spun slightly; otherwise, I would have been caught up in the turn-one incident as well. I managed to overtake Moreira and Marini straight away and then tried to stay with Pedro (Acosta), but I wasn’t able to match their lap times as I continued to struggle with grip. When they started to push harder, I focused on managing my margin over the riders behind. The podium is a good result, especially after the difficult start to the weekend, as it allowed us to score some important points. We need to keep working ahead of the upcoming races on bike stability in the changes of direction as well as on grip.”
Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager: “No words can describe what Marc was able to achieve today. I’m emotionally exhausted, as I was expecting a much calmer race, but obviously I’m also extremely happy for him and the team. He’s a true champion. This is Marc’s 100th Grand Prix win as well as the Ducati Lenovo Team’s 100th MotoGP victory; we couldn’t have asked for more. Now it’s time to celebrate this success before turning our attention to Brno.”
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Equal best Honda result for Marini after wild Turn 1 in Hungary.
Drama at Turn 1 meant the race was wide open, Luca Marini and Joan Mir quickly inserting themselves right into the mix for the podium battle. Marini walked away with his equal best Honda result in fifth place while Mir fell after contact with another rider.
The only thing hotter than the conditions in Hungary was the action into Turn 1 as the lights went out and a multiple rider crash sent many of the race favourites down. Taking avoiding action, both Honda HRC Castrol riders escaped any damage and were instantly promoted into the mix for the podium.
Luca Marini’s trademark cool primed him to take advantage of the early drama of others, the Italian locking in and chasing down Jack Miller in the opening laps. By mid-race, the Italian was through and set his sights on closing down the sizable gap to Bagnaia in third, able to slowly chip away. Attentions would soon turn to a fast-approaching Ai Ogura who was hot on the heels of Marini in the closing stages of the race. Eventually getting past, Marini managed to equal his best result as a Honda HRC rider in fifth place.
An important result which moves the #10 to just seven points behind Aldeguer and a top ten position in the World Championship. This is Marini’s third fifth place result on the Honda RC213V.
Like his Honda HRC Castrol teammate, Joan Mir was a benefactor of the misfortune of others and found himself well inside the top ten. Chasing down his fellow Honda riders, an incident with Enea Bastianini unsettled the #36 who managed to regroup. Unfortunately, there was more damage than expected and a strange fall would end Mir’s race as he was sitting comfortably in eighth just behind Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira. He was unharmed in the fall.
After two busy back-to-back races in Mugello and Balaton Park, the Honda HRC Castrol team will now have some brief respite before another double-header in Brno and Assen arrive.
Luca Marini (10) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Luca Marini: “This was another dramatic race, always you risk a lot into Turn 1 and fortunately this time I was able to gain something – I hope all the other riders are OK. Overnight we made some setup changes which improved the bike and our race was good, of course we were helped by the situation at the start to gain some positions, but I think we could have made up some ground anyway. I tried everything I could to get back past Ogura at the end, but I couldn’t quite manage it. Still some good points in the championship overall so we must focus on this and come back strong in the next two races.”
Joan Mir (36) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda HRC.
Joan Mir:“What a race! I think my footpeg got damaged when I had the contact with Enea but we need to check the exact cause. I was comfortable behind Diogo managing the front tyre pressure, so it came as a bit of a surprise. It’s a shame because I think today there was the possibility obviously to get a really nice result after all of the drama at the start of the race. I am OK which is the most important. The good point of the weekend is that we were able to confirm a couple of points from the past that we had some doubts about with the setup so we can now enter the second half of the year with a clearer idea about a few things.”
More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:
Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira finished 6th on Sunday at Balaton Park.
Starting from 11th on the grid, the Brazilian rider made a strong launch and immediately joined the battle for the top three positions.
Moreira executed several impressive overtakes throughout the 26-lap race, setting a competitive pace and delivering a consistent performance from start to finish.
He eventually crossed the line in 6th place, securing his best MotoGP result to date and once again showcasing the remarkable potential he has displayed throughout his rookie season.
Diogo Moreira (11) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Diogo Moreira 6th:“Today I tried to handle the situation as best as I could, and I think we did a good race. Maybe we made the wrong choice with the tyre, going for the medium, as it wasn’t the ideal option. Even so, we managed to finish in a good position and with a consistent pace. I’m proud of the work we’ve done this weekend.”
More from a press release issued by BK8 Gresini Racing:
Iker Lecuona shines, Fermin Aldeguer would have wanted to.
RACE DAY
FERMIN ALDEGUER NC
IKER LECUONA 7º
WORLD STANDING
9º – ALEX MARQUEZ (67 points)
10º – FERMIN ALDEGUER (64 points)
21º – IKER LECUONA (9 Points)
Iker Lecuona (27) and Brad Binder (33) at Balaton Park during the MotoGP Race. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Iker Lecuona:“It was an incredible weekend with a team that welcomed me in a fantastic way. We worked well, had fun, and brought home a great result. Despite the many mistakes during the race, we found excellent feeling with the bike, especially towards the end, and that’s where I really pushed. I wanted to catch my friend Moreira, but it’s fine like this. A huge thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to be here this weekend. It wasn’t a given that we would be this fast.”
Fermin Aldeguer at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Gresini.
Fermin Aldeguer:“Honestly, I don’t really have much to say. In the end, the most important thing is that I didn’t get hurt, and I hope no other rider had any issues either. It was a weekend where I felt good and where we definitely could have aimed high, but you also need a bit of luck. Now it’s time to go home and rest.”
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Mixed Fortunes for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in Hungarian GP Race.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins pushed for points in today’s Grand Prix of Hungary MotoGP Race, finishing in P13. Fabio Quartararo had a difficult day at the office, retiring from the 26-lap contest on lap 23.
Pushing all the way in the 26-lap Grand Prix of Hungary MotoGP Race, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins rode from P20 on the grid to P13 at the finish line. It was a day to forget for teammate Fabio Quartararo, who retired from the race with 4 laps to go.
Starting from P20, Rins emerged in P14 from a multi-rider pile-up in Turn 1. Overtaking his teammate on lap 9 and with Joan Mir crashing on lap 15, the number 42 rider was circulating in P12. The Spaniard focused on his rhythm and defending his position but was pipped at the post by Fabio Di Giannantonio. Rins finished in P13, 29.207s from first.
Quartararo commenced from P15 and moved up as high as P6 after the multi-rider-crash chaos in Turn 1. However, he couldn’t successfully defend his position and gradually dropped down the order due to an issue with the rear. He battled with Franco Mobidelli on lap 19 to keep hold of P13. However, El Diablo was given two separate long-lap penalties for taking short-cuts. After completing them he opted to retire from the race.
Today’s results see Quartararo keep 15th place in the championship standings with 37 points and Rins stays in 19th with 12 points. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP are in 10th position in the team classifications with 49 points, and Yamaha is 5th in the constructor rankings with 49 points.
The team will be back in action in two weeks’ time at the Automotodrom Brno for the Grand Prix of Czechia, held from 19-21 June.
Alex Rins (42) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Alex Rins:“I did a great start – the same as yesterday – but as soon as I saw the bike of Jorge [Martin] starting to move, I tried to reduce the speed a bit more. I couldn’t do so much because there were some guys around me. It was a long race but, in general, I made a step forward compared to yesterday.”
Fabio Quartararo (20) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Fabio Quartararo:“Because of what happened in Turn 1, I was just behind Jack [Miller] and the position was not bad. But straight away I felt that something was wrong with the rear. I kept trying, but I was losing positions. I was going wide and to the gravel a few times. The team is looking into what happened.”
Massimo Meregalli:“It was a tough Grand Prix for us overall. Álex avoided the chaos at the start and that moved him up the order. It was a long race for him, but he did feel more comfortable with the bike than yesterday. It was a disappointing race for Fabio. He made a strong start and initially capitalised on the Turn 1 incident, but he struggled to maintain his position due to an issue with the rear impacting his performance. We expect that the sensations he felt may have been caused by the medium rear tyre that, due to today’s track conditions and circumstances, did not suit our bike. It caused him to get two long lap penalties and ultimately led to the decision to retire from the race.”
More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:
Double points finish for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP as progress continues at Balaton.
Jack Miller finishes eighth and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu eleventh at the Balaton Grand Prix, securing the team’s strongest combined result of the season and further confirming the growing competitiveness of the Yamaha YZR-M1 package.
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP continued its positive trajectory at the Balaton Grand Prix, with both riders delivering strong performances and securing a double points finish in what proved to be the team’s most competitive weekend of the season so far.
An incident involving several riders at Turn 1 on the opening lap reshuffled the field, but both Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu immediately capitalised on the opportunity and established themselves inside the points-paying positions. From that moment on, both riders produced determined and intelligent races, successfully defending their places against constant pressure from the riders behind.
Miller delivered one of his strongest performances of the year, combining pace, consistency and racecraft to cross the line in eighth position. Razgatlıoğlu was equally impressive, continuing the progress shown throughout the weekend and fighting hard throughout the race to secure eleventh place.
Beyond the final classification, the result provides further confirmation of the development steps made by Yamaha and the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team in recent months. On a circuit expected to suit the strengths of the YZR-M1, both riders were able to race competitively within the group and convert that potential into the team’s best combined result of the season.
Jack Miller (43) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Pramac
Jack Miller:“It was a decent race for us and I feel we got the maximum out of what we had available today. We managed to stay out of trouble at the start and put ourselves in a position to fight for points right from the opening laps. From there, it was all about managing the race as well as possible. I had to be quite careful with the rear tyre, especially on corner exit, and spent much of the race trying to protect the soft tyre and make sure it lasted until the chequered flag. We were still missing a little bit compared to some of the riders around us, particularly when accelerating out of the corners, but overall it was a stronger weekend and another step in the right direction for us. Now the focus shifts to Brno. It will present different challenges, including a couple of long straights, but we‘ll keep working hard and try to make the most of the strengths we have shown in recent races.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (07) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Pramac
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “Overall, this was my best weekend so far in MotoGP. Finishing eleventh is a positive result, but more importantly I felt that I had the pace to fight even closer to the top ten. During the race I spent almost all my time in a group with other riders. The problem is that when I catch them, it is still very difficult for me to overtake because we lose too much on the straights. I can stay with them through the corners, but making the pass is another story. We also made a small adjustment to the engine brake during the race because I was experiencing too much rear locking. It helped in some areas, but in others I lost some of the feeling I needed on corner entry, particularly in Turn 5, where I made a few mistakes. Even so, the pace was strong until the end of the race and the feeling with the bike continues to improve. We have made another step forward this weekend, and that gives me confidence that we can continue moving closer to the riders ahead in the coming races.”
Gino Borsoi – Team Director:“It was a very positive weekend for the team. Both yesterday and today, our riders delivered strong performances and achieved important results, which is a great reward for all the work being done by the team and Yamaha. At the beginning of the weekend, we felt that Balaton could be a circuit suited to the characteristics of the YZR-M1, and that proved to be the case. The layout allowed us to better exploit some of the strengths of the package, and both riders were able to show competitive pace throughout the event. From a chassis and electronics perspective, we are no longer far from our rivals. In certain areas and situations, we are already able to compete at a very similar level, which is an encouraging sign considering where we started the season. The progress is evident. We know there are still areas where we need to improve, but weekends like this confirm that we are moving in the right direction. When further performance arrives, the combination of these riders and this bike has the potential to take another significant step forward.”
More from a press release issued by Tech3:
Bastianini battles adversity for ninth in eventful Balaton Bow.
Enea Bastianini avoided an early multi-rider collision and overcame two Long Lap Penalties to claim a hard-fought ninth place in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, while Maverick Viñales picked up a point for 15th despite receiving both a Long Lap and tyre pressure penalty.
As ambient temperatures hit 29 degrees ahead of the race start, rear tyre choice was something of a question mark. Both Bastianini and Viñales were confident they could manage Michelin’s soft rear compound over 26 laps, even if nine other riders opted for the medium.
The start was chaotic as five riders were caught up in a multi-bike collision caused at Turn 1. Thankfully, both Red Bull KTM Tech3 runners made it through safely, with Bastianini gaining six places from his grid position of 14th on the first lap.
‘La Bestia’ was soon involved in a multi-rider fight for fourth. Quick moves on Fabio Quartararo on lap three and Diogo Moreira on lap four meant he was in sixth and eyeing that fourth place, before a wobble exiting the final corner affected the Italian’s braking for Turn 1 of lap six.
As well as losing a position, Bastianini had contact with Joan Mir when returning to the racing line, which earned him a Long Lap Penalty. He then had to repeat the penalty for cutting the track at Turn 16. Rejoining in twelfth, the #23 rider was soon back in the fight for seventh and battled until the end. A neat move on Brad Binder at the race’s final corner earned him ninth place.
Viñales was also handed a Long Lap Penalty early in the race due to cutting the track at Turn 10. Rejoining in 16th with clear track ahead, ‘Top Gun’ continued to adapt his riding style to this year’s KTM RC16 in his third race since returning from injury. There were clear signs of progress when he set the ninth fastest lap of the race on lap 16.
After coming home 15th, he was handed a 16-second penalty due to his front tyre pressure being lower than the parameters advised by the official supplier – a likely consequence of riding alone after his Long Lap.
After a hectic run of races, Bastianini and Viñales can now enjoy a well-deserved break before the Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno from 19-21 June.
Enea Bastianini (33) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Enea Bastianini: “It was a strange race. When I saw the incident at Turn 1, I thought there might be a red flag. But we continued and I was well placed, fighting for a good result. Then I arrived in Turn 1 without any brakes after the bike was shaking coming out of the last corner. I went straight on and when I came back on the racing line, I saw Joan very late. There was some contact and I was given a Long Lap.
“After I tried to recover but cut the chicane. I lost the position to Toprak (Razgatlioglu) and tried to lose one second, but I probably didn’t. So, I had to do another Long Lap! After that, it was a crazy race, and it was very difficult to overtake the other riders ahead. The grip was lower than yesterday, and the wind changed through the race. When I was alone my lap times were good, and that’s important. I managed to overtake Brad in the last corner for ninth. I’m not happy because I didn’t achieve my full potential today, but we’ll go again in Brno.”
Maverick Viñales (12) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Tech3.
Maverick Viñales: “There were parts of the race which were quite good, and I could ride in the low 1’39s. That was the target. We were quite quick without gaining many positions. At this moment, I’m still trying to understand how to go fast with this bike, but I felt we could do that over the course of the race. Somehow when I was alone, I could brake late and deep and the lap time was coming. Toward the end of the race, I was behind (Franco) Morbidelli. I had to brake a little earlier and the bike didn’t want to stop – I really had to put the load into the front.
“The feeling I have is you have to ride the bike at the limit all the time on the brakes, and you must push over the limit physically. Still, I don’t quite have the strength to do that. I think I’ll be in a good physical condition soon. The week off will help me build up more strength.”
Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “There’s a bit of a bitter taste with Enea’s race. He finished inside the top nine, which is a strong result considering he started in 14th, but he had to serve two Long Lap Penalties. Without those, he would’ve fought for the top five, which was our target for the race today. I want to keep the positives of the weekend, which was Enea had strong pace since Friday. We must keep this in mind and carry this good feeling to the next race in Brno.
“On the other side of the garage, Maverick scored one point. It’s been another difficult weekend for him, but after some deep analysis with his team, he improved his pace through the weekend. He had the ninth fastest lap of the race, which is quite a decent result. Of course, his position is not what we’re aiming for, but we believe the next race will be another step for him. Let’s pack up everything and head to Brno, where we hope to improve on this weekend’s results.”
More from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Black Sunday for Aprilia Racing at Balaton Park. Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin out on the first corner.
It was a Sunday to forget for Aprilia Racing in the long race at Balaton Park, with both riders out on the first corner.
Starting from the sixth spot on the grid, Marco Bezzecchi was involved in a crash triggered by Jorge Martín. After starting from the eighth spot, the Spanish rider lost control of his bike braking on turn 1, colliding with his teammate and Raúl Fernández of SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, as well as Fabio Di Giannantonio and Fermín Aldeguer. The episode compromised the race for three Aprilia riders just a few seconds after the start.
Regarding Marco Bezzecchi, medical checks have shown no visible fractures, he only has contusions on his right leg and hand.
Marco Bezzecchi (72) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
Regarding Jorge Martin, medical checks have shown no visible fractures, he only has contusions on his back and his right foot. Subsequent to the accident, Martín was also sanctioned with a double long-lap penalty that he will have to carry out during the upcoming Grand Prix in Brno.
The positive note of the day comes from SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, with Ai Ogura finishing fourth after a comeback ride.
More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:
Castrol Honda LCR replacement rider Cal Crutchlow finished 16th on Sunday at Balaton Park.
Starting from 22nd on the grid and determined to make the most of Sunday’s race, the British rider got off to a strong start.
On one of the most demanding layouts on the calendar, Crutchlow pushed hard to close the gap to the group ahead while maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race.
Improving session after session over the weekend, Crutchlow crossed the finish line in 16th place, narrowly missing out on the points and collecting valuable data for the team.
Cal Crutchlow (35) at Balaton Park. Photo courtesy Honda LCR.
Cal Crutchlow 16th:“It was probably the most physically demanding race I’ve ever done. I’m happy with the result because we understand our current situation, but the lap times show that I’m making progress and getting more comfortable on the bike. It’s been tough, but I’m pleased with the work we’re doing. The racing spirit is still there despite the time I’ve spent away. The important thing is that we’re improving, understanding the bike better and better, and taking positive steps forward every time we go out on track.”
ASRA racer Jessica Capizzi (26) in action at Blackhawk Farms Raceway this weekend. Photo by Vae Vang/Noiseless Productions.
ASRA Racing and affiliated Evolve GT TrackDays just finished a combined event this weekend at newly repaved Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois, and drew what officials are saying was a large rider turnout (129) and the biggest spectator crowd seen at the track in recent years.
In the debut of a new three-day format, the weekend included ASRA races on Saturday and Sunday as well as Evolve GT trackday sessions and a new racers school on Friday. Five additional trackday sessions were held in between races on Saturday and Sunday, and riders who passed the new racer school on Friday received free entries for all their ASRA races on Saturday and Sunday. Races were live-streamed on You Tube.
ASRA and Evolve GT will repeat the same three-day trackday, race school, and race program at Blackhawk Farms Raceway on August 14-16 and on September 11-13. Evolve GT will hold Saturday/Sunday track days (plus a race license school on Saturday) on the weekend of July 11-12.
The Lawrence brothers, Jett (1) and Hunter (96), positioned themselves at the front of the field to begin Moto 1, with Jett earning the holeshot. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – The oldest race in American motocross was the site for Round 19 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, as the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, traveled to the shadow of the California capital for the 57th running of the iconic Coker Pump Hangtown Motocross Classic. A challenging racetrack, combined with near-perfect weather conditions was a recipe for another compelling afternoon of racing that saw a return to dominant form for Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence, the reigning Pro Motocross and SMX World Champion who swept the 450SMX Class motos and has seemingly fast-tracked his comeback from a major offseason ankle injury. In the 250SMX Class, the unpredictability of the wide-open division was once again on display as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen grabbed his first win since the 2024 season.
Jett Lawrence Returns to Dominant Form at Hangtown for First Pro Motocross Championship Victory of the Season
450SMX Class
Timed Qualifying
Premier class rookie Haiden Deegan [#38] paced the first session aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine, but it was Jett Lawrence [#1] who made a statement when he laid down the fastest overall lap in the second session and became the lone rider to put in a sub 1:50 lap time. Lawrence’s 1:49.886 edged out Deegan’s 1:50.389 by a half second.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first premier class moto of the day kicked off with Lawrence out front for his first holeshot of the year ahead of Deegan and Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96], the championship leader. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] slotted into fourth.
The top three settled in through the opening 10 minutes of the moto, with Jett Lawrence managing about a four-second advantage over Deegan and Hunter Lawrence.
Jett continued to build on his lead and pushed it to the cusp of double digits, which left the fight for second to be decided between Deegan and Hunter Lawrence. The elder Lawrence kept the rookie within reach and as the moto dipped into its final five minutes Lawrence went on the attack. He made a quick pass around Deegan and proceeded to sprint away.
Out front, Jett Lawrence completed an impressive wire-to-wire performance to take his first moto win by 7.7 seconds over his brother. Deegan earned his first career moto podium in third, followed by Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis [#14] in fourth and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire [#24] in fifth.
Prado, who ran fourth almost the entire moto, appeared to have a chance at challenging Deegan for third, but lost power on his KTM just prior to the final lap and was forced to settle for 36th place.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The final moto of the afternoon was halted early when a red flag stopped the race for a downed rider, which necessitated a restart. When racing resumed with a second gate drop it was the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine of Cooper Webb [#2] out front ahead of the Lawrences with the holeshot. Jett Lawrence was able to make quick work to seize control of the lead as Webb engaged in a brief battle with Hunter Lawrence before the Honda rider solidified his hold of second.
The Lawrences were soon able to establish a gap over the rest of the field as Webb lost third to Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton [#4].
Deeper in the top 10, Deegan battled his way forward from an 11th-place start and methodically started to pick off riders to move into the top five within the first 10 minutes of the moto.
Soon enough it appeared as though the battle for the win was going to come down to the Australian siblings, who moved out to a double-digit margin over Sexton. The Lawrences traded bursts of momentum throughout different parts of the racetrack, with the separation between them hovering around a second. Meanwhile, Deegan stormed past Sexton for third.
As the race approached the halfway point Hunter Lawrence started to apply pressure on Jett and appeared to be gearing up for an attack for the lead. However, Jett countered with a sudden sprint and soon the lead went from less than a second to nearly four seconds in the span of a few laps. Jett added to his advantage as the moto continued.
Jett Lawrence wrapped up a sweep of the motos by a margin of 6.8 seconds over Hunter, with Deegan well back in third.
Cooper Webb (2) was the beneficiary of the Moto 2 restart as he grabbed the holeshot and early lead over Jett Lawrence and the rest of the field. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Despite his ongoing recovery that has left him competing at less than 100 percent, Jett Lawrence returned to the level that’s become custom for the Australian. His dominant 1-1 effort, the 19th of his career, brought him a milestone 25th premier class win in his 29th start.
Hunter Lawrence backed up his own 1-1 performance last weekend with an impressive 2-2 effort to give Honda its first 1-2 finish of the season.
Deegan’s first premier class podium was a quiet one, as he secured 3-3 finishes mostly riding by himself. Nevertheless, the highly touted rookie landed on the box in just his second start.
Hunter Lawrence maintains his hold of the points lead, which now sits at six points over Jett. Deegan moved into third, 19 points out of the lead.
450SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points)
Jett Lawrence (1) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Team Honda HRC Progressive (1-1): “I knew if I picked a fast pace early that Hunter would be right there with me and would make it a lot harder. I chose [instead] to get a better flow for about 15 minutes and then decided to push for a quick sprint to try and mess up his rhythm, and it worked. It’s good to be back up here with a 1-1.”
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Team Honda HRC Progressive (2-2): “It’s harder racing against Jett [Lawrence]. He’s my toughest competitor. It got to a point where I was going to take the time to reset and make a push, but he decided to do a sprint and gapped me. Still a solid result. It was a tough track today, so I’m happy.”
Haiden Deegan (96) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (3-3): “That was good today. I just want to get better and better each weekend. That’s the goal, just keep progressing with each moto and just try to be there. We’ll go back, put in the work, and try again next weekend.”
Levi Kitchen’s Consistency Ends 13-Race Winless Drought in 250SMX Class
250SMX Class
Timed Qualifying
It was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] who made the first statement in the opening session, but he was surpassed by Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker [#10], the championship leader, in the second session. Hammaker’s 1:52.621 edged out DiFrancesco’s 1:52.871 by a couple tenths in the combined results.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first moto of the afternoon got underway with Hammaker leading the field to the holeshot ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing duo of Cole Davies [#37] and Landen Gordon [#180]. As the leaders navigated the opening lap, Davies went down and remounted in 10th. That moved Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer [#13] into second and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Nick Romano [#141] into third.
Hammaker settled into the lead and built a multi-second advantage after the first five minutes. Beaumer also settled into second as the battle for third unfolded between Romano and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda [#30], the reigning SMX World Champion. After a lengthy fight, Shimoda wrestled the position away from Romano.
As the moto surpassed the halfway point the top three strengthened their respective holds on the podium spots, but no one on the track was running faster than Kitchen [#47], who started outside the top 10 and fought all the way up to fourth place.
Inside the final 10 minutes the fight for second heated up between Beaumer and Shimoda, while Kitchen closed in from fourth. The Japanese rider showed patience and pulled the trigger on a pass for second. Mere moments later Kitchen made the pass for third and then carried on, getting by Shimoda for second. At this point, Hammaker sat 11 seconds clear of the field.
While Kitchen was able to gain ground on Hammaker, the deficit was too much to overcome as the points leader won his second consecutive moto by a margin of 7.2 seconds over his teammate. Shimoda finished in a distant third, with Beaumer fourth and Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] fifth.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
Drama unfolded to begin the second moto as a massive crash unfolded in the first turn with Hammaker at the center of it after contact created a chain reaction that collected a large group of riders. Hammaker eventually remounted and began the race deep in the top 30.
The moto holeshot ultimately went to 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing rookie Deacon Denno [#199] just ahead of Davies and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Caden Dudney [#82]. A torrid opening phase of the moto saw Davies grab hold of the lead ahead of Romano in second, with Dudney settling into third.
After starting eighth Kitchen mounted a charge to the front. He showed tremendous pace early, which allowed him to make quick passes up to fourth, well within striking distance of the top three. He soon made the move around Denno for third and then got by Romano for second. With a little more than 20 minutes left in the moto, he faced a double-digit deficit to Davies.
As the leaders settled in through the middle of the moto, the attention shifted to Hammaker and his recovery from the first-turn crash. He did well to claw his way up the running order and had made his way into the top 15 by the halfway point of the race.
Back up front, Davies’ lead over Kitchen stabilized but the battle for third heated up between Beaumer and Romano, with the KTM rider able to make the pass. Behind them, Hammaker continued his forward push and broke into the top 10, which carried major implications in the overall standings.
Davies went unchallenged throughout the entirety of the race and cruised to the second moto win of his career by a margin of 9.3 seconds over Kitchen, followed by Beaumer in third. Hammaker capped off a valiant come-from-behind effort in ninth.
Seth Hammaker (10) stormed to the Moto 1 holeshot and carried on to a dominant win in what was the most impressive single moto of his career. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Another afternoon of fluctuating results throughout the field easily landed Kitchen atop the overall podium for the fourth win of his career following a consistent 2-2 afternoon. It’s his first win since the 2024 Budds Creek National, ending a 13-race winless drought.
Beaumer broke through for his first career podium finish with a runner-up performance after a 4-3 effort. He’s already the fourth different rider to capture a maiden podium finish through the first two races.
Hammaker’s resilience placed him in a tie with Beaumer, but he ultimately settled for third (1-9) to secure back-to-back podiums to open the season.
Hammaker’s gritty performance also helped him maintain his hold of the points lead, which decreased to seven points over Kitchen. Beaumer moved into third, 14 points out of the lead.
Hammaker (10) was in position for another good start in Moto 2 but ultimately initiated a multi-rider incident after contact with another rider forced him to lose control. Photo MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
250SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)
Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (2-2 // 44)
Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (4-3 // 38)
Levi Kitchen (47) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Levi Kitchen | #47 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (2-2):
“Luck was on my side today. I stayed out of the carnage [in Moto 2] and just tried to get around it all. There was a massive gap to the lead [once I got to second] so I didn’t want to risk pushing too hard. It’s been a long time since I won so it feels good. I just want to keep the momentum going.”
Julien Beaumer (13) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Julien Beaumer | #13 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (4-3): “I didn’t think I’d be up here this quick [coming back from injury]. There were a lot of long nights, but this result shows it was all worth it. I can’t thank my team enough for sticking behind me and supporting me the whole way and giving me an incredible bike to ride.”
Seth Hammaker (10) at Hangtown Motocross Classic. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Seth Hammaker | #10 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (1-9): “Those first couple laps [after the crash] were hectic coming through the pack. I tried to just be patient and knew that if I could get into the top 10 that I’d have a chance at the podium. It definitely could have been worse, but we survived. All in all, it feels good to still be up here on the box.”
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will continue next Saturday, June 13, with Round 20 of the SMX World Championship regular season from Colorado’s Thunder Valley Motocross Park. The mile-high challenge of the Toyota Thunder Valley National Presented by American Petroleum Institute will serve as the summer network television premiere on NBC, with live coverage beginning at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Additionally, the race will be shown live in its entirety on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET, followed by coverage of the motos at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.
For information about the Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
The CSBK Pro Superbike field led by Jordan Szoke (101) funnels into turn two on the opening lap of Saturday’s race at Atlantic Motorsport Park. Szoke would eventually finish second to Ben Young (1) and ahead of Torin Collins (71) in third. Photo by Rob O’Brien / courtesy CSBK.
Young beats Szoke in nailbiter race one Saturday at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
Shubenacadie, NS – Round two of the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, presented by Pro Cycle and Canadian Kawasaki, is fully underway at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
The GP Bikes Pro Superbike class featured the race of the day as Ben Young and Jordan Szoke battled from the lead to the final laps. Both riders were on the pace right away, quickly setting times in the 1:08s around the 2.57-KM circuit near Halifax, NS, and then cutting that down to a 1:07 shortly after. Szoke would get the better launch and force Young to play catch-up, with the Van Dolder’s Home Team Honda sandwiched between Szoke’s AIM Insurance Kawasaki and the Octagon Energy Services Yamaha of Torin Collins for the opening laps.
Young was able to get past and into the lead, but Szoke was more than content, stating, “I started noticing Ben making little mistakes here and there, so I kept the pace up and tried to line up a move.” Young was vigilant and defensive but Szoke was not discouraged, and was able to retake the lead on lap 14 of the 20-lap race one.
Young still had the pace, as he caught Szoke napping in turn seven, retaking the lead again. The dogfight between them would be tight until the last lap, when Szoke tried to make another move into turn one and made contact with Young at the exit, resulting in Szoke running off and being forced to rejoin in second place. “I’m happy that both of us got out after the slight contact,” said Young ecstatically. “it’s been so long since we had a battle like this, so I’m glad we can come out of this smiling about it.” With this nailbiter of a win, Young ties for second in the all-time win list with Steve Crevier, with 26 wins each.
Collins, who was only able to stay close to the lead pair for a couple of laps, explained, “I lost my knee slider early, and I was making too many mistakes, so I settled with third instead of, well, crashing out.” The Honda-mounted pair of Andrew Van Winkle and David MacKay rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the OPP Racing Pro Supersport class, Cole Alexander had a bullet-like start, with reigning champion Collins noting that he was surprised at how quick Alexander was able to pull away from him after taking the lead from fourth on the grid. The French Glass Co. Suzuki rider was able to pull at least a bike’s length at the exit of turn one, but Collins was quick on the charge, overtaking Alexander and speeding off for a dominant first place finish with a 17-second margin.
The podium was decided by a wonderful switchback overtake on turn ten by Sebastian Tremblay, as the Deux-Montagne, QC rider cut to the inside of turn eleven to pass Alexander to finish second after he studied Alexander until the closing laps. Matt Simpson would finish fourth off the back of the podium battle. Mackenzie Weil had a feisty race with Moncton, NB’s Vincent Wilson, neither rider giving an inch as Weil would slip into fifth in turn nine at lap sixteen.
AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike saw a dramatic race with two retirees, as Brookfield, NS rider Baillie Ives would gun for the lead but over-cook the exit of turn one, wiping out as his bike went out for a gymnastics lesson in the grass. Andy Hutchinson had a good shot at the lead, but a second attempt at an overtake proved costly as the bike slid out at turn four and his chance at a victory went with it. The win went to Alexis Beaudoin from St Maurice, QC.
Julia Krans would rejoice, as the two DNFs propelled her to P3, a sleek pass through the inside of turn nine was a move that Krans was waiting to set up after the Caledon East Suzuki rider studied Jeremy Lazure for a couple of laps. “I was watching him and he was quite sluggish out of the back straight, so I knew I had a chance to put my bike right up the inside, especially when my front wheel was right at his rear wheel,” said Krans, who finished second as Lazure rounded out the podium.
Race one for EBC Brakes Amateur Supersport was action from the jump, with Ives diving down the inside of turn nine on Beaudoin and promptly speeding off, finishing almost five seconds ahead. Beaudoin had a tough time once again with Andy Hutchinson, who was not willing to go down without a fight, with the pair finishing P2 and P3 respectively.
In the Importations Thibault Twins Cup, JP Tache had his toughest opponent yet, as local Gary McKinnon from Debert, NS was able to tail Tache for more than half of the race. Tache noted, “McKinnon was the only one that I knew would be close to me, so I knew it would be a great race.” But Tache was able to unlock another gear in his Aprilia, and he rocketed off to a 20-second gap as McKinnon settled into second. Suzuki rider Justin Marshall completed the podium in third.
The Scorpion EXO Ninja ZX-4R Cup saw Jared Walker break the lap record for the class as he produced a 1:15:157 to solidify his lead at the top of the class. He was ecstatic, declaring, “Even with a false start and staying at the start line longer than I needed to, I was able to move back to the front and even challenge one of the Twins (Sebastian Silva), so I am pretty proud that I was able to work with the quirks of the bike and set the time that I did, at a track that I like riding at.”
The Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight Sportbike race saw local experience beat out young, up-and-coming talent, as Cory Canfield passed Lachlan Alexander for the lead at turn 5, a beauty of a move to cement the home hero’s well deserved first place, a first national series podium for the Halifax local.
Round two action continues on Sunday at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email info@csbk.ca.
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ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 10, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
