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SMX: Lawrence Wins Playoff 2 Thriller in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – Team Honda HRC Progressive ‘s Hunter Lawrence earned the overall win at Playoff 2 of the SMX World Championship™ inside the Dome at America’s Center. Both 450SMX Class motos delivered intense action down to the final corner, and Hunter’s (1-3) moto finishes netted him the event win and the double-points payout in St. Louis. The victory puts Hunter just 6 points down in the championship with only the Final, which pays triple points, remaining on the 2025 calendar.

Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence put in an inspiring charge in the first moto to come from 21st place to fourth; he was just a tick of the stopwatch away from second place as three riders crossed the checkered nearly in unison. Lawrence was part of another close, three-rider finish in the second moto but this time taking the win and retaining the championship points lead. Jett’s (4-1) motos were good for second overall on the night. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac was part of both close finishes and took home third overall with (3-2) moto scores. Tomac sits 16 points down in the championship going into the Las Vegas Final next weekend. The 250SMX Class was equally dramatic and exciting; Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda’s (2-2) moto scores earned him the St. Louis victory in spite of being severely under the weather.

 

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX
Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

 “Great night. [I’m] happy, though it’s weird, it’s like a coincidence, like we’re in the second round over and over. But it’s nice, you know we’re trying to build a house so, fellas, if that bonus could hit Monday that would be wonderful. A little money always helps, so yeah we’d like some nice things and they cost money [laughs]. So, big thanks to the team, everyone that’s helped out, yeah, [I’m] stoked, what a good night.” – Hunter Lawrence, joking around on the podium when it was pointed out that he also won Playoff 2 in 2024 with (1-3) moto scores.

 

Jett Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX
Jett Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX. Photo courtesy SMX

 

“[Leading the second moto] I was pretty calm, and then in the sand section there was a lapper on the inside. And it’s just as bad following in the sand because it just goes everywhere, it blinds you, so you just like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go outside.’ And there was another lapper there, and he was cruising; he was [heeding] the blue flags and getting out of the way. So, I got screwed in that. The two seconds I had [over Tomac] shrunk really quickly. And then that last, like lap or two, was hectic. I was gassing it, I was sliding out in certain spots, and it was a wild last two laps. But we’re happy to turn it around; I definitely wasn’t going to suck on the start then like I did the first one, so I was glad to execute a good start and I’m happy with P2 especially how the first [moto] went.” – Jett Lawrence

 

Eli Tomac – 3rd Place – 450SMX
Eli Tomac – 3rd Place – 450SMX. Photo courtesy SMX

 

“That was some good racing there, just good, fun racing. Of course I would like to finish up top. I did what I could. I felt like I rode better that moto, busted out some good lines, but once again not quite enough. So, we’ll keep pushing. Yes, I’m down 16 [points], which is a little unfortunate, but it is what it is now. We’re in the mix, we’re in the hunt, so we’ll take it to Vegas. Thank you to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for the day and yeah, it was good.” – Eli Tomac

 

450SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence, and Eli Tomac.
450SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence, and Eli Tomac. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

 

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Jo Shimoda Takes 250SMX Overall in Wild Racing in St. Louis

 

In 250SMX Class racing, Jo Shimoda earned the overall with (2-2) moto finishes. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker also used consistency to his advantage, taking second overall via (3-3) moto scores. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher took the final spot on the podium with (6-4) moto results.

 
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan, the defending SMX250 Class Champion and points leader going into St. Louis, had a dramatic collision with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen on the opening lap of the second moto. Deegan recovered to 14th place despite a damaged front brake lever. Deegan’s (1-14) motos earned him sixth overall; it dropped him 10 points back in the title hunt with one round remaining. A win in Vegas would gain 9 points over second place, so a win by Deegan in Vegas would not guarantee a third SMX World Championship.

 

Jo Shimoda – 1st Place – 250SMX
Jo Shimoda – 1st Place – 250SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

“All I can say is we’ve been working so hard all year. I just want to finish good, and I don’t want to give anything away. I think that was probably the toughest moto I ever felt, actually. Today, we had just enough. Any more laps, I mean – I got really sketchy [on the] last lap. But I’m proud of everyone, I’m proud of my team, the bike was dialed, and I’m excited for next weekend. Hopefully… I’m done with [this interview] [laughs].” – Jo Shimoda, feeling completely run-down on the podium due to an illness.

 

Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – 250SMX
Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – 250SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

“Yeah, I set myself up [well] going into the third and final SMX [World Championship] race in Las Vegas next weekend, so I’m super pumped about that. It was just two solid [motos] tonight, nothing spectacular but I just put myself in good positions and didn’t panic, just rode what the track gave me. I felt better this week and I think that showed. I tried to put a push on Jo, there, like half-way to three-quarters of the way through that [moto], but I just was getting a little sketchy and the track was really tearing down. I decided to play it smart, and Jo rode a great race, so congrats to him. Like I said, overall, a pretty good day and thankfully back on the podium. We’re gonna give it everything we’ve got next weekend in Las Vegas, so I’m really excited. Shout out to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, my whole family, everybody watching; it means a lot, so see you in Vegas next week.” – Seth Hammaker

 

Nate Thrasher – 3rd Place – 250SMX
Nate Thrasher – 3rd Place – 250SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

“There through outdoors I was really struggling with bike set-up, and at those last two rounds we really found something. We really changed a lot with the rear end – it was pushing me a little bit too far forward. And then coming into SMX [postseason] at the practice track I’ve been ripping the whole time. Last weekend I actually rode really good, I was quite a bit faster than the guys in front of me, I just wasn’t aggressive enough… It’s just tough to pass on these tracks and I feel like Supercross is a little bit more ‘me,’ and so I just came in here tonight – that first race I think I was 13th or 14th [at the start] – and man, I just was aggressive early. I made a lot of passes and got up into sixth. And in that [second moto] I was a little smoked from that first [moto], just didn’t quite have the pace I had in that first one, but we were able to salvage a fourth. Going into Vegas I’m going to give it all that I’ve got. I’m normally pretty good on the speedways [SX and SMX layouts], in the past, so maybe go out there and win it and get top three in points.”Nate Thrasher, when asked about his inconsistency on the podium.

 

250SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Seth Hammaker, Jo Shimoda, and Nate Thrasher.
250SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Seth Hammaker, Jo Shimoda, and Nate Thrasher. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

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The SMX Next World All-Stars raced a unique two-day double header in St. Louis after their Playoff 1 Main Event in Charlotte was cancelled due to lightning. On Friday’s running of the Playoff 1 Main Event, Yamaha’s Kayden Minear took over the lead on the opening lap and was never challenged for the top spot. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Carson Wood battled forward from a 14th place start to earn a second-place finish. Honda Racing’s Tiger Wood held the second-place spot for most of the race but dropped back to third position as the riders crossed the white flag then held that position to the end.
 

On Saturday, the SMX Next World All-Stars were back on the line for the SMX Next Class’ Final. Paying double points, the single-race format saw Yamaha’s Ryder Malinoski win the Main Event wire-to-wire. Kayden Minear recovered from an eighth place start to earn second place and enough points to earn the SMX Next World All-Stars Championship. Yamaha’s Kade Johnson put together consistent laps to capture the final podium spot in front of the St. Louis fans.

 

Kayden Minear – SMX Next World All-Stars Champion
Kayden Minear – SMX Next World All-Stars Champion. Photo courtesy SMX

 

“I felt good out there all weekend. The bike is performing unbelievably. Shout out to the whole team. Shout out to my trainer, Swanie [Gareth Swanepoel], Wil [Hahn], Ms. Jeannie Carmichael at home. We’ve been putting in so much effort and so much overtime, so I’m happy it pays off.” – Kayden Minear, on the podium after receiving the SMX Next World All Star Championship #1 plate

 

SMX Next World All-Stars podium (riders left to right) Kayden Minear, Ryder Malinoski, Kade Johnson
SMX Next World All-Stars podium (riders left to right) Kayden Minear, Ryder Malinoski, Kade Johnson. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

The SMX World Championship Final will crown two champions at the series finale on Saturday, September 20th, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The excitement will intensify as the 2025 series peaks with a triple-points payout to determine the final standings. The 450SMX Champion will receive a one-million-dollar title win bonus and the 250SMX Champion will pocket a $500,000 title payout.

 
Like each round of the combined Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross seasons, the Las Vegas Final will allow fans incredible access to the athletes, equipment, and race rigs. Race fans have one final opportunity to experience the thrill of the SMX World Championship in person. Tickets, VIP-level access opportunities, and camping & travel packages are available now. For more information, please go to supermotocross.com.

 
Every round of the 2025 SMX World Championship, including Saturday’s Final, is available live and on-demand on Peacock; the network also provides live and on-demand qualifying and pre-race coverage. The Final will also air live on USA Network; as well as on Telemundo Deportes in both English and Spanish via the NBC app, YouTube, X or Facebook. International coverage is available in English, Spanish, and French, both live and on-demand, with the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv). Live audio coverage of each SMX World Championship event can be heard on NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85.
 

The 2025 race season wraps up next weekend. Following that, on September 30th the 2026 Supercross and motocross regular-season race schedules will be announced, and presale tickets will become available. General public ticket sales will follow on October 7th. For race results, video highlights, points standings, and ticket sales, please visit supermotocross.com.

MotoAmerica: OrangeCat Racing Will Compete in 2026 RSD Super Hooligans

OrangeCat Racing announces plans to compete in 2026 MotoAmerica RSD Super Hooligans Class aboard Lightfighter V3 electric motorcycle.
 
Lightfighter also announces customer-driven Design Partner Program at race bike unveiling Saturday during Circuit of the Americas round. 
 

OrangeCat Racing is expanding its presence in the MotoAmerica paddock for the 2026 season. The team plans to build on its success in MotoAmerica Stock 1000 competition by elevating its partnership with Lightfighter to the pro racing ranks to enter a Lightfighter V3-RH model in MotoAmerica’s RSD Super Hooligans Class starting next year. 

OrangeCat Racing and Lightfighter held a joint unveiling of the partnership’s V3-RH race bike Saturday night during MotoAmerica’s round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The V3-RH has been homologated for the Super Hooligans class, which features a variety of electric and internal combustion models. 

“We’ve been inspired by the efforts of past teams to bring new technologies to the series, and we’re looking forward to continuing that tradition by taking the next generation of EV powertrain and proving what it can do against some of the best racers and motorcycles in the world,” said Lightfighter CEO Brian Wismann. 

The V3-RH was designed to be the ideal motorcycle for a racer or trackday enthusiast and is ready to take on the challenge of professional road racing. The V3-RH is fast, quiet, clean, and easy to maintain based on its electric powertrain. The main tubular chromoly steel trellis chassis, lithium-ion battery pack, and motor/gearbox unit were all designed specifically for this motorcycle.

During the event, the partnership also announced the kick-off of the Lightfighter Design Partner Program for Lightfighter’s next model – the V4. The new program is a fusion of advanced R&D, elite coaching, and once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experiences—all culminating in a one-of-a-kind machine that will be both a performance benchmark and a collector’s item.  

The one-of-a-kind Design Partner Program will allow 10 participants to purchase a V3 model, participate in a variety of testing and development events as Lightfighter test riders and assist Lightfighter engineers in designing the new V4 model. Participants will then trade in their V3s for a fully-customized V4 of their own when that model enters production in 2027. Among the test sessions will be joint events with the OrangeCat Racing Stock 1000 and Super Hooligans riders. Participants also will enjoy VIP access to two 2026 MotoAmerica rounds. 

The OrangeCat Racing / Lightfighter partnership got its start by competing in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. Its successes include two victories and resetting the electric motorcycle lap record during AHRMA’s round at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2024. The team is currently leading the AFM championship in Middleweight Superbike and Formula 2 with rider Brenden Ketelsen. 

OrangeCat Racing began participating in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Class in 2023 and found immediate success. One of the team’s riders finished runner-up in the Stock 1000 points standings each of the first two seasons it has competed in the class. 

“We’re very excited to work with Lightfighter on bringing an EV-powered motorcycle to Super Hooligans in 2026,” said Jeff Connors, principal of OrangeCat Racing. “As OrangeCat Racing continues to grow and evolve, we love partnering with groups like Lightfighter and MotoAmerica that are taking the sport to the next level.” 

Lightfighter crafts purpose-built motorcycles for the racetrack – using electric powertrains for peak performance and precision handling. Their bikes are intelligently designed to enable riders to go faster and safer with confidence. 

For more information about OrangeCat Racing, visit http://www.orangecatracing.com

For more information about Lightfighter and the Design Partner Program, visit http://www.lightfighter-racing.com or check them out on Instagram at @lightfighterracing.

MotoAmerica: More From Sunday At COTA

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier came into the Circuit of The Americas round of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship trailing Bobby Fong by 17 points. After two thrilling races in Texas, Beaubier leaves just eight points adrift of Fong.

Bring on New Jersey Motorsports Park.

All three of the championship contenders had good weekends at COTA. While Beaubier was second in race one and won race two, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Fong was third in race one and second in race two. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin won race one and was third in race two.

So, here’s how it shakes down as the series heads to the finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park in two weeks: Fong leads the way with 314 points, eight more than Beaubier and 22 more than Herrin.

To make an already climactic ending even more so, the finale at NJMP is a tripleheader, which means there are 75 points on the table. Any of the three can leave the Jersey Shore with the championship.

Beaubier won Sunday’s race at COTA by 1.1 seconds over Fong with Herrin third, 14.2 seconds behind. Beaubier made his statement early in Sunday’s race, dropping the hammer, dicing a bit with Fong on the opening lap, and then getting a gap back to the championship points leader.

It didn’t take long for Herrin to figure out that he didn’t have the pace, and he was never a factor in this one. Instead, he ended up fighting off Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne.

He did so, ending up third by less than a second over Kelly with Gagne another half a second behind.

At the front, Beaubier was nearly flawless. Key word: Nearly.

On the seventh lap, Beaubier came as close to crashing a motorcycle as you can without going down. Fong took advantage, but Beaubier was quickly back on pace, caught the Yamaha man, and repassed him. From there, it was just a matter of keeping Fong behind him, which he did. By 1.1 seconds.

The win was the fifth of the year for Beaubier and the 70th of his Superbike career. It also sets him up nicely for the finale in New Jersey with his goal of becoming a six-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion.

Fong has other plans, as he considers his three-two finishes at COTA a win. He looks forward to NJMP as he’s always gone well there. Herrin, meanwhile, knows he’s in a bit of a pickle, but he’s in a better position than he was pre-COTA.

Kelly ended up fourth, besting Gagne by less than a second.

Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach inherited sixth place when his teammate Hayden Gillim crashed late in the race. Fortunately, Gillim was able to remount and finish seventh.

FLO4LAW’s Benjamin Smith, Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, and Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Danilo Lewis rounded out the top 10.

Notable of the non-finishers – and winner of the cruelest weekend contest -was Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante. In Saturday’s race, Escalante’s motorcycle failed him on the last lap while he was running fourth. On Sunday, the bike failed him again on the first lap.

Superbike Race 2

  1. Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
  2. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
  3. Josh Herrin (Ducati)
  4. Sean Dylan Kelly (Suzuki)
  5. Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
  6. JD Beach (Honda)
  7. Hayden Gillim (Honda)
  8. Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
  9. Ashton Yates (Honda)
  10. Danilo Lewis (BMW)

Josh Herrin – Third Place

“I woke up this morning in a lot more pain. I think I just had to grit it yesterday, and I think the bone doesn’t like it. Today was definitely harder on me. I wouldn’t say that’s why we weren’t able to be fighting with those guys. Cam (Beaubier) just left and was really fast, and I wasn’t. I tried to hang on. Really that’s it. The tire pressure was set a little bit lower than what we had in practice and qualifying just because it was so hot, to allow them to come up to temperature to be where we had them in practice. Honestly, I didn’t like the way the bike was feeling, doing that. I felt like I was riding a different bike than I was yesterday. But he (Beaubier) was riding fast. It sucks because all the hard work we did yesterday, we just gave it back basically today. Now we have a lot of work to do in Jersey. I’m super grateful that I was able to win a race yesterday. For sure, if you asked me at the start of yesterday, I didn’t think I would have been capable of it. At least kept us at the same spot, or maybe a little bit better than what we came in, so that way when we go to Jersey for the last three races, we at least are still there. We’re not just completely out of it. Congrats to Cam on the win. He deserved that one. He took off right from the beginning. I was just panicking to try to keep up. So, congrats to him. Hopefully get some rain in Jersey to help us out.”

Bobby Fong – Second Place

“We knew coming in here it might be a struggle. I am definitely thankful to get on the podium here because there’s a lot of fast guys. It was super greasy out there. It’s really easy to have moments out there. The track is kind of weird. Cameron (Beaubier) almost went down. It kind of looked like he was doing the same thing. I took the lead for a second, and I had a few moments. I’m like, ‘we have a good gap behind me.’ I tried to back it off and then went back by and like, ‘damn it, now we got to push again.’ I was trying to go a little bit slower because I was taking too many risks. But he rode a good pace. He didn’t make any mistakes, honestly. Kudos to him. It’s hard to do it in this heat. But we’re definitely looking forward to Jersey. Three races there. I think it should be fun.”

Cameron Beaubier – Winner

“Everything flashed in front of my eyes (when he almost crashed). All the hard work we’ve been putting in. The front end came back, thankfully. I was struggling pretty bad with the front end there in some of the long right-handers. My gap just started closing, a tenth by a tenth. Bob (Fong) was closing in on me. That was a really, really hard race. I haven’t had that hard of a race in a long, long time. I was pushing as hard as I could the entire race. Honestly, I felt awesome at the beginning of the race. My bike was just hooked up. I saw I did a couple 2:07’s and straight into the low 2:08s. Felt awesome. But it made me a little nervous for the rest of the race because I was doing three laps all weekend, and that’s pretty much all I had. I had a hard pace, had a pushing pace, with what’s going on with my wrist. Just definitely had to grind that one out. That one was for my team. The Tytlers guys have been working so hard. Even after my dumb ass made a crash on the bicycle earlier this week, they still stuck behind me and got me comfortable on the bike and just kept motivating me all weekend, like ‘you can do this.”’ So, thanks to them. I’m stoked that we’re back in it. Bob pushed me so hard the whole race. So, hats off to him, because the pace was really hot. We’ll see what happens at New Jersey, but at least we’re somewhat back in it.”

 

More, from a news release issued by MotoAmerica:

 

Troy Herfoss (1) withstood everything that was thrown at him in winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Kyle Wyman (33), who wrapped up the Baggers title on Saturday, crashed out of second place on the last lap. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The 2025 Motovation Supersport Championship isn’t in Mathew Scholtz’ pocket yet, but it’s close.

With a doubleheader sweep of the two Motovation Supersport races at Circuit of The Americas, Strack Racing’s Scholtz has put himself in the enviable position of having a 21-point lead as the series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the series finale in two weeks. Two races equal 50 points. If Scholtz gains four points over his championship rival PJ Jacobsen in race one at NJMP, he will be crowned champion.

Scholtz was perfect in Texas, winning both races. The second of the two was a bit harder. The race was stopped before it started as a blown motor left oil on the track, causing a delay in proceedings.

When the race finally started, there was a line of oil dry on the racetrack, and it made everyone a bit leery. Lap times were slower than the day prior, resulting in a tightly knit group at the front.

Initially it was Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Jacobsen and Scholtz’ teammate Blake Davis battling at the front with a horde of riders giving chase – including Scholtz. Davis crashed on the third of eight laps (the race was shortened because of the delay), and it wasn’t long before Scholtz took over at the front from Jacobsen and stayed there.

Scholtz crossed the finish line 1.8 seconds ahead of Jacobsen for his ninth win of the season and his 21-point lead. Jacobsen was left with his 15th podium finish of the season and diminishing hopes of earning the Supersport title.

Third place went to a heroic Cameron Petersen. The South African was back on the bike when most, including him, didn’t think it was possible. Petersen was highsided from his Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati in race one on Saturday and could barely walk on Sunday. But apparently, he could ride.

Petersen took advantage of Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, with the pair going at it on the final lap while in front of Petersen. Both were a bit zealous in the final corner and when they ran wide, Petersen was there to pounce, finishing third on a day when no one expected him to even ride.

Yaakov ended up fourth with Scott fifth.

MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed was an impressive sixth, holding off Altus Motorsports’ Torin Collins, 3D Motorsports’ Brandon Paasch, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes and Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die’s Corey Alexander, with the New Yorker rounding out the top 10.

“The guys were kind of diving each other and really slowing the bike in the middle of the corner,” Scholtz said. “And me probably weighing 20 or 30 pounds more than everyone else, I was getting slowed down more than most people. Also, the final sector, the second-to-last corner, was one of the strongest sectors of the track for me, so that kind of ruined that for me there. So, I was worried slightly in the first couple laps. I wasn’t confident that I would be able to pass PJ (Jacobsen). I could make up by braking super late in all of the right spots. But fortunately, once I got to the front and put some laps, I opened a gap. Thank you to the Strack Racing team. They’ve given me an awesome motorbike. It gives me a lot of confidence that we can take the championship in Jersey.”

Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Strikes Back

What a difference a day makes. Roughed up a bit from a recent crash in an Australian Superbike event, Herfoss struggled on Saturday. On Sunday, the S&S/Indian Motorcycle-backed Australian got out front and withstood everything that was thrown at him.

The win was just Herfoss’ second of the season in what has been a difficult year for the defending series champion. But on Sunday he was back to the Herfoss of a year ago.

With newly crowned 2025 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle Wyman breathing down his neck, Herfoss held tough, and it was Wyman who crashed out of the race just a few corners from the finish line.

That moved Herfoss’ S&S/Indian Motorcycle teammate Loris Baz to second with Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith finishing third and ending a rostrum drought that dates back to Road Atlanta in May.

A badly bruised and beaten Cameron Petersen somehow not only finished the race but finished fourth on the SDI Racing Indian Challenger.

Smith’s teammate James Rispoli rounded out the top five.

Wyman wasn’t the only one to crash out of contention as Saturday’s winner, RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim, crashed out of third with two laps to go, remounted and finished eighth. Gilim’s teammate Rocco Landers, who was third on Saturday, went out of the race early with a mechanical issue.

“Firstly, congratulations to Kyle Wyman and Harley-Davidson,” Herfoss said. “He’s had an incredible year, and the team has been amazing. He really crushed it, so congratulations to him. I hope he’s okay after a fast crash. Hopefully, he can enjoy the celebrations tonight. It’s been a tough weekend. Not at full fitness. Just really, really slowly trying to get the Sunday ready. Yesterday was basically trying to chase people when our bike doesn’t work the same as theirs. Just not as strong. Yesterday, I shouldn’t have finished that bad. I tried to do a few things with the bike, sort of just tweaked a few things. I was in a bit of pain, and I was struggling. This morning, I felt a little better getting up out of bed. I didn’t push it even more. Just rode a couple laps and got a feel for the bike. It was so much easier to ride. I traditionally don’t exactly enjoy leading races and trying to win a race like that. I like to be the attacker. It’s fun. We tried our best to make the bike as easy for me to ride. They did such a great job. I was able to stop the bike a lot better than yesterday. That took a lot of strain on my body. There was a lot going on behind me.”

Stock 1000 – Beach Wins Again, Lee Crowned

While the battle heated up at the front between his championship rival JD Beach and his OrangeCat Racing teammate Jayson Uribe ahead of him, Andrew Lee was thinking big picture. Finishing fourth was all he needed to do to earn the 2025 Stock 1000 Championship, and that’s exactly what Lee did.

Final points tally: Lee 189. Beach 187. Two measly points separated the two after a thrilling season of Stock 1000 racing.

The season finale for Stock 1000 at COTA was much like Saturday’s race as it turned into a Beach vs. Uribe duel. Again, it was Uribe doing most of the leading and at one point it looked to be enough as Beach made a mistake with five laps to go. Uribe had a bit over a second lead, but Beach had his head down with his normal refuse-to-lose attitude. He reeled Uribe back in and with two laps to go he was back on the BMW’s tailpipe.

With a lap to go, Beach struck and made a pass on Uribe going into turn one. When they got to the all-important back straight, Uribe was in the perfect position to draft past Beach. And he did just that. But it all went wrong in the tight left-hander at the end of the backstraight as Uribe got in too hot and couldn’t get stopped in time. Real Steel Honda’s Beach was right where he needed to be, and he dove under Uribe and stormed away to his fifth victory of the year – by 1.5 seconds.

Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was third for the second straight day, some four seconds ahead of now three-time Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee.

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers rounded out the top five.

“I really couldn’t do it without the OCR Team,” Lee said. “My teammate, Jayson (Uribe). Everyone behind the scenes on this team. They put in a lot of hours. I kind of had a little bit of a lull the last three or four years maybe, and they had faith in me.”

“To win the title would have felt great, especially with how we started the year out,” Beach said. “We were a little slow to just kind of build up through the whole season with the last few rounds. The team and I, we’ve been gelling well, and this bike has been going good. To win the title would have felt awesome, but for all the team people that were on pit lane just thumbs up, clapping for me, all the team, that’s an amazing feeling when you have respect like that from a whole paddock. I’m bummed I didn’t get that title. We lost by two points, but that’s just part of racing. We’ve been working so hard this year. The OrangeCat guys, they just got up the tree a little bit too far from this dog, but I’m ready to fight again next year.”

Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul – Di Mario Does It

Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario didn’t need to do much to become the 2025 Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul Champion on Sunday at COTA, but he ended up doing more than not much. He took the title in style, with a victory that wrapped up the title with two more races left to run in the debut season of the Talent Cup.

With two wins this weekend at Circuit of The Americas, Di Mario took his victory total to seven and his points total to an insurmountable 254 points.

Second place on the day went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg, even though he was barely beaten to the flag by Roadracing World’s Kensei Matsudaira. Matsudaira, in his Talent Cup debut, was docked two seconds for not obeying track-limits.

Even with the penalty, Matsudaira was third, well clear of the battle for fourth that ultimately went to Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp over MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher and Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane.

“It’s just been an amazing season,” Di Mario said. “It really helps to have a really good team behind me. I just want to thank Simone and Bobby, just everyone that’s helped me out this year. It’s been amazing. This is the second year, so it’s such a special feeling. I couldn’t have done this without any of my sponsors – Dainese, KYT. Thank you so much. Moto Liberty. Just everyone. Thank you so much. All the fans. Thank you, guys.”

MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Superbike Race At COTA

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier took victory on Sunday in the MotoAmerica Superbike race at Circuit of The Americas. Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong finished second, followed by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly, and Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne in the top five.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Supersport Race At COTA

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz won the MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Rahal Ducati Moto w/ XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen finished second, followed by Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Rahal Ducati Moto w/ XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov, and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Stock 1000 Race At COTA

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach claimed victory in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe finished second, followed by Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, OrangeCat Racing’s Andrew Lee, and RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers.

With his fourth place finish, Lee clinched the 2025 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 National Championship.

 

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MotoAmerica: Landers Leads Baggers Warmup At COTA

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers was fastest in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers warmup session at Circuit of The Americas. His teammate Hayden Gillim was second, followed by Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith, Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s James Rispoli, and Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman.

 

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MotoAmerica: Fong Leads Superbike Warmup At COTA

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong set the fastest time in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike warmup at Circuit of The Americas. His teammate Jake Gagne was second, followed by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly.

 

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SMX: Lawrence Wins Playoff 2 Thriller in St. Louis

The Dome at America’s Center delivered excitement, drama and close finishes at Playoff 2 of the SMX World Championship. The two-moto postseason race structure kept the St. Louis race fans on their feet. Photo courtesy SMX.
The Dome at America’s Center delivered excitement, drama and close finishes at Playoff 2 of the SMX World Championship. The two-moto postseason race structure kept the St. Louis race fans on their feet. Photo courtesy SMX.

ST. LOUIS – Team Honda HRC Progressive ‘s Hunter Lawrence earned the overall win at Playoff 2 of the SMX World Championship™ inside the Dome at America’s Center. Both 450SMX Class motos delivered intense action down to the final corner, and Hunter’s (1-3) moto finishes netted him the event win and the double-points payout in St. Louis. The victory puts Hunter just 6 points down in the championship with only the Final, which pays triple points, remaining on the 2025 calendar.

Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence put in an inspiring charge in the first moto to come from 21st place to fourth; he was just a tick of the stopwatch away from second place as three riders crossed the checkered nearly in unison. Lawrence was part of another close, three-rider finish in the second moto but this time taking the win and retaining the championship points lead. Jett’s (4-1) motos were good for second overall on the night. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac was part of both close finishes and took home third overall with (3-2) moto scores. Tomac sits 16 points down in the championship going into the Las Vegas Final next weekend. The 250SMX Class was equally dramatic and exciting; Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda’s (2-2) moto scores earned him the St. Louis victory in spite of being severely under the weather.

 

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX
Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

 “Great night. [I’m] happy, though it’s weird, it’s like a coincidence, like we’re in the second round over and over. But it’s nice, you know we’re trying to build a house so, fellas, if that bonus could hit Monday that would be wonderful. A little money always helps, so yeah we’d like some nice things and they cost money [laughs]. So, big thanks to the team, everyone that’s helped out, yeah, [I’m] stoked, what a good night.” – Hunter Lawrence, joking around on the podium when it was pointed out that he also won Playoff 2 in 2024 with (1-3) moto scores.

 

Jett Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX
Jett Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX. Photo courtesy SMX

 

“[Leading the second moto] I was pretty calm, and then in the sand section there was a lapper on the inside. And it’s just as bad following in the sand because it just goes everywhere, it blinds you, so you just like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go outside.’ And there was another lapper there, and he was cruising; he was [heeding] the blue flags and getting out of the way. So, I got screwed in that. The two seconds I had [over Tomac] shrunk really quickly. And then that last, like lap or two, was hectic. I was gassing it, I was sliding out in certain spots, and it was a wild last two laps. But we’re happy to turn it around; I definitely wasn’t going to suck on the start then like I did the first one, so I was glad to execute a good start and I’m happy with P2 especially how the first [moto] went.” – Jett Lawrence

 

Eli Tomac – 3rd Place – 450SMX
Eli Tomac – 3rd Place – 450SMX. Photo courtesy SMX

 

“That was some good racing there, just good, fun racing. Of course I would like to finish up top. I did what I could. I felt like I rode better that moto, busted out some good lines, but once again not quite enough. So, we’ll keep pushing. Yes, I’m down 16 [points], which is a little unfortunate, but it is what it is now. We’re in the mix, we’re in the hunt, so we’ll take it to Vegas. Thank you to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for the day and yeah, it was good.” – Eli Tomac

 

450SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence, and Eli Tomac.
450SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence, and Eli Tomac. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

 

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Jo Shimoda Takes 250SMX Overall in Wild Racing in St. Louis

 

In 250SMX Class racing, Jo Shimoda earned the overall with (2-2) moto finishes. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker also used consistency to his advantage, taking second overall via (3-3) moto scores. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher took the final spot on the podium with (6-4) moto results.

 
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan, the defending SMX250 Class Champion and points leader going into St. Louis, had a dramatic collision with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen on the opening lap of the second moto. Deegan recovered to 14th place despite a damaged front brake lever. Deegan’s (1-14) motos earned him sixth overall; it dropped him 10 points back in the title hunt with one round remaining. A win in Vegas would gain 9 points over second place, so a win by Deegan in Vegas would not guarantee a third SMX World Championship.

 

Jo Shimoda – 1st Place – 250SMX
Jo Shimoda – 1st Place – 250SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

“All I can say is we’ve been working so hard all year. I just want to finish good, and I don’t want to give anything away. I think that was probably the toughest moto I ever felt, actually. Today, we had just enough. Any more laps, I mean – I got really sketchy [on the] last lap. But I’m proud of everyone, I’m proud of my team, the bike was dialed, and I’m excited for next weekend. Hopefully… I’m done with [this interview] [laughs].” – Jo Shimoda, feeling completely run-down on the podium due to an illness.

 

Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – 250SMX
Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – 250SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

“Yeah, I set myself up [well] going into the third and final SMX [World Championship] race in Las Vegas next weekend, so I’m super pumped about that. It was just two solid [motos] tonight, nothing spectacular but I just put myself in good positions and didn’t panic, just rode what the track gave me. I felt better this week and I think that showed. I tried to put a push on Jo, there, like half-way to three-quarters of the way through that [moto], but I just was getting a little sketchy and the track was really tearing down. I decided to play it smart, and Jo rode a great race, so congrats to him. Like I said, overall, a pretty good day and thankfully back on the podium. We’re gonna give it everything we’ve got next weekend in Las Vegas, so I’m really excited. Shout out to Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, my whole family, everybody watching; it means a lot, so see you in Vegas next week.” – Seth Hammaker

 

Nate Thrasher – 3rd Place – 250SMX
Nate Thrasher – 3rd Place – 250SMX. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

“There through outdoors I was really struggling with bike set-up, and at those last two rounds we really found something. We really changed a lot with the rear end – it was pushing me a little bit too far forward. And then coming into SMX [postseason] at the practice track I’ve been ripping the whole time. Last weekend I actually rode really good, I was quite a bit faster than the guys in front of me, I just wasn’t aggressive enough… It’s just tough to pass on these tracks and I feel like Supercross is a little bit more ‘me,’ and so I just came in here tonight – that first race I think I was 13th or 14th [at the start] – and man, I just was aggressive early. I made a lot of passes and got up into sixth. And in that [second moto] I was a little smoked from that first [moto], just didn’t quite have the pace I had in that first one, but we were able to salvage a fourth. Going into Vegas I’m going to give it all that I’ve got. I’m normally pretty good on the speedways [SX and SMX layouts], in the past, so maybe go out there and win it and get top three in points.”Nate Thrasher, when asked about his inconsistency on the podium.

 

250SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Seth Hammaker, Jo Shimoda, and Nate Thrasher.
250SMX Class podium (riders left to right) Seth Hammaker, Jo Shimoda, and Nate Thrasher. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

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The SMX Next World All-Stars raced a unique two-day double header in St. Louis after their Playoff 1 Main Event in Charlotte was cancelled due to lightning. On Friday’s running of the Playoff 1 Main Event, Yamaha’s Kayden Minear took over the lead on the opening lap and was never challenged for the top spot. Monster Energy Yamaha’s Carson Wood battled forward from a 14th place start to earn a second-place finish. Honda Racing’s Tiger Wood held the second-place spot for most of the race but dropped back to third position as the riders crossed the white flag then held that position to the end.
 

On Saturday, the SMX Next World All-Stars were back on the line for the SMX Next Class’ Final. Paying double points, the single-race format saw Yamaha’s Ryder Malinoski win the Main Event wire-to-wire. Kayden Minear recovered from an eighth place start to earn second place and enough points to earn the SMX Next World All-Stars Championship. Yamaha’s Kade Johnson put together consistent laps to capture the final podium spot in front of the St. Louis fans.

 

Kayden Minear – SMX Next World All-Stars Champion
Kayden Minear – SMX Next World All-Stars Champion. Photo courtesy SMX

 

“I felt good out there all weekend. The bike is performing unbelievably. Shout out to the whole team. Shout out to my trainer, Swanie [Gareth Swanepoel], Wil [Hahn], Ms. Jeannie Carmichael at home. We’ve been putting in so much effort and so much overtime, so I’m happy it pays off.” – Kayden Minear, on the podium after receiving the SMX Next World All Star Championship #1 plate

 

SMX Next World All-Stars podium (riders left to right) Kayden Minear, Ryder Malinoski, Kade Johnson
SMX Next World All-Stars podium (riders left to right) Kayden Minear, Ryder Malinoski, Kade Johnson. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

The SMX World Championship Final will crown two champions at the series finale on Saturday, September 20th, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The excitement will intensify as the 2025 series peaks with a triple-points payout to determine the final standings. The 450SMX Champion will receive a one-million-dollar title win bonus and the 250SMX Champion will pocket a $500,000 title payout.

 
Like each round of the combined Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross seasons, the Las Vegas Final will allow fans incredible access to the athletes, equipment, and race rigs. Race fans have one final opportunity to experience the thrill of the SMX World Championship in person. Tickets, VIP-level access opportunities, and camping & travel packages are available now. For more information, please go to supermotocross.com.

 
Every round of the 2025 SMX World Championship, including Saturday’s Final, is available live and on-demand on Peacock; the network also provides live and on-demand qualifying and pre-race coverage. The Final will also air live on USA Network; as well as on Telemundo Deportes in both English and Spanish via the NBC app, YouTube, X or Facebook. International coverage is available in English, Spanish, and French, both live and on-demand, with the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv). Live audio coverage of each SMX World Championship event can be heard on NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85.
 

The 2025 race season wraps up next weekend. Following that, on September 30th the 2026 Supercross and motocross regular-season race schedules will be announced, and presale tickets will become available. General public ticket sales will follow on October 7th. For race results, video highlights, points standings, and ticket sales, please visit supermotocross.com.

MotoAmerica: OrangeCat Racing Will Compete in 2026 RSD Super Hooligans

The Lightfighter V3-RH model. Photo courtesy of OrangeCat Racing.
The Lightfighter V3-RH model. Photo courtesy of OrangeCat Racing.
OrangeCat Racing announces plans to compete in 2026 MotoAmerica RSD Super Hooligans Class aboard Lightfighter V3 electric motorcycle.
 
Lightfighter also announces customer-driven Design Partner Program at race bike unveiling Saturday during Circuit of the Americas round. 
 

OrangeCat Racing is expanding its presence in the MotoAmerica paddock for the 2026 season. The team plans to build on its success in MotoAmerica Stock 1000 competition by elevating its partnership with Lightfighter to the pro racing ranks to enter a Lightfighter V3-RH model in MotoAmerica’s RSD Super Hooligans Class starting next year. 

OrangeCat Racing and Lightfighter held a joint unveiling of the partnership’s V3-RH race bike Saturday night during MotoAmerica’s round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The V3-RH has been homologated for the Super Hooligans class, which features a variety of electric and internal combustion models. 

“We’ve been inspired by the efforts of past teams to bring new technologies to the series, and we’re looking forward to continuing that tradition by taking the next generation of EV powertrain and proving what it can do against some of the best racers and motorcycles in the world,” said Lightfighter CEO Brian Wismann. 

The V3-RH was designed to be the ideal motorcycle for a racer or trackday enthusiast and is ready to take on the challenge of professional road racing. The V3-RH is fast, quiet, clean, and easy to maintain based on its electric powertrain. The main tubular chromoly steel trellis chassis, lithium-ion battery pack, and motor/gearbox unit were all designed specifically for this motorcycle.

During the event, the partnership also announced the kick-off of the Lightfighter Design Partner Program for Lightfighter’s next model – the V4. The new program is a fusion of advanced R&D, elite coaching, and once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experiences—all culminating in a one-of-a-kind machine that will be both a performance benchmark and a collector’s item.  

The one-of-a-kind Design Partner Program will allow 10 participants to purchase a V3 model, participate in a variety of testing and development events as Lightfighter test riders and assist Lightfighter engineers in designing the new V4 model. Participants will then trade in their V3s for a fully-customized V4 of their own when that model enters production in 2027. Among the test sessions will be joint events with the OrangeCat Racing Stock 1000 and Super Hooligans riders. Participants also will enjoy VIP access to two 2026 MotoAmerica rounds. 

The OrangeCat Racing / Lightfighter partnership got its start by competing in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. Its successes include two victories and resetting the electric motorcycle lap record during AHRMA’s round at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2024. The team is currently leading the AFM championship in Middleweight Superbike and Formula 2 with rider Brenden Ketelsen. 

OrangeCat Racing began participating in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Class in 2023 and found immediate success. One of the team’s riders finished runner-up in the Stock 1000 points standings each of the first two seasons it has competed in the class. 

“We’re very excited to work with Lightfighter on bringing an EV-powered motorcycle to Super Hooligans in 2026,” said Jeff Connors, principal of OrangeCat Racing. “As OrangeCat Racing continues to grow and evolve, we love partnering with groups like Lightfighter and MotoAmerica that are taking the sport to the next level.” 

Lightfighter crafts purpose-built motorcycles for the racetrack – using electric powertrains for peak performance and precision handling. Their bikes are intelligently designed to enable riders to go faster and safer with confidence. 

For more information about OrangeCat Racing, visit http://www.orangecatracing.com

For more information about Lightfighter and the Design Partner Program, visit http://www.lightfighter-racing.com or check them out on Instagram at @lightfighterracing.

MotoAmerica: More From Sunday At COTA

The race came down to Cameron Beaubier (6) vs. Bobby Fong (50) with Beaubier getting the victory, his fifth of the year and 70th of his career.Photo by Brian J. Nelson

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier came into the Circuit of The Americas round of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship trailing Bobby Fong by 17 points. After two thrilling races in Texas, Beaubier leaves just eight points adrift of Fong.

Bring on New Jersey Motorsports Park.

All three of the championship contenders had good weekends at COTA. While Beaubier was second in race one and won race two, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Fong was third in race one and second in race two. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin won race one and was third in race two.

So, here’s how it shakes down as the series heads to the finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park in two weeks: Fong leads the way with 314 points, eight more than Beaubier and 22 more than Herrin.

To make an already climactic ending even more so, the finale at NJMP is a tripleheader, which means there are 75 points on the table. Any of the three can leave the Jersey Shore with the championship.

Beaubier won Sunday’s race at COTA by 1.1 seconds over Fong with Herrin third, 14.2 seconds behind. Beaubier made his statement early in Sunday’s race, dropping the hammer, dicing a bit with Fong on the opening lap, and then getting a gap back to the championship points leader.

It didn’t take long for Herrin to figure out that he didn’t have the pace, and he was never a factor in this one. Instead, he ended up fighting off Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne.

He did so, ending up third by less than a second over Kelly with Gagne another half a second behind.

At the front, Beaubier was nearly flawless. Key word: Nearly.

On the seventh lap, Beaubier came as close to crashing a motorcycle as you can without going down. Fong took advantage, but Beaubier was quickly back on pace, caught the Yamaha man, and repassed him. From there, it was just a matter of keeping Fong behind him, which he did. By 1.1 seconds.

The win was the fifth of the year for Beaubier and the 70th of his Superbike career. It also sets him up nicely for the finale in New Jersey with his goal of becoming a six-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion.

Fong has other plans, as he considers his three-two finishes at COTA a win. He looks forward to NJMP as he’s always gone well there. Herrin, meanwhile, knows he’s in a bit of a pickle, but he’s in a better position than he was pre-COTA.

Kelly ended up fourth, besting Gagne by less than a second.

Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach inherited sixth place when his teammate Hayden Gillim crashed late in the race. Fortunately, Gillim was able to remount and finish seventh.

FLO4LAW’s Benjamin Smith, Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, and Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Danilo Lewis rounded out the top 10.

Notable of the non-finishers – and winner of the cruelest weekend contest -was Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante. In Saturday’s race, Escalante’s motorcycle failed him on the last lap while he was running fourth. On Sunday, the bike failed him again on the first lap.

Superbike Race 2

  1. Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
  2. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
  3. Josh Herrin (Ducati)
  4. Sean Dylan Kelly (Suzuki)
  5. Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
  6. JD Beach (Honda)
  7. Hayden Gillim (Honda)
  8. Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
  9. Ashton Yates (Honda)
  10. Danilo Lewis (BMW)

Josh Herrin – Third Place

“I woke up this morning in a lot more pain. I think I just had to grit it yesterday, and I think the bone doesn’t like it. Today was definitely harder on me. I wouldn’t say that’s why we weren’t able to be fighting with those guys. Cam (Beaubier) just left and was really fast, and I wasn’t. I tried to hang on. Really that’s it. The tire pressure was set a little bit lower than what we had in practice and qualifying just because it was so hot, to allow them to come up to temperature to be where we had them in practice. Honestly, I didn’t like the way the bike was feeling, doing that. I felt like I was riding a different bike than I was yesterday. But he (Beaubier) was riding fast. It sucks because all the hard work we did yesterday, we just gave it back basically today. Now we have a lot of work to do in Jersey. I’m super grateful that I was able to win a race yesterday. For sure, if you asked me at the start of yesterday, I didn’t think I would have been capable of it. At least kept us at the same spot, or maybe a little bit better than what we came in, so that way when we go to Jersey for the last three races, we at least are still there. We’re not just completely out of it. Congrats to Cam on the win. He deserved that one. He took off right from the beginning. I was just panicking to try to keep up. So, congrats to him. Hopefully get some rain in Jersey to help us out.”

Bobby Fong – Second Place

“We knew coming in here it might be a struggle. I am definitely thankful to get on the podium here because there’s a lot of fast guys. It was super greasy out there. It’s really easy to have moments out there. The track is kind of weird. Cameron (Beaubier) almost went down. It kind of looked like he was doing the same thing. I took the lead for a second, and I had a few moments. I’m like, ‘we have a good gap behind me.’ I tried to back it off and then went back by and like, ‘damn it, now we got to push again.’ I was trying to go a little bit slower because I was taking too many risks. But he rode a good pace. He didn’t make any mistakes, honestly. Kudos to him. It’s hard to do it in this heat. But we’re definitely looking forward to Jersey. Three races there. I think it should be fun.”

Cameron Beaubier – Winner

“Everything flashed in front of my eyes (when he almost crashed). All the hard work we’ve been putting in. The front end came back, thankfully. I was struggling pretty bad with the front end there in some of the long right-handers. My gap just started closing, a tenth by a tenth. Bob (Fong) was closing in on me. That was a really, really hard race. I haven’t had that hard of a race in a long, long time. I was pushing as hard as I could the entire race. Honestly, I felt awesome at the beginning of the race. My bike was just hooked up. I saw I did a couple 2:07’s and straight into the low 2:08s. Felt awesome. But it made me a little nervous for the rest of the race because I was doing three laps all weekend, and that’s pretty much all I had. I had a hard pace, had a pushing pace, with what’s going on with my wrist. Just definitely had to grind that one out. That one was for my team. The Tytlers guys have been working so hard. Even after my dumb ass made a crash on the bicycle earlier this week, they still stuck behind me and got me comfortable on the bike and just kept motivating me all weekend, like ‘you can do this.”’ So, thanks to them. I’m stoked that we’re back in it. Bob pushed me so hard the whole race. So, hats off to him, because the pace was really hot. We’ll see what happens at New Jersey, but at least we’re somewhat back in it.”

 

More, from a news release issued by MotoAmerica:

 

Troy Herfoss (1) withstood everything that was thrown at him in winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Kyle Wyman (33), who wrapped up the Baggers title on Saturday, crashed out of second place on the last lap. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The 2025 Motovation Supersport Championship isn’t in Mathew Scholtz’ pocket yet, but it’s close.

With a doubleheader sweep of the two Motovation Supersport races at Circuit of The Americas, Strack Racing’s Scholtz has put himself in the enviable position of having a 21-point lead as the series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the series finale in two weeks. Two races equal 50 points. If Scholtz gains four points over his championship rival PJ Jacobsen in race one at NJMP, he will be crowned champion.

Scholtz was perfect in Texas, winning both races. The second of the two was a bit harder. The race was stopped before it started as a blown motor left oil on the track, causing a delay in proceedings.

When the race finally started, there was a line of oil dry on the racetrack, and it made everyone a bit leery. Lap times were slower than the day prior, resulting in a tightly knit group at the front.

Initially it was Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Jacobsen and Scholtz’ teammate Blake Davis battling at the front with a horde of riders giving chase – including Scholtz. Davis crashed on the third of eight laps (the race was shortened because of the delay), and it wasn’t long before Scholtz took over at the front from Jacobsen and stayed there.

Scholtz crossed the finish line 1.8 seconds ahead of Jacobsen for his ninth win of the season and his 21-point lead. Jacobsen was left with his 15th podium finish of the season and diminishing hopes of earning the Supersport title.

Third place went to a heroic Cameron Petersen. The South African was back on the bike when most, including him, didn’t think it was possible. Petersen was highsided from his Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati in race one on Saturday and could barely walk on Sunday. But apparently, he could ride.

Petersen took advantage of Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, with the pair going at it on the final lap while in front of Petersen. Both were a bit zealous in the final corner and when they ran wide, Petersen was there to pounce, finishing third on a day when no one expected him to even ride.

Yaakov ended up fourth with Scott fifth.

MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed was an impressive sixth, holding off Altus Motorsports’ Torin Collins, 3D Motorsports’ Brandon Paasch, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes and Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die’s Corey Alexander, with the New Yorker rounding out the top 10.

“The guys were kind of diving each other and really slowing the bike in the middle of the corner,” Scholtz said. “And me probably weighing 20 or 30 pounds more than everyone else, I was getting slowed down more than most people. Also, the final sector, the second-to-last corner, was one of the strongest sectors of the track for me, so that kind of ruined that for me there. So, I was worried slightly in the first couple laps. I wasn’t confident that I would be able to pass PJ (Jacobsen). I could make up by braking super late in all of the right spots. But fortunately, once I got to the front and put some laps, I opened a gap. Thank you to the Strack Racing team. They’ve given me an awesome motorbike. It gives me a lot of confidence that we can take the championship in Jersey.”

Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Strikes Back

What a difference a day makes. Roughed up a bit from a recent crash in an Australian Superbike event, Herfoss struggled on Saturday. On Sunday, the S&S/Indian Motorcycle-backed Australian got out front and withstood everything that was thrown at him.

The win was just Herfoss’ second of the season in what has been a difficult year for the defending series champion. But on Sunday he was back to the Herfoss of a year ago.

With newly crowned 2025 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle Wyman breathing down his neck, Herfoss held tough, and it was Wyman who crashed out of the race just a few corners from the finish line.

That moved Herfoss’ S&S/Indian Motorcycle teammate Loris Baz to second with Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith finishing third and ending a rostrum drought that dates back to Road Atlanta in May.

A badly bruised and beaten Cameron Petersen somehow not only finished the race but finished fourth on the SDI Racing Indian Challenger.

Smith’s teammate James Rispoli rounded out the top five.

Wyman wasn’t the only one to crash out of contention as Saturday’s winner, RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim, crashed out of third with two laps to go, remounted and finished eighth. Gilim’s teammate Rocco Landers, who was third on Saturday, went out of the race early with a mechanical issue.

“Firstly, congratulations to Kyle Wyman and Harley-Davidson,” Herfoss said. “He’s had an incredible year, and the team has been amazing. He really crushed it, so congratulations to him. I hope he’s okay after a fast crash. Hopefully, he can enjoy the celebrations tonight. It’s been a tough weekend. Not at full fitness. Just really, really slowly trying to get the Sunday ready. Yesterday was basically trying to chase people when our bike doesn’t work the same as theirs. Just not as strong. Yesterday, I shouldn’t have finished that bad. I tried to do a few things with the bike, sort of just tweaked a few things. I was in a bit of pain, and I was struggling. This morning, I felt a little better getting up out of bed. I didn’t push it even more. Just rode a couple laps and got a feel for the bike. It was so much easier to ride. I traditionally don’t exactly enjoy leading races and trying to win a race like that. I like to be the attacker. It’s fun. We tried our best to make the bike as easy for me to ride. They did such a great job. I was able to stop the bike a lot better than yesterday. That took a lot of strain on my body. There was a lot going on behind me.”

Stock 1000 – Beach Wins Again, Lee Crowned

While the battle heated up at the front between his championship rival JD Beach and his OrangeCat Racing teammate Jayson Uribe ahead of him, Andrew Lee was thinking big picture. Finishing fourth was all he needed to do to earn the 2025 Stock 1000 Championship, and that’s exactly what Lee did.

Final points tally: Lee 189. Beach 187. Two measly points separated the two after a thrilling season of Stock 1000 racing.

The season finale for Stock 1000 at COTA was much like Saturday’s race as it turned into a Beach vs. Uribe duel. Again, it was Uribe doing most of the leading and at one point it looked to be enough as Beach made a mistake with five laps to go. Uribe had a bit over a second lead, but Beach had his head down with his normal refuse-to-lose attitude. He reeled Uribe back in and with two laps to go he was back on the BMW’s tailpipe.

With a lap to go, Beach struck and made a pass on Uribe going into turn one. When they got to the all-important back straight, Uribe was in the perfect position to draft past Beach. And he did just that. But it all went wrong in the tight left-hander at the end of the backstraight as Uribe got in too hot and couldn’t get stopped in time. Real Steel Honda’s Beach was right where he needed to be, and he dove under Uribe and stormed away to his fifth victory of the year – by 1.5 seconds.

Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was third for the second straight day, some four seconds ahead of now three-time Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee.

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers rounded out the top five.

“I really couldn’t do it without the OCR Team,” Lee said. “My teammate, Jayson (Uribe). Everyone behind the scenes on this team. They put in a lot of hours. I kind of had a little bit of a lull the last three or four years maybe, and they had faith in me.”

“To win the title would have felt great, especially with how we started the year out,” Beach said. “We were a little slow to just kind of build up through the whole season with the last few rounds. The team and I, we’ve been gelling well, and this bike has been going good. To win the title would have felt awesome, but for all the team people that were on pit lane just thumbs up, clapping for me, all the team, that’s an amazing feeling when you have respect like that from a whole paddock. I’m bummed I didn’t get that title. We lost by two points, but that’s just part of racing. We’ve been working so hard this year. The OrangeCat guys, they just got up the tree a little bit too far from this dog, but I’m ready to fight again next year.”

Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul – Di Mario Does It

Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario didn’t need to do much to become the 2025 Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul Champion on Sunday at COTA, but he ended up doing more than not much. He took the title in style, with a victory that wrapped up the title with two more races left to run in the debut season of the Talent Cup.

With two wins this weekend at Circuit of The Americas, Di Mario took his victory total to seven and his points total to an insurmountable 254 points.

Second place on the day went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg, even though he was barely beaten to the flag by Roadracing World’s Kensei Matsudaira. Matsudaira, in his Talent Cup debut, was docked two seconds for not obeying track-limits.

Even with the penalty, Matsudaira was third, well clear of the battle for fourth that ultimately went to Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp over MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher and Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane.

“It’s just been an amazing season,” Di Mario said. “It really helps to have a really good team behind me. I just want to thank Simone and Bobby, just everyone that’s helped me out this year. It’s been amazing. This is the second year, so it’s such a special feeling. I couldn’t have done this without any of my sponsors – Dainese, KYT. Thank you so much. Moto Liberty. Just everyone. Thank you so much. All the fans. Thank you, guys.”

MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Baggers Race At COTA

Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

S&S Indian’s Troy Herfoss scored the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers win on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Teammate Loris Baz finished second, followed by Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith, SDI Racing’s Cameron Petersen, and Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s James Rispoli.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Superbike Race At COTA

Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier took victory on Sunday in the MotoAmerica Superbike race at Circuit of The Americas. Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong finished second, followed by Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly, and Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne in the top five.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Supersport Race At COTA

Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz won the MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Rahal Ducati Moto w/ XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen finished second, followed by Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Rahal Ducati Moto w/ XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov, and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Talent Cup Race At COTA

Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario took the MotoAmerica Parts Unlimited Talent Cup race win on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Tytler’s Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg finished second, followed by Roadracing World Young Guns’ Kensei Matsudaira, Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp, and MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Stock 1000 Race At COTA

Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach claimed victory in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe finished second, followed by Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, OrangeCat Racing’s Andrew Lee, and RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Rocco Landers.

With his fourth place finish, Lee clinched the 2025 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 National Championship.

 

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MotoAmerica: Landers Leads Baggers Warmup At COTA

Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers was fastest in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers warmup session at Circuit of The Americas. His teammate Hayden Gillim was second, followed by Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith, Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s James Rispoli, and Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman.

 

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MotoAmerica: Fong Leads Superbike Warmup At COTA

Bobby Fong (50). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

 

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong set the fastest time in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Superbike warmup at Circuit of The Americas. His teammate Jake Gagne was second, followed by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly.

 

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