Guido Pini won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Using his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda, the Italian rider won the 14-lap race by just 0.056 second, making it his first Moto3 victory.
Maximo Quiles was the runner-up on his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe was third, just 0.254 second behind race winner Pini.
Valentin Perrone crossed the finish line fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine and Pini’s teammate, Adrian Fernandez got fifth.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 65 points, 23 ahead of Alvaro Carpe who has 42 points. Valentin Perrone is third with 38 points.
Pini pockets last corner win in Moto3 COTA classic. The Italian takes his maiden victory as the podium fight delivers a show to remember – right to the wire.
Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) is a Moto3 Grand Prix winner! The Italian came out on top in final corner fisticuffs at COTA, claiming victory by just 0.056. Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) took second, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the podium after his final corner attack on Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw both head wide and lose out on a 1-2.
Carpe took the holeshot from pole ahead of Perrone, with Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) losing out off the start as Quiles went full send into Turn 1 and grabbed third. The two orange machines were streaking away in the lead early doors, but Quiles got the hammer down to tag back on, with the Leopard Racing duo of Pini and Adrian Fernandez next up the road.
Guido Pini in the parc fermé after chis victory at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
After it had been a seven-rider fight early doors, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) and Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) were out of that with 10 to go as Pratama crashed out and Esteban couldn’t avoid the bike. Both riders were ok but the group was down to five before Fernandez started to fade, leaving four riders fighting for three places on the podium.
By three to go, the gloves started to come off. Pini attacked Quiles at Turn 11 and got the lead momentarily before being denied and then tried again at Turn 12 – this time hooking it up and keeping it. With that shuffle at the front, Carpe was right back in it and the four-rider fight really started to heat up.
Onto the last lap, Perrone led Pini, but Carpe slotted into second early doors. Pini then lost out to Quiles at Turn 11, with the long back straight seeing everyone absolutely pinned – but it was Carpe who led out of 12. Then Perrone attacked at 13, Carpe repaid him through 17-18, Perrone was back through in style at Turn 19 and Carpe took it back again a corner later. But it all went down to the final corner.
Carpe went for the win and sliced up the inside, with Perrone pushed out wide and the #83 only just keeping it on track too. The door was open for the duo behind them, and neither Pini nor Quiles needed a second invitation. In their drag race to the line, Pini took it by 0.056, with Quiles second and Carpe holding on to third. Perrone, after a stunning race, was forced to settle for fourth.
Fernandez took fifth, with a huge fight behind going to the wire too. Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) took P6 right at the line as rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got bumped aside at the finish line, allowing fellow rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to just steal P7 too. Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) took ninth ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with compatriot Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – Mlav Racing) just missing out on the top ten but taking his best Moto3 finish yet. Front row starter O’Gorman crashed out from that group.
Moto3 race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
Check out full results from Moto3 at the Red Bull US GP here. Now we wait for the Spanish GP with a few weekends off – chance for the field to recharge and come back out swinging on turf that’s much more familiar for many. Will the order shuffle again? Join us in Jerez to find out!
Oscar Gutierrez won the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Race Two Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Spaniard won the 7-lap race by 3.020 seconds.
Eric Granado was the runner-up on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson and his teammate, Archie Mcdonald finished third.
Archie Macdonald crossed the finish line in 2nd place but received a three-second penalty for failing to comply with the long lap penalty after exceeding track limits.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Jake Lewis was 4th, Cory West finished the race in 6th and Travis Wyman suffered technical issues on his bike.
Cody Wyman did not start the race on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.
Archie McDonald leads the championship with 41 points, 8 ahead of Oscar Gutierrez who has 33 points. Jake Lewis is third with 33 points.
More from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
Two winners, intense battles and history made at Bagger World Cup Opener in Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — The opening round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup delivered intense on-track battles and dramatic moments at the Circuit of the Americas, as the new global championship in partnership with MotoGP™ officially came to life alongside the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of the Americas.
Both the races of the weekend were fought until the final laps, producing the first two winners in the history of the category. Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing) claimed victory in Race 1 on Saturday, while Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing) secured the win in Race 2 on Sunday.
Race 1:
At the start of the first race in championship history, young Australian Archie McDonald launched perfectly from the grid, getting the better of teammate Eric Granado, who had secured pole position in qualifying with a lap time of 2:12.387. The battle between the two intensified at mid-race, with Granado taking the lead after a mistake from McDonald. However, the Australian responded shortly after, reclaiming the position when Granado lost the front under braking and dropped back through the field. Jake Lewis (Saddlemen Race Development) delivered a strong and consistent ride to take second place, showcasing experience and control across the race distance, while Filippo Rovelli (ParkinGO Team) secured third with a composed and disciplined performance to round out the podium.
Race 2:
McDonald and Granado were once again protagonists at the start of Race 2, with the Australian repeating his strong launch off the line. The two Joe Rascal Racing riders immediately set a fast pace, but were unable to break away from Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing), who steadily increased his rhythm lap after lap. The Spanish rider closed the gap and executed two clean overtakes to take the lead, going on to secure victory at the checkered flag. On lap five, Gutiérrez also set a new benchmark for the category at the Austin circuit with a time of 2:12.348, establishing both the race lap record and the all-time lap record for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at Circuit of the Americas. Second at the finish line was Archie McDonald, but a three-second penalty for failing to complete the prescribed Long Lap after twice exceeding track limits dropped the Australian to third in the final classification, promoting Eric Granado to second.
Jeffrey Schuessler – Director of Global Racing Programs, Harley-Davidson: “This weekend delivered exactly what we set out to build. Close racing, battles decided in the final laps, and riders pushing these machines to the limit from the very start. The level of competition showed up immediately, and that’s a strong indication of where this championship is headed. We also saw different riding styles coming together on track, with riders finding their own way to be fast on these bikes. That created some really interesting race dynamics and showed how competitive and adaptable this grid already is from the first round. What’s been especially powerful is the global nature of the championship, with riders and teams from different parts of the world coming together to be part of something new. That’s a significant step forward for the series. And then there’s the emotion. You feel it in the sound, the torque, and the presence of these bikes on track. It’s raw, it’s different, and it’s real. This is not just racing. We’re building something new here, a global platform that brings a different kind of energy to the MotoGP stage and connects with fans in a way that is authentic to Harley-Davidson.”
Archie McDonald – Joe Rascal Racing – Race 1 Winner: “History. That’s the first word that comes to my mind. It was the first race in the history of the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, and I took the first win, hopefully the first of many. I’m really happy. There has been a lot of preparation behind this project, from myself, the team and Harley-Davidson, so this result feels amazing. I had a strong start, even if leading early wasn’t ideal. Granado passed me after a mistake, I stayed with him, and then he made a mistake and I took the lead again. My plan was to wait until the final laps to make a move, but in the end I didn’t need to. I’m sorry about Eric’s crash, as it’s not the way I wanted to win, but I’m still enjoying the moment. I’m really proud of my team and Harley-Davidson for making history with me, and I thank them all.”
Oscar Gutiérrez – Niti Racing –Race 2 Winner: “I’m very happy with this win. We did a great job regaining our focus after Race 1, and this was the best way to finish the Austin weekend. Already this morning I felt we had the potential to do it. I had a great feeling with the bike from the sighting lap and told my team that today was the right day. During the race I took my time to study Archie and Eric in front of me and understand where I could attack them. Then there was a moment when I clearly felt stronger, so I decided to increase the pace and make my moves. It’s a great victory, but we need to keep working well because the championship may look short, but it is still long with many races to go. We are already looking ahead to Mugello and continuing on this path. One area where I still need to improve is the start. At the beginning of the race I had to push to recover because McDonald and Granado started very strong. But I knew that if I stayed calm I could come back, and that’s what I did. I stayed patient for a couple of laps, then when I felt I had more pace I made the overtakes and in the end took a win that makes me very happy.”
Following the opening round, Archie McDonald leads the championship standings with 41 points, ahead of Oscar Gutiérrez and Jake Lewis, both on 33 points.
Championship Standings:
Archie McDonald (AUS) – 41 (25 / 16)
Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA) – 33 (8 / 25)
Jake Lewis (USA) – 33 (20 / 13)
Eric Granado (BRA) – 30 (10 / 20)
Filippo Rovelli (ITA) – 27 (16 / 11)
Cory West (USA) – 23 (13 / 10)
Travis Wyman (USA) – 11 (11 / -)
Cody Wyman (USA) – 9 (9 / -)
Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) – 9 (- / 9)
The next round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will take place at the Mugello International Circuit during the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of Italy, from May 29–31.
DETROIT – A common adage in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship has long been that anything can happen at any given moment, and that sentiment reigned true during Round 11 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship inside Ford Field. An exceptionally challenging racetrack, anchored by the most treacherous and demanding whoop section of the season, pushed the most talented racers on the planet to the limit and ultimately resulted in a dramatic shakeup of the 450SMX Class title fight as Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a dominant performance for the landmark 25th victory of his career.
Ken Roczen’s Dominant Victory Headlines Wild Night in Detroit as Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight Shakes Up.
The 20 Minute + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event kicked off with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado capturing his fifth holeshot of the season ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton, who made his return to action after missing three races. Championship leader Hunter Lawrence started deep inside the top 10 aboard his Honda HRC Progressive machine, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, second in points, started outside the top 10. Back up front, Prado was able to fend off heavy pressure from Roczen for several laps, but the German native seized control of the race lead just a few minutes into the action. Prado then battled briefly with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the reigning Supercross champion, but the two came together and went down, which dropped them deep in the field.
Roczen quickly built a multi-second lead over Sexton, who moved into second, while Lawrence overcame one of his worst starts of the season to claw his way up to third. The top three settled in through the middle portion of the Main Event, with each finding a consistent rhythm that kept the lead trio within three seconds of each other. Just before the halfway point of the moto, when both Sexton and Lawrence had made inroads on Roczen’s lead, Lawrence crashed hard exiting the whoops. He remounted but was forced to have his bike attended to in the mechanics area, which lost him a lap.
Roczen extended his lead once more to end the threat from Sexton, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart moved into third ahead of Tomac. Roczen continued to pull away and easily took home his second win of the season in his 173rd career start by a margin of 7.7 seconds over Sexton. Stewart broke through with his first podium result of the season in third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper in fourth, ahead of Tomac in fifth. Lawrence, meanwhile, soldiered through another fall to salvage 18th place.
A dramatic shakeup in the championship has moved Tomac back atop standings for the first time since the fourth race of the season, as he now holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen’s win moved him to within 14 points of the lead to establish a three-rider battle for the championship’s stretch run.
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen captured a milestone 25th victory in his 173rd career start amidst a shakeup in the title fight. Photo courtesy SMX
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:
“I don’t know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about [people overlooking my ability to win]. This was a tough Main Event. I was definitely not the fastest in the beginning. I was playing a little bit with the track. I knew they were gaining on me, so I switched up my rhythms slightly. It was tough, because I wasn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire [with my speed] but the track was so tough. The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. I am so excited, you have no idea. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go.”
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton captured an impressive runner-up finish in his first race back from a recent injury that sidelined him for a month. Photo courtesy SMX
Chase Sexton – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“Those weeks at home watching the races, there were some dark times. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured and didn’t want to sit on the couch, but I wanted to come back when I was ready. I felt pretty good tonight, but I also felt that couch about 10 minutes into the Main Event. I felt good in the beginning and got a little tight and a little winded. We’ll go back to work but definitely a great start to the comeback. It’s been a long year for the team and me, but we want to go up from here.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart broke through with his first podium finish of the season during his best outing of the year. Photo courtesy SMX
Malcolm Stewart – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:
“It’s been tough [this season]. I had an unfortunate situation in Anaheim [getting injured at the first race]. I kind of just felt like I didn’t know if I’d get on the podium [this season]. That’s partly just not believing in yourself, and I realized I need to pull myself out of that. I want to give it up to my team, they’ve been in my ear all season telling me I can do this. I told them we’d pop some champagne before the end of the season, so huge shout out to them.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and Malcolm Stewart. Photo courtesy SMX
Eli Tomac – 5th Place – 450SMX Class Points Leader:
“Of course, I saw Hunter’s [Lawrence] crash and knew I was going to take advantage of that once I saw him a lap down, but overall, a bit of a frustrating day here. I’ve actually struggled here my past couple rides. I don’t know what it is. I haven’t had the best success at Detroit lately. Maybe I’ve been in kind of a midseason slump. We’ll do what we can to get better, improve, and get back to winning some races and be up at the front.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac regained control of the points lead following a fifth-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence suffered two crashes in the Main Event and finished a lap down in 18th to lose control of the championship lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies Storms to Third Straight 250SMX Class Win
The fifth 15 Minute + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event of the season started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda. Behind them, championship leader Cole Davies was mired in 15th place aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine. Thrasher held onto the lead for a couple laps but then crashed out of contention in the whoops, which handed the lead to Hammaker. As the Kawasaki rider asserted his hold of the top spot over Shimoda, Davies was on a torrid march to the front. Thanks to an unparalleled level of speed through a challenging whoops section, the New Zealander easily broke into the top 10 and soon found his way into the top five before the halfway point. From there, Davies charged into podium position and made quick work of a pass by Shimoda to move into second place. He then proceeded to erase a four second deficit to Hammaker and fittingly made the winning pass coming out of the whoops with just under six minutes to go. From there, Davies checked out on the field. Hammaker easily held onto second, while Shimoda was forced to contend with ClubMX Yamaha’s Coty Schock, who initially got by his Japanese counterpart for a spot on the podium, only to give it back after a crash in the whoops.
Davies completed an incredible come-from-behind performance by a margin of 12.1 seconds over Hammaker for a third straight Main Event victory, while Shimoda rounded out the podium in third.
With his third consecutive win, Davies extended his lead in the championship standings to nine points over Hammaker, with Shimoda sitting 14 points back in third.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies overcame a start outside the top 10 to capture an impressive come-from-behind victory, his third in-a-row. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“When I don’t perform, I’m pretty hard on myself. Me, my family, and all the people around me put in so much hard work, so when I don’t perform like I know I can I’m pretty hard on myself. But I’m stoked with that Main Event. I know that’s how I can ride. I just put everything together well. I didn’t have a good start, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked with that.”
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker took advantage of a great start to lead laps and bring home a runner-up finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“That was a tough race. I got myself off to a pretty good start and was riding okay in the beginning. I knew Cole [Davies] was in the back of the pack but man, he was riding good. Gotta give it up to him. A solid second on the night. I’ve learned from the past not to throw the races away that aren’t there for me. I want to win more than anybody, but you’ve got to know when to pull back and second is what we had tonight.”
Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda battled hard to capture a third-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Jo Shimoda – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“Honestly, I was just so bad all day. I just couldn’t figure it out. I just have to do better. Nothing was really good for me today, so I’m sorry to my team. We tested all week and I think we’re stepping in the right direction, so we’ve got to keep chasing. We’ll see next weekend.”
Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Seth Hammaker, Cole Davies, and Jo Shimoda. Photo courtesy SMX
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 4, with Round 12 from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis for the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 1.967-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 7th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff crashed his Kawasaki ZX-10RR on turn 15.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 124 points, 56 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 68 points. Axel Bassani is third with 60 points.
PORTIMAO PERFECTION: Bulega secures hat-trick on the rollercoaster ahead of Lecuona, Oliveira secures P3. The #11 made it two hat-tricks to start the 2026 season as he beat his teammate and home hero Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as his perfect start to the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season continued. He defeated teammate Iker Lecuona for the third time this weekend while home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will also leave the Pirelli Portuguese Round with three trophies after a third P3 finish.
HAT-TRICK HERO: Bulega’s winning run hits double figures
Bulega made it three holeshots for the weekend as he leapt off the grid to maintain P1, being trailed by Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and, before the #88 got ahead of the #22 at Turn 3 on Lap 2. Iker Lecuona made a slow start again but was back in the rostrum places when he got ahead of Alex Lowes at Turn 1 on Lap 3. A lap later and the #7 passed Oliveira for second at Turn 1 despite the Portuguese rider’s efforts to hang it around the outside at the right-hand corner. While Bulega and Lowes were pulling clear of Oliveira, the #88 had to defend from Alex Lowes in the final six laps of the race but dug deep as he secured his third P3 finish at his home round. Bulega’s winning streak is now 10 races and it’s the best start to a season since Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) won 11 races in a row in 2019. With Lecuona’s P2, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati become the first team to take three 1-2 finishes in a weekend; they were also 1-2 in Tissot Superpole.
ALEX AHEAD OF SAM: The twin brothers close together on track
With the British rider unable to pass Oliveira, despite finishing only 0.169s behind the BMW star, he had to settle for P4 ahead of twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who finished P5 for the fifth time this season; when he has seen the chequered flag in 2026, he has finished in this position. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) finished in sixth after fighting up the order, five seconds behind the #14 directly ahead.
COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: Petrucci defeats Bassani in late-race fight
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had his strongest race of the weekend as he finished in P7 after a late-race battle with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). The #9 got ahead of his compatriot on the penultimate lap at Turn 1. Bassani finished just over a second behind Petrucci with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top ten. They had been in a fight with Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) but the #31 crashed out of the race on the final lap.
SCORING POINTS: A birthday present for Manzi, Rea takes P12
Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was able to claim points on his birthday as he finished in P11, his best result in his fledgling WorldSBK career. He finished ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) who took 12th ahead of Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates). It means Rea has now scored points in all 19 of his WorldSBK seasons. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished 14th despite a crash at Turn 5 on Lap 4, as did Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) on the same lap in a separate incident, but recovered to P14 with Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) claiming the final point in Race 2; he served a Long Lap Penalty in Race 2 due to irresponsible riding in the Tissot Superpole Race.
HOUSEKEEPING: Several retirements from the final race of the weekend
There were five retirements from Race 2. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 5 which ended his hopes of adding to his points tally, while Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed a lap later at Turn 5. On Lap 8, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) fell at Turn 13 while Bautista was also a faller at Turn 5, coming down a lap later to the despair of Team Manager Marco Barnabo. Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) came down at Turn 4 on Lap 16 to end his race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) rejoined the race despite crashing at the same time as Vierge in a separate incident at Turn 5, and while he entered the pits initially, he rejoined the track but was not classified after being six laps down.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.967s
3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.096s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +7.265s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +10.079s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +15.105s
Fastest lap: Iker Lecuona, Ducati – 1’39.792s
Championship standings:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 124 points
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 68
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 60
4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 56
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 48
6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 43
Next up for WorldSBK is the ‘Cathedral of Speed’! Watch all the action from the TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Marco Bezzecchi was fastest in the MotoGP Warm Up session Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian led the 21-rider field with a time of 2:01.631 around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) circuit.
Marc Marquez was second-best with a 2:01.720 on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, and Fabio Di Giannantonio jumped up the order to third with a time of 2:02.093 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
The full-length MotoGP race is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. Local Time.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding his Evan Bros Racing ZXMOTO 820RR, the Frenchman won the 17-lap race by 0.720 second.
Jaume Masia was the runner-up on his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2, just 0.767 second ahead of third-place finisher Albert Arenas, who rode his AS BluCru Racing Yamaha YZF-R9.
Lucas Mahias crossed the finish line fourth on his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R9 and his teammate, Roberto Garcia, got fifth.
Jaume Masia leads the championship with 71 points, 6 ahead of Albert Arenas who has 65 points. Valentin Debise is third with 50 points.
DEBISE’S DOUBLE: Two races in Portimao, two wins for ZXMOTO while Masia makes a miraculous podium comeback. Masia takes the Championship lead with his third podium of the year, ahead of Arenas and Debise.
The FIM Supersport World Championship sent the rollercoaster round out with a bang at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, where they ran their final Race 2 of the Pirelli Portuguese Round. Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) took his fourth win of the season, and the second win for his ZXMOTO manufacturer, whose bike has only ever participated in two WorldSSP rounds. Behind him in P2, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) completed a surgical late run to land his eighth podium, the 120th WorldSSP podium for Ducati. On the bottom step of the rostrum, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) takes his second podium after his Phillip Island Race 2 win.
DEBISE UNDETERRED: Nothing could keep the #53 and his ZXMOTO 820RR off the top step of the podium
Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) sniped Debise off the line, stealing the holeshot from his countryman. Leading the contest’s opening laps, the #53 was able to find a way through. Mahias clung to Debise like a shadow until the race’s midpoint, where the #94 began to lose time marginally, lap after lap. He looked to be cruising to his second race win of the weekend until he ran wide near the end of Lap 3 when he ran wide and the riders behind him could close up the gap. Masia chained together a clutch series of late laps, capped off by back-to-back overtakes on Turns 6 and 7 to shoot from P4 to P2. Debise was able to recover from his mistake, sending ZXMOTO again to the top of the podium for the second time on the weekend. Jaume Masia went for his second podium of the season. Albert Arenas flexed his racecraft to prevail over Mahias and Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) for his second podium in two rounds.
ODD MAN OUT: Mahias is unfortunate not to take his second podium from Portimao
Mahias will be shaking his head at not having ended the contest on the podium after leading the first lap; he takes solid points in P4 away from the round and will look ahead to Assen. Mahias’s teammate, Roberto Garcia, had a steadfast performance as he would not be deterred from a P5 finish despite being bundled aside twice by Arenas. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) had started the race well, jumping up to fourth from his sixth-place grid start. His progress was short-lived, however, as he finished the race back in his original P6 place.
SPUTTERING START FROM ONCU: The Turk’s best finish in four races is P5
After his daunting Race 1 recovery run, Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) had his hands full to keep his position within the top ten after the riders ahead of him had put two seconds between them and him by Lap 4. As the race went on, the Spaniard caught back up with the group fighting for the top eight and overcame Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) and Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) for P7. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) will go back to the drawing board after he was hailed by many as the title leader in the pre-season, yet two rounds in, he is without a podium. Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) was assessed an Irresponsible riding penalty, which, while he did serve, he let through Oettl, not Oncu through, as was intended by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, and before corrective action could be taken, Oncu had lost a further two positions. Perolari saw his pace drop in the final laps, falling to P9. Four races into his new WorldSSP career, Zaccone again lands a top ten finish in P10 to close Portimao.
The top six from the WorldSSP Race 2: Full results here!
That’s all she wrote from Portimao! Relive all the action from the last two rounds with full OnDemand uploads, and watch the action in Assen on April 17th live with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Paola Ramos won FIM World Women’s Circuit Racing Race 2 Sunday morning at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding her Klint Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 on Pirelli control tires, Ramos won the 11-lap race by just 0.053 second.
Maria Herrera was the runner-up on her Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha YZF-R7, and Beatriz Neila got third on her Ampito Crescent Yamaha YZF-R7.
American Mallory Dobbs got 17th on her YVS Sabadell Diva Racing Yamaha YZF-R7.
Ramos stuns defending Champion Herrera with a last-lap overtake to win Race 2 at Portimao. A hotly-contested three-horse race broke out in the final WorldWCR contest of the round.
The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship’s season-opening weekend is officially in the books! Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) sent her first round as a permanent rider out with a bang, winning the race with a dramatic last- lap overtake for her second career win. Joining her on the podium, Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) caps off a dominant performance at the Pirelli Portuguese Round’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from P2 for her 21st WorldWCR podium. Taking home the bronze medal and capping off the all-Spanish rostrum, Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) took P3.
PICKING HER MOMENT: Ramos showed the composure beyond her years as she struck in the last lap for the race win
Ramos chased Herrera into T1 after she took the holeshot. The front three of Herrera, Ramos, and Neila stacked up on the timesheet in the early running in the same way they finished Race 1. By the start of Lap 7, the trio had put more than five seconds between the podium positions and the rest of the pack. Neila had fallen back by a few bike lengths, while with five laps left to ride, Ramos lurked just a tenth behind Herrera, waiting for her moment to strike. That moment came on Turn 11 of the final lap, a clever feigned move to the outside, then cutting inside to take P1 from Herrera caught the defending Champion lacking. Ramos held off the #6 as she charged across the line; Herrera was, as a result, shuffled to P2 on the rostrum ahead of Beatriz Neila, who took home her 16th consecutive podium as she landed in P3 for the second time this weekend.
PONZIANI THE BEST OF THE REST: The Italian takes P4 for the ninth time in her WorldWCR career
Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team), Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) and Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa) started on the second row and fought throughout the first half of the race until Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) and Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94 Yamaha) made a move on Yvonne Cerpa to shuffle the rookie to P8 on Lap 3. Later on, however, the French rider crashed on Turn 2 of the sixth Lap as she had nearly completed her move to pass Ruiz. Ponziani fought off Ruiz to defend her P4 finish, with Ruiz crossing the finish line in P5. While she had been shuffled aside by the #46 and #94 before the French rider’s unfortunate crash, Cerpa’s P6 is a strong result to take away from her first WorldWCR Race 2.
RIVERA GOES P7: The Spanish youngster records her second-best WorldWCR result
Natalia Rivera started well, clinging to her P5 grid position early on before Roberta Ponziani overtook her on Turn 8 of Lap 2. Rivera gradually slid backwards until she settled in P7, closing her weekend with a pair of finishes within the top eight. Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) emerged victorious in a battle with Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) to take P8 from the final race of the weekend, crossing the finish line +0.217s faster than the #64 behind her. Rounding out the top ten, Muklada Sarauech (EEST NJT Racing Team) closed her wildcard weekend with a strong P10 finish after taking P11 in Race 1. The Thai rider will be one to keep an eye on in the future as her WorldWCR wild card appearance comes to a close. Farther back, Chloe Jones’s Race 2 started rough with a Jump Start penalty assessed by FIM WorldSBK Stewards, resulting in a 2x LLP, which sent her to an ignominious P14.
The top six from the WorldWCR Race 1: Full results here!
1. Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team)
2. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) +0.053s
3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.238s
4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) +17.808s
5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +17.842s
6. Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa) +18.080s
Fastest lap: Beatriz Neila, 1’52.637s – new race lap record
Championship standings
1. Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) 45 points
2. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) 45
3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) 32
4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) 23
5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) 20
6. Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) 18
Rewatch all the action at Portimao and keep up with WorldWCR throughout 2026 by subscribing to theWorldWCR YouTube channel and following the Championship on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook! Be sure to tune in next round at Assen on April 17th!
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday morning at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 1.882-second margin of victory in the 10-lap race.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 12th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff was 14th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 99 points, 47 ahead of Axel Bassani who has 52 points. Iker Lecuona is third with 48 points.
Bulega claims Superpole Race victory ahead of teammate Lecuona, Oliveira repeats Race 1 rostrum at Portimao. The Italian rider is up to nine consecutive wins, while Lecuona and Oliveira have made it back-to-back podiums.
Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) winning run in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has extended to nine following his Tissot Superpole Race victory ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The #11 resisted an early challenge from Portuguese rider Oliveira, before the #88 fell behind Lecuona in the second half of the race at the Pirelli Portuguese Round.
SECURING A PODIUM: Bulega, Lecuona and Oliveira celebrate again
As in Race 1, Bulega got a good start as the lights went out, as did Oliveira who followed the #11 over the opening lap. At the start of Lap 2, Bulega started to pull a gap but the home hero bridged that in the second half of the lap to keep within touching distance of the race leader. A new race lap record on Lap 3 and again on Lap 4 for Bulega gave him a big advantage over the Portuguese star and allowed the Italian to manage the race as he secured victory and P1 on the grid for Race 2. On Lap 6, Lecuona completed his recovery from a poor start to pass Oliveira to take P2, with Oliveira settling for a second podium in two races on home soil. The trio will start from the front row in Race 2.
CLOSE TO THE TOP THREE: Alex Lowes forced to settle for P4
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had looked to challenge Oliveira but claimed P4 and a second row start for Race 2. He’ll be joined on the second row by twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) completing that second row; he had been on the front row for Race 1 and the Superpole Race.
STARTING RACE 2 FROM ROW 3: Vierge joined Bassani and Bautista
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will go from P7 on the Race 2 grid after his finish in the same position in the Superpole Race. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) gained places compared to his original starting position as he finished in eighth, coming home less than a second clear of Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) who completes the Race 2 third row.
HOUSEKEEPING: Two riders crash from the 10-lap race
There were two retirements from the Superpole Race. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 6, with the FIM WorldSBK Stewards investigating an incident there. Shortly after on Lap 7, Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) came down at Turn 5.
The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.882s
3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +2.401s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +2.781s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +4.706s
6. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.596s
7. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +6.457s
8. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +6.896s
9. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.704s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’39.107s, new race lap record
Catch WorldSBK Race 2 at 15:30 Local Time (UTC+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Post-race penalty reshuffles results as Acosta loses P3, with Bastianini stepping up to claim bronze.
The Tissot Sprint at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas delivered drama not only across its 10 laps, but even after the chequered flag.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Racing) initially crossed the line in third place but was immediately placed under investigation for a breach of tyre pressure regulations. Following a review, he was found to have run pressures below the permitted limits and was handed an eight-second post-race penalty.
The sanction drops Acosta down to eighth position, promoting Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to the final podium spot after originally finishing fourth.
The result marks Bastianini’s second Sprint podium with KTM and caps off an impressive weekend for the Italian. He will be looking to carry that momentum into Sunday’s main race, which gets underway at 15:00 (UTC -5).
MotoGP returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend with a full schedule of racing across several categories. The premier class headlines the action throughout the weekend, alongside the Talent Cup and the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, a new class introduced for 2026. From early sessions to the main races, fans can expect a packed program and plenty of on-track action at COTA.
Alvaro Carpe (83), Valentin Perrone (73), Maximo Quiles (28), Adrian Fernandez (31) and Joel Esteban (78) during the Moto3 race at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Guido Pini won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Using his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda, the Italian rider won the 14-lap race by just 0.056 second, making it his first Moto3 victory.
Maximo Quiles was the runner-up on his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Alvaro Carpe was third, just 0.254 second behind race winner Pini.
Valentin Perrone crossed the finish line fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine and Pini’s teammate, Adrian Fernandez got fifth.
Maximo Quiles leads the championship with 65 points, 23 ahead of Alvaro Carpe who has 42 points. Valentin Perrone is third with 38 points.
Pini pockets last corner win in Moto3 COTA classic. The Italian takes his maiden victory as the podium fight delivers a show to remember – right to the wire.
Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) is a Moto3 Grand Prix winner! The Italian came out on top in final corner fisticuffs at COTA, claiming victory by just 0.056. Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) took second, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the podium after his final corner attack on Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw both head wide and lose out on a 1-2.
Carpe took the holeshot from pole ahead of Perrone, with Casey O’Gorman (SIC58 Squadra Corse) losing out off the start as Quiles went full send into Turn 1 and grabbed third. The two orange machines were streaking away in the lead early doors, but Quiles got the hammer down to tag back on, with the Leopard Racing duo of Pini and Adrian Fernandez next up the road.
Guido Pini in the parc fermé after chis victory at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
After it had been a seven-rider fight early doors, Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) and Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) were out of that with 10 to go as Pratama crashed out and Esteban couldn’t avoid the bike. Both riders were ok but the group was down to five before Fernandez started to fade, leaving four riders fighting for three places on the podium.
By three to go, the gloves started to come off. Pini attacked Quiles at Turn 11 and got the lead momentarily before being denied and then tried again at Turn 12 – this time hooking it up and keeping it. With that shuffle at the front, Carpe was right back in it and the four-rider fight really started to heat up.
Onto the last lap, Perrone led Pini, but Carpe slotted into second early doors. Pini then lost out to Quiles at Turn 11, with the long back straight seeing everyone absolutely pinned – but it was Carpe who led out of 12. Then Perrone attacked at 13, Carpe repaid him through 17-18, Perrone was back through in style at Turn 19 and Carpe took it back again a corner later. But it all went down to the final corner.
Carpe went for the win and sliced up the inside, with Perrone pushed out wide and the #83 only just keeping it on track too. The door was open for the duo behind them, and neither Pini nor Quiles needed a second invitation. In their drag race to the line, Pini took it by 0.056, with Quiles second and Carpe holding on to third. Perrone, after a stunning race, was forced to settle for fourth.
Fernandez took fifth, with a huge fight behind going to the wire too. Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power) took P6 right at the line as rookie Brian Uriarte (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got bumped aside at the finish line, allowing fellow rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to just steal P7 too. Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP – MTA) took ninth ahead of Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with compatriot Eddie O’Shea (GRYD – Mlav Racing) just missing out on the top ten but taking his best Moto3 finish yet. Front row starter O’Gorman crashed out from that group.
Moto3 race at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP
Check out full results from Moto3 at the Red Bull US GP here. Now we wait for the Spanish GP with a few weekends off – chance for the field to recharge and come back out swinging on turf that’s much more familiar for many. Will the order shuffle again? Join us in Jerez to find out!
Archie Mcdonald (69), Eric Granado (51), Jake Lewis (85) and Oscar Gutierrez (99) during the Bagger World Cup Race 2 at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Oscar Gutierrez won the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Race Two Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Niti Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Spaniard won the 7-lap race by 3.020 seconds.
Eric Granado was the runner-up on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson and his teammate, Archie Mcdonald finished third.
Archie Macdonald crossed the finish line in 2nd place but received a three-second penalty for failing to comply with the long lap penalty after exceeding track limits.
Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Jake Lewis was 4th, Cory West finished the race in 6th and Travis Wyman suffered technical issues on his bike.
Cody Wyman did not start the race on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.
Archie McDonald leads the championship with 41 points, 8 ahead of Oscar Gutierrez who has 33 points. Jake Lewis is third with 33 points.
More from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
Two winners, intense battles and history made at Bagger World Cup Opener in Austin.
AUSTIN, Texas — The opening round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup delivered intense on-track battles and dramatic moments at the Circuit of the Americas, as the new global championship in partnership with MotoGP™ officially came to life alongside the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of the Americas.
Both the races of the weekend were fought until the final laps, producing the first two winners in the history of the category. Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing) claimed victory in Race 1 on Saturday, while Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing) secured the win in Race 2 on Sunday.
Race 1:
At the start of the first race in championship history, young Australian Archie McDonald launched perfectly from the grid, getting the better of teammate Eric Granado, who had secured pole position in qualifying with a lap time of 2:12.387. The battle between the two intensified at mid-race, with Granado taking the lead after a mistake from McDonald. However, the Australian responded shortly after, reclaiming the position when Granado lost the front under braking and dropped back through the field. Jake Lewis (Saddlemen Race Development) delivered a strong and consistent ride to take second place, showcasing experience and control across the race distance, while Filippo Rovelli (ParkinGO Team) secured third with a composed and disciplined performance to round out the podium.
Race 2:
McDonald and Granado were once again protagonists at the start of Race 2, with the Australian repeating his strong launch off the line. The two Joe Rascal Racing riders immediately set a fast pace, but were unable to break away from Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing), who steadily increased his rhythm lap after lap. The Spanish rider closed the gap and executed two clean overtakes to take the lead, going on to secure victory at the checkered flag. On lap five, Gutiérrez also set a new benchmark for the category at the Austin circuit with a time of 2:12.348, establishing both the race lap record and the all-time lap record for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at Circuit of the Americas. Second at the finish line was Archie McDonald, but a three-second penalty for failing to complete the prescribed Long Lap after twice exceeding track limits dropped the Australian to third in the final classification, promoting Eric Granado to second.
Jeffrey Schuessler – Director of Global Racing Programs, Harley-Davidson: “This weekend delivered exactly what we set out to build. Close racing, battles decided in the final laps, and riders pushing these machines to the limit from the very start. The level of competition showed up immediately, and that’s a strong indication of where this championship is headed. We also saw different riding styles coming together on track, with riders finding their own way to be fast on these bikes. That created some really interesting race dynamics and showed how competitive and adaptable this grid already is from the first round. What’s been especially powerful is the global nature of the championship, with riders and teams from different parts of the world coming together to be part of something new. That’s a significant step forward for the series. And then there’s the emotion. You feel it in the sound, the torque, and the presence of these bikes on track. It’s raw, it’s different, and it’s real. This is not just racing. We’re building something new here, a global platform that brings a different kind of energy to the MotoGP stage and connects with fans in a way that is authentic to Harley-Davidson.”
Archie McDonald – Joe Rascal Racing – Race 1 Winner: “History. That’s the first word that comes to my mind. It was the first race in the history of the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, and I took the first win, hopefully the first of many. I’m really happy. There has been a lot of preparation behind this project, from myself, the team and Harley-Davidson, so this result feels amazing. I had a strong start, even if leading early wasn’t ideal. Granado passed me after a mistake, I stayed with him, and then he made a mistake and I took the lead again. My plan was to wait until the final laps to make a move, but in the end I didn’t need to. I’m sorry about Eric’s crash, as it’s not the way I wanted to win, but I’m still enjoying the moment. I’m really proud of my team and Harley-Davidson for making history with me, and I thank them all.”
Oscar Gutiérrez – Niti Racing –Race 2 Winner: “I’m very happy with this win. We did a great job regaining our focus after Race 1, and this was the best way to finish the Austin weekend. Already this morning I felt we had the potential to do it. I had a great feeling with the bike from the sighting lap and told my team that today was the right day. During the race I took my time to study Archie and Eric in front of me and understand where I could attack them. Then there was a moment when I clearly felt stronger, so I decided to increase the pace and make my moves. It’s a great victory, but we need to keep working well because the championship may look short, but it is still long with many races to go. We are already looking ahead to Mugello and continuing on this path. One area where I still need to improve is the start. At the beginning of the race I had to push to recover because McDonald and Granado started very strong. But I knew that if I stayed calm I could come back, and that’s what I did. I stayed patient for a couple of laps, then when I felt I had more pace I made the overtakes and in the end took a win that makes me very happy.”
Following the opening round, Archie McDonald leads the championship standings with 41 points, ahead of Oscar Gutiérrez and Jake Lewis, both on 33 points.
Championship Standings:
Archie McDonald (AUS) – 41 (25 / 16)
Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA) – 33 (8 / 25)
Jake Lewis (USA) – 33 (20 / 13)
Eric Granado (BRA) – 30 (10 / 20)
Filippo Rovelli (ITA) – 27 (16 / 11)
Cory West (USA) – 23 (13 / 10)
Travis Wyman (USA) – 11 (11 / -)
Cody Wyman (USA) – 9 (9 / -)
Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) – 9 (- / 9)
The next round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will take place at the Mugello International Circuit during the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of Italy, from May 29–31.
The Monster Energy Supercross Championship made its return to the "Motor City" for the 11th race of the season inside Ford Field. Photo courtesy SMX
DETROIT – A common adage in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship has long been that anything can happen at any given moment, and that sentiment reigned true during Round 11 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship inside Ford Field. An exceptionally challenging racetrack, anchored by the most treacherous and demanding whoop section of the season, pushed the most talented racers on the planet to the limit and ultimately resulted in a dramatic shakeup of the 450SMX Class title fight as Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a dominant performance for the landmark 25th victory of his career.
Ken Roczen’s Dominant Victory Headlines Wild Night in Detroit as Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight Shakes Up.
The 20 Minute + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event kicked off with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado capturing his fifth holeshot of the season ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton, who made his return to action after missing three races. Championship leader Hunter Lawrence started deep inside the top 10 aboard his Honda HRC Progressive machine, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, second in points, started outside the top 10. Back up front, Prado was able to fend off heavy pressure from Roczen for several laps, but the German native seized control of the race lead just a few minutes into the action. Prado then battled briefly with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the reigning Supercross champion, but the two came together and went down, which dropped them deep in the field.
Roczen quickly built a multi-second lead over Sexton, who moved into second, while Lawrence overcame one of his worst starts of the season to claw his way up to third. The top three settled in through the middle portion of the Main Event, with each finding a consistent rhythm that kept the lead trio within three seconds of each other. Just before the halfway point of the moto, when both Sexton and Lawrence had made inroads on Roczen’s lead, Lawrence crashed hard exiting the whoops. He remounted but was forced to have his bike attended to in the mechanics area, which lost him a lap.
Roczen extended his lead once more to end the threat from Sexton, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart moved into third ahead of Tomac. Roczen continued to pull away and easily took home his second win of the season in his 173rd career start by a margin of 7.7 seconds over Sexton. Stewart broke through with his first podium result of the season in third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper in fourth, ahead of Tomac in fifth. Lawrence, meanwhile, soldiered through another fall to salvage 18th place.
A dramatic shakeup in the championship has moved Tomac back atop standings for the first time since the fourth race of the season, as he now holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen’s win moved him to within 14 points of the lead to establish a three-rider battle for the championship’s stretch run.
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen captured a milestone 25th victory in his 173rd career start amidst a shakeup in the title fight. Photo courtesy SMX
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:
“I don’t know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about [people overlooking my ability to win]. This was a tough Main Event. I was definitely not the fastest in the beginning. I was playing a little bit with the track. I knew they were gaining on me, so I switched up my rhythms slightly. It was tough, because I wasn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire [with my speed] but the track was so tough. The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. I am so excited, you have no idea. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go.”
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton captured an impressive runner-up finish in his first race back from a recent injury that sidelined him for a month. Photo courtesy SMX
Chase Sexton – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“Those weeks at home watching the races, there were some dark times. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured and didn’t want to sit on the couch, but I wanted to come back when I was ready. I felt pretty good tonight, but I also felt that couch about 10 minutes into the Main Event. I felt good in the beginning and got a little tight and a little winded. We’ll go back to work but definitely a great start to the comeback. It’s been a long year for the team and me, but we want to go up from here.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart broke through with his first podium finish of the season during his best outing of the year. Photo courtesy SMX
Malcolm Stewart – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:
“It’s been tough [this season]. I had an unfortunate situation in Anaheim [getting injured at the first race]. I kind of just felt like I didn’t know if I’d get on the podium [this season]. That’s partly just not believing in yourself, and I realized I need to pull myself out of that. I want to give it up to my team, they’ve been in my ear all season telling me I can do this. I told them we’d pop some champagne before the end of the season, so huge shout out to them.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and Malcolm Stewart. Photo courtesy SMX
Eli Tomac – 5th Place – 450SMX Class Points Leader:
“Of course, I saw Hunter’s [Lawrence] crash and knew I was going to take advantage of that once I saw him a lap down, but overall, a bit of a frustrating day here. I’ve actually struggled here my past couple rides. I don’t know what it is. I haven’t had the best success at Detroit lately. Maybe I’ve been in kind of a midseason slump. We’ll do what we can to get better, improve, and get back to winning some races and be up at the front.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac regained control of the points lead following a fifth-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence suffered two crashes in the Main Event and finished a lap down in 18th to lose control of the championship lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies Storms to Third Straight 250SMX Class Win
The fifth 15 Minute + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event of the season started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda. Behind them, championship leader Cole Davies was mired in 15th place aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine. Thrasher held onto the lead for a couple laps but then crashed out of contention in the whoops, which handed the lead to Hammaker. As the Kawasaki rider asserted his hold of the top spot over Shimoda, Davies was on a torrid march to the front. Thanks to an unparalleled level of speed through a challenging whoops section, the New Zealander easily broke into the top 10 and soon found his way into the top five before the halfway point. From there, Davies charged into podium position and made quick work of a pass by Shimoda to move into second place. He then proceeded to erase a four second deficit to Hammaker and fittingly made the winning pass coming out of the whoops with just under six minutes to go. From there, Davies checked out on the field. Hammaker easily held onto second, while Shimoda was forced to contend with ClubMX Yamaha’s Coty Schock, who initially got by his Japanese counterpart for a spot on the podium, only to give it back after a crash in the whoops.
Davies completed an incredible come-from-behind performance by a margin of 12.1 seconds over Hammaker for a third straight Main Event victory, while Shimoda rounded out the podium in third.
With his third consecutive win, Davies extended his lead in the championship standings to nine points over Hammaker, with Shimoda sitting 14 points back in third.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies overcame a start outside the top 10 to capture an impressive come-from-behind victory, his third in-a-row. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“When I don’t perform, I’m pretty hard on myself. Me, my family, and all the people around me put in so much hard work, so when I don’t perform like I know I can I’m pretty hard on myself. But I’m stoked with that Main Event. I know that’s how I can ride. I just put everything together well. I didn’t have a good start, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked with that.”
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker took advantage of a great start to lead laps and bring home a runner-up finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“That was a tough race. I got myself off to a pretty good start and was riding okay in the beginning. I knew Cole [Davies] was in the back of the pack but man, he was riding good. Gotta give it up to him. A solid second on the night. I’ve learned from the past not to throw the races away that aren’t there for me. I want to win more than anybody, but you’ve got to know when to pull back and second is what we had tonight.”
Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda battled hard to capture a third-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Jo Shimoda – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“Honestly, I was just so bad all day. I just couldn’t figure it out. I just have to do better. Nothing was really good for me today, so I’m sorry to my team. We tested all week and I think we’re stepping in the right direction, so we’ve got to keep chasing. We’ll see next weekend.”
Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Seth Hammaker, Cole Davies, and Jo Shimoda. Photo courtesy SMX
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 4, with Round 12 from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis for the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Iker Lecuona (7) and Miguel Oliveira (88) during the WSBK Race 2 at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 1.967-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 7th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff crashed his Kawasaki ZX-10RR on turn 15.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 124 points, 56 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 68 points. Axel Bassani is third with 60 points.
PORTIMAO PERFECTION: Bulega secures hat-trick on the rollercoaster ahead of Lecuona, Oliveira secures P3. The #11 made it two hat-tricks to start the 2026 season as he beat his teammate and home hero Oliveira.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as his perfect start to the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season continued. He defeated teammate Iker Lecuona for the third time this weekend while home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will also leave the Pirelli Portuguese Round with three trophies after a third P3 finish.
HAT-TRICK HERO: Bulega’s winning run hits double figures
Bulega made it three holeshots for the weekend as he leapt off the grid to maintain P1, being trailed by Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and, before the #88 got ahead of the #22 at Turn 3 on Lap 2. Iker Lecuona made a slow start again but was back in the rostrum places when he got ahead of Alex Lowes at Turn 1 on Lap 3. A lap later and the #7 passed Oliveira for second at Turn 1 despite the Portuguese rider’s efforts to hang it around the outside at the right-hand corner. While Bulega and Lowes were pulling clear of Oliveira, the #88 had to defend from Alex Lowes in the final six laps of the race but dug deep as he secured his third P3 finish at his home round. Bulega’s winning streak is now 10 races and it’s the best start to a season since Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) won 11 races in a row in 2019. With Lecuona’s P2, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati become the first team to take three 1-2 finishes in a weekend; they were also 1-2 in Tissot Superpole.
ALEX AHEAD OF SAM: The twin brothers close together on track
With the British rider unable to pass Oliveira, despite finishing only 0.169s behind the BMW star, he had to settle for P4 ahead of twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who finished P5 for the fifth time this season; when he has seen the chequered flag in 2026, he has finished in this position. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) finished in sixth after fighting up the order, five seconds behind the #14 directly ahead.
COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: Petrucci defeats Bassani in late-race fight
Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had his strongest race of the weekend as he finished in P7 after a late-race battle with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team). The #9 got ahead of his compatriot on the penultimate lap at Turn 1. Bassani finished just over a second behind Petrucci with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top ten. They had been in a fight with Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) but the #31 crashed out of the race on the final lap.
SCORING POINTS: A birthday present for Manzi, Rea takes P12
Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was able to claim points on his birthday as he finished in P11, his best result in his fledgling WorldSBK career. He finished ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) who took 12th ahead of Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates). It means Rea has now scored points in all 19 of his WorldSBK seasons. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished 14th despite a crash at Turn 5 on Lap 4, as did Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) on the same lap in a separate incident, but recovered to P14 with Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) claiming the final point in Race 2; he served a Long Lap Penalty in Race 2 due to irresponsible riding in the Tissot Superpole Race.
HOUSEKEEPING: Several retirements from the final race of the weekend
There were five retirements from Race 2. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 5 which ended his hopes of adding to his points tally, while Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed a lap later at Turn 5. On Lap 8, Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) fell at Turn 13 while Bautista was also a faller at Turn 5, coming down a lap later to the despair of Team Manager Marco Barnabo. Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) came down at Turn 4 on Lap 16 to end his race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) rejoined the race despite crashing at the same time as Vierge in a separate incident at Turn 5, and while he entered the pits initially, he rejoined the track but was not classified after being six laps down.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.967s
3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.096s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +7.265s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +10.079s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +15.105s
Fastest lap: Iker Lecuona, Ducati – 1’39.792s
Championship standings:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 124 points
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 68
3. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 60
4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 56
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 48
6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 43
Next up for WorldSBK is the ‘Cathedral of Speed’! Watch all the action from the TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Marco Bezzecchi (72) during the Warm Up session at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis
Marco Bezzecchi was fastest in the MotoGP Warm Up session Sunday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Italian led the 21-rider field with a time of 2:01.631 around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) circuit.
Marc Marquez was second-best with a 2:01.720 on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, and Fabio Di Giannantonio jumped up the order to third with a time of 2:02.093 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
The full-length MotoGP race is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. Local Time.
Jaume Masia (5) and Can Oncu (61) during the WSSP Race 2 at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding his Evan Bros Racing ZXMOTO 820RR, the Frenchman won the 17-lap race by 0.720 second.
Jaume Masia was the runner-up on his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2, just 0.767 second ahead of third-place finisher Albert Arenas, who rode his AS BluCru Racing Yamaha YZF-R9.
Lucas Mahias crossed the finish line fourth on his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R9 and his teammate, Roberto Garcia, got fifth.
Jaume Masia leads the championship with 71 points, 6 ahead of Albert Arenas who has 65 points. Valentin Debise is third with 50 points.
DEBISE’S DOUBLE: Two races in Portimao, two wins for ZXMOTO while Masia makes a miraculous podium comeback. Masia takes the Championship lead with his third podium of the year, ahead of Arenas and Debise.
The FIM Supersport World Championship sent the rollercoaster round out with a bang at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, where they ran their final Race 2 of the Pirelli Portuguese Round. Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) took his fourth win of the season, and the second win for his ZXMOTO manufacturer, whose bike has only ever participated in two WorldSSP rounds. Behind him in P2, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) completed a surgical late run to land his eighth podium, the 120th WorldSSP podium for Ducati. On the bottom step of the rostrum, Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) takes his second podium after his Phillip Island Race 2 win.
DEBISE UNDETERRED: Nothing could keep the #53 and his ZXMOTO 820RR off the top step of the podium
Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) sniped Debise off the line, stealing the holeshot from his countryman. Leading the contest’s opening laps, the #53 was able to find a way through. Mahias clung to Debise like a shadow until the race’s midpoint, where the #94 began to lose time marginally, lap after lap. He looked to be cruising to his second race win of the weekend until he ran wide near the end of Lap 3 when he ran wide and the riders behind him could close up the gap. Masia chained together a clutch series of late laps, capped off by back-to-back overtakes on Turns 6 and 7 to shoot from P4 to P2. Debise was able to recover from his mistake, sending ZXMOTO again to the top of the podium for the second time on the weekend. Jaume Masia went for his second podium of the season. Albert Arenas flexed his racecraft to prevail over Mahias and Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) for his second podium in two rounds.
ODD MAN OUT: Mahias is unfortunate not to take his second podium from Portimao
Mahias will be shaking his head at not having ended the contest on the podium after leading the first lap; he takes solid points in P4 away from the round and will look ahead to Assen. Mahias’s teammate, Roberto Garcia, had a steadfast performance as he would not be deterred from a P5 finish despite being bundled aside twice by Arenas. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) had started the race well, jumping up to fourth from his sixth-place grid start. His progress was short-lived, however, as he finished the race back in his original P6 place.
SPUTTERING START FROM ONCU: The Turk’s best finish in four races is P5
After his daunting Race 1 recovery run, Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) had his hands full to keep his position within the top ten after the riders ahead of him had put two seconds between them and him by Lap 4. As the race went on, the Spaniard caught back up with the group fighting for the top eight and overcame Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) and Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) for P7. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) will go back to the drawing board after he was hailed by many as the title leader in the pre-season, yet two rounds in, he is without a podium. Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) was assessed an Irresponsible riding penalty, which, while he did serve, he let through Oettl, not Oncu through, as was intended by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, and before corrective action could be taken, Oncu had lost a further two positions. Perolari saw his pace drop in the final laps, falling to P9. Four races into his new WorldSSP career, Zaccone again lands a top ten finish in P10 to close Portimao.
The top six from the WorldSSP Race 2: Full results here!
That’s all she wrote from Portimao! Relive all the action from the last two rounds with full OnDemand uploads, and watch the action in Assen on April 17th live with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Maria Herrera (6), Paola Ramos (58) and Beatriz Neila (36) during the race 2 at Portimao. photo courtesy WorldSBK.
Paola Ramos won FIM World Women’s Circuit Racing Race 2 Sunday morning at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding her Klint Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 on Pirelli control tires, Ramos won the 11-lap race by just 0.053 second.
Maria Herrera was the runner-up on her Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha YZF-R7, and Beatriz Neila got third on her Ampito Crescent Yamaha YZF-R7.
American Mallory Dobbs got 17th on her YVS Sabadell Diva Racing Yamaha YZF-R7.
Ramos stuns defending Champion Herrera with a last-lap overtake to win Race 2 at Portimao. A hotly-contested three-horse race broke out in the final WorldWCR contest of the round.
The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship’s season-opening weekend is officially in the books! Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) sent her first round as a permanent rider out with a bang, winning the race with a dramatic last- lap overtake for her second career win. Joining her on the podium, Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) caps off a dominant performance at the Pirelli Portuguese Round’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from P2 for her 21st WorldWCR podium. Taking home the bronze medal and capping off the all-Spanish rostrum, Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) took P3.
PICKING HER MOMENT: Ramos showed the composure beyond her years as she struck in the last lap for the race win
Ramos chased Herrera into T1 after she took the holeshot. The front three of Herrera, Ramos, and Neila stacked up on the timesheet in the early running in the same way they finished Race 1. By the start of Lap 7, the trio had put more than five seconds between the podium positions and the rest of the pack. Neila had fallen back by a few bike lengths, while with five laps left to ride, Ramos lurked just a tenth behind Herrera, waiting for her moment to strike. That moment came on Turn 11 of the final lap, a clever feigned move to the outside, then cutting inside to take P1 from Herrera caught the defending Champion lacking. Ramos held off the #6 as she charged across the line; Herrera was, as a result, shuffled to P2 on the rostrum ahead of Beatriz Neila, who took home her 16th consecutive podium as she landed in P3 for the second time this weekend.
PONZIANI THE BEST OF THE REST: The Italian takes P4 for the ninth time in her WorldWCR career
Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team), Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) and Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa) started on the second row and fought throughout the first half of the race until Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) and Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94 Yamaha) made a move on Yvonne Cerpa to shuffle the rookie to P8 on Lap 3. Later on, however, the French rider crashed on Turn 2 of the sixth Lap as she had nearly completed her move to pass Ruiz. Ponziani fought off Ruiz to defend her P4 finish, with Ruiz crossing the finish line in P5. While she had been shuffled aside by the #46 and #94 before the French rider’s unfortunate crash, Cerpa’s P6 is a strong result to take away from her first WorldWCR Race 2.
RIVERA GOES P7: The Spanish youngster records her second-best WorldWCR result
Natalia Rivera started well, clinging to her P5 grid position early on before Roberta Ponziani overtook her on Turn 8 of Lap 2. Rivera gradually slid backwards until she settled in P7, closing her weekend with a pair of finishes within the top eight. Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) emerged victorious in a battle with Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) to take P8 from the final race of the weekend, crossing the finish line +0.217s faster than the #64 behind her. Rounding out the top ten, Muklada Sarauech (EEST NJT Racing Team) closed her wildcard weekend with a strong P10 finish after taking P11 in Race 1. The Thai rider will be one to keep an eye on in the future as her WorldWCR wild card appearance comes to a close. Farther back, Chloe Jones’s Race 2 started rough with a Jump Start penalty assessed by FIM WorldSBK Stewards, resulting in a 2x LLP, which sent her to an ignominious P14.
The top six from the WorldWCR Race 1: Full results here!
1. Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team)
2. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) +0.053s
3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.238s
4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) +17.808s
5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +17.842s
6. Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa) +18.080s
Fastest lap: Beatriz Neila, 1’52.637s – new race lap record
Championship standings
1. Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) 45 points
2. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) 45
3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) 32
4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) 23
5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) 20
6. Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) 18
Rewatch all the action at Portimao and keep up with WorldWCR throughout 2026 by subscribing to theWorldWCR YouTube channel and following the Championship on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook! Be sure to tune in next round at Assen on April 17th!
Miguel Oliveira (88) and Alex Lowes (22) during the race 1 at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday morning at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 1.882-second margin of victory in the 10-lap race.
His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 12th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR.
American Garrett Gerloff was 14th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 99 points, 47 ahead of Axel Bassani who has 52 points. Iker Lecuona is third with 48 points.
Bulega claims Superpole Race victory ahead of teammate Lecuona, Oliveira repeats Race 1 rostrum at Portimao. The Italian rider is up to nine consecutive wins, while Lecuona and Oliveira have made it back-to-back podiums.
Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) winning run in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has extended to nine following his Tissot Superpole Race victory ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The #11 resisted an early challenge from Portuguese rider Oliveira, before the #88 fell behind Lecuona in the second half of the race at the Pirelli Portuguese Round.
SECURING A PODIUM: Bulega, Lecuona and Oliveira celebrate again
As in Race 1, Bulega got a good start as the lights went out, as did Oliveira who followed the #11 over the opening lap. At the start of Lap 2, Bulega started to pull a gap but the home hero bridged that in the second half of the lap to keep within touching distance of the race leader. A new race lap record on Lap 3 and again on Lap 4 for Bulega gave him a big advantage over the Portuguese star and allowed the Italian to manage the race as he secured victory and P1 on the grid for Race 2. On Lap 6, Lecuona completed his recovery from a poor start to pass Oliveira to take P2, with Oliveira settling for a second podium in two races on home soil. The trio will start from the front row in Race 2.
CLOSE TO THE TOP THREE: Alex Lowes forced to settle for P4
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had looked to challenge Oliveira but claimed P4 and a second row start for Race 2. He’ll be joined on the second row by twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) completing that second row; he had been on the front row for Race 1 and the Superpole Race.
STARTING RACE 2 FROM ROW 3: Vierge joined Bassani and Bautista
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will go from P7 on the Race 2 grid after his finish in the same position in the Superpole Race. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) gained places compared to his original starting position as he finished in eighth, coming home less than a second clear of Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) who completes the Race 2 third row.
HOUSEKEEPING: Two riders crash from the 10-lap race
There were two retirements from the Superpole Race. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 6, with the FIM WorldSBK Stewards investigating an incident there. Shortly after on Lap 7, Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) came down at Turn 5.
The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.882s
3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +2.401s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +2.781s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +4.706s
6. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.596s
7. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +6.457s
8. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +6.896s
9. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.704s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’39.107s, new race lap record
Catch WorldSBK Race 2 at 15:30 Local Time (UTC+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Post-race penalty reshuffles results as Acosta loses P3, with Bastianini stepping up to claim bronze.
The Tissot Sprint at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas delivered drama not only across its 10 laps, but even after the chequered flag.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Racing) initially crossed the line in third place but was immediately placed under investigation for a breach of tyre pressure regulations. Following a review, he was found to have run pressures below the permitted limits and was handed an eight-second post-race penalty.
The sanction drops Acosta down to eighth position, promoting Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) to the final podium spot after originally finishing fourth.
The result marks Bastianini’s second Sprint podium with KTM and caps off an impressive weekend for the Italian. He will be looking to carry that momentum into Sunday’s main race, which gets underway at 15:00 (UTC -5).
Marc Marquez (93) during the Practice session at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.
MotoGP returns to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend with a full schedule of racing across several categories. The premier class headlines the action throughout the weekend, alongside the Talent Cup and the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, a new class introduced for 2026. From early sessions to the main races, fans can expect a packed program and plenty of on-track action at COTA.
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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
