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MotoAmerica: More From SBK & SSP at Road Atlanta

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoAmerica: More From SBK & SSP at Road Atlanta

More from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Persistence Pays Off For Fong In Quad Lock Superbike Race Two At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Round one of the 2026 Quad Lock Superbike Championship concluded on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong overtaking polesitter and Saturday’s race one winner Mathew Scholtz with only a couple of laps left to go. Strack Racing Yamaha’s Scholtz experienced a technical problem in the closing laps, and Fong pounced to take the checkered flag.

 

Scholtz (#11) got the holeshot for the second race in a row and looked to be headed for the double win at Road Atlanta until adversity struck. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Scholtz’s return to the premier Quad Lock Superbike Championship after two years and two consecutive championships in MotoAmerica’s Supersport class was a dream come true up to that point. The South African, who has called Georgia his home for the past several years, earned the pole, won Saturday’s race, and was poised to make it a perfect weekend with an encore win on Sunday. But, with just two laps remaining, Scholtz suddenly dropped off the pace, enabling Fong to move into the lead and win the race by nearly three seconds over Scholtz.  

Meanwhile, Sean Dylan Kelly scored his second podium result of the weekend with a third-place finish. The Floridian logged a solid first Superbike weekend with his new OrangeCat Racing team. 

JD Beach had a lonely race in fourth aboard his Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, but he salvaged valuable points after suffering a race one DNF from a mechanical failure.

Fifth-place finisher Cameron Beaubier left Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta third in points after a hard-fought weekend. The six-time and defending Superbike Champion started from 20th on the grid and made his way all the way up to sixth, ironically, by the sixth lap. Beaubier then overtook Wrench Motorcycles rider Cam Petersen to secure a top-five finish with Petersen coming home sixth.

In seventh place was the Real Steel Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP of Hayden Gillim, just beating out M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch in eighth aboard his GSX-R1000R.

 

Benjamin Smith (#78), Richie Escalante (#54), and Hayden Gillim (#69) head downhill into Turn 12 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law’s Benjamin Smith and Mission Foods M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante rounded out the top 10.

 

The following quote is from race two winner Fong:

“My confidence was kicked twice this weekend and as a racer, you have two crashes and you don’t know what the hell is going on, you’re kind of just looking around like, ‘I can’t do that again,’ especially with my team owner. Everybody knows he’d probably kill me if I did one more throwing it down. So, no. It wasn’t that great at the time. I just wanted it to be over with. But I knew at the end it was going to be a hell of a last-lap battle, if his bike didn’t break. We got a little lucky at the end. I’m sure it would have been fireworks, for sure. We’re both competitive riders. We try to be safe out there, but we want the win just as much as anybody. It was good to get 25 points on the board. Looking forward to Barber. This track, you don’t get that big a drop when the tire goes off. It’s not like a huge decline like most tracks. I feel like going to Barber, you get a huge drop off in the tires and stuff. I think we excel a little bit. I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to be a long season. These guys next to me are super-fast. I feel like, every weekend, we’re going to be seeing each other up here.”

 

 

Deion Campbell (#194) leads Brandon Paasch (#66) and Andrew Lee (#14). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Superbike Cup – Depth Of Field Tested In Race Two

BPR Racing Yamaha’s Deion Campbell was the first Superbike Cup finisher in race two, and he took the checkers ahead of some of the full-on Superbike riders. The Californian finished ahead of Superbike Cup points leader and Real Steel Honda rider Andrew Lee by just .061 of a second.

The third Superbike Cup finisher in race two was Canadian Alex Dumas aboard his Aftercare Scheibe Racing/Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

The following quote is from Deion Campbell, first Superbike Cup finisher in race two winner:

“It was an eventful weekend, for sure. We started off strong, had some little mishaps on Friday. Saturday, we continued with our pace, pushing very well. Unfortunately, we had a little mishap in the first race. And it didn’t go too well for me, but the BPR Racing guys buckled down and really worked hard and got me a great platform to come back strong for race two. Got a great start, got up there in the Superbike grid a little bit. I was just trying to keep my head down, keep up with those guys and stay consistent. I was really just hitting my marks and making sure I brought it home safe in first place.”

 

For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, CLICK HERE

 

 

 

More from another press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Herrin Bounces Back Over Binder In Supersport Showdown.

The second round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is in the books. With much cooler temperatures than Saturday’s race one, several riders commented that tire grip was readily available around the 2.54-mile Georgia circuit. No doubt that helped produce a new lap record in Supersport and lap records in the support classes, as well.

Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila rider Josh Herrin took the win in race two aboard his Ducati Panigale V2. The 2022 Supersport Champion spent the first half of the race in the lead group of four riders before making his move to first on lap nine. Once Herrin had a clear track in front of him, the 33-year-old Californian stretched out a 1.490-second gap over second place and set a new Supersport lap record in the process at 1:27.554.

Second-place finisher, Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse’s Darryn Binder led the first half of the race and defended multiple pass attempts from the riders behind him at turn 10A. The South African Supersport race one winner showed he has the speed to run directly with Herrin and briefly set his own Supersport lap record of 1:27.613 on lap 15 before Herrin eclipsed him by .059 of a second and trails Herrin by just three points.

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was the only other rider to dip into the minute-27 club with a 1:27.938 on lap 11. The GSX-R750 rider could not keep touch with the leaders, however, as they consistently put down minute-27’s for the remainder of the race. Scott finished 6.6 seconds behind the leader to cap off the podium. Scott is third in points with 56 points.

Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov brought her Ducati Panigale V2 home in fourth position. The polesitter ran as high as third for a moment before falling behind the lead group, finishing 6.9 seconds behind the leader. She sits fourth in points with 42 heading into the next round.

Rounding out the top five was Strack Racing’s Blake Davis aboard his Yamaha YZF-R9. After finishing third in race one, Davis heads to Barber fifth in points with 36 on the board.  

 

Josh Herrin crosses the finish line ahead of Darryn Binder to take the win in Sunday’s Supersport race two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The following quote is from race two winner Josh Herrin:

“I lived here for a long time, and I love coming here and all the people here. I have a lot of family and friends. I’ve never clicked well with it. On a 600, or supersport class, it’s been better to me, but in Superbike, I’ve really struggled here. So, that one felt good.

“To answer your question about riding with Darryn (Binder), yes, it was a lot of fun, but everybody in this class for the most part, except for Tyler (Scott), is new for me riding around them. So, I’m trying to sit back and learn their styles and see where they’re passing, where I can get away a little bit and stuff like that. It’s a lot of fun, though. You know me and my history. I’d rather fight to the end than have boring races. I was having a lot of fun out there. Super-happy with how the team worked this weekend. Thanks to the whole Rahal Desnuda Tequila team.”

 

For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, CLICK HERE

 

 

 

More from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Mathew Scholtz and Bobby Fong Split Wins in Thrilling MotoAmerica Superbike Opener. Yamaha BLU CRU riders set the pace at Road Atlanta to kick off the 2026 MotoAmerica season in style, with Blake Davis finishing on the podium in Supersport. 

Anticipation was high for the MotoAmerica Superbike season opener at Road Atlanta, with a stacked premier-class field eager to launch their title campaigns at the 2.55-mile circuit in Braselton, Georgia. And perhaps no one was more ready than Mathew Scholtz.

Fresh off back-to-back MotoAmerica Supersport titles with Strack Racing Yamaha, Scholtz made his return to the Superbike class with confidence. There are always question marks at the start of a new season, but Scholtz answered them emphatically: pole position, a masterclass ride in a chaotic, twice-started Race 1, and a runner-up finish in Race 2 to leave his home round with an early championship lead.

“Obviously, I was very excited to get back on the Superbike,” said Scholtz. “We started off very well in the first practice. The bike was really comfortable to ride right out of the gate. We made a few changes to suit my riding style, and then, yeah, we just always seemed to find ourselves at the sharp end. Throughout Friday, and in qualifying, we got pole position.”

 

Bobby Fong (50) and JD Beach (95) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

Lining up alongside him was Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong, with teammate JD Beach starting from the second row in fifth. When the lights went out in Race 1, Yamaha immediately set the tone with a 1-2-3 start, with Scholtz grabbing the holeshot ahead of Beach and Fong.

Scholtz set a blistering pace up front to distance himself from the competition. Meanwhile, Fong moved past Beach into second before chaos struck on Lap 6. Fong crashed in Turn 1, and then a separate incident brought out the red flag. Although Fong was able to return to the pits, he was unable to line up for the restart.

Once again, Scholtz got another great start to lead into turn one and ultimately ride away from the competition, winning by an impressive seven-second margin.

 

Mathew Scholtz (on the left) on the podium after his victory in superbike race 1 at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

“The race started off great,” said Scholtz. “I got the holeshot and managed to pull out a gap. The red flag came out, and I knew that when the tires dropped off, that I had a little bit better pace than most of the guys. So I just started the second part of the race with confidence that I just had to stick to my lines and do what we had been doing throughout the practice sessions, and I brought it home in first place.”

Behind him, Beach held strong in second for much of the race despite being under pressure in a multi-rider battle that included Sean Dylan Kelly and Cameron Beaubier. With five laps to go, Beach was shuffled back but recovered to third after Beaubier ran off track. Unfortunately, a technical issue forced him to retire shortly after.

In Race 2, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Scholtz had another brilliant start, with the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing duo of Beach and Fong in pursuit. Fong quickly moved into second and began closing the gap, setting up a high-speed duel between the two Yamaha riders. The pair clicked off laps at a relentless pace, building a commanding lead over the rest of the field.

 

Mathew Scholtz (11) leading Bobby Fong (50) and Sean Dylan Kelly (40) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

As the race unfolded, it became a strategic fight at the front. Then, with two laps remaining, Fong made his move to the lead. With Scholtz managing a late-race technical issue, he brought home the runner-up finish, extending his championship lead to nine points.

Fong continued to ride a strong pace to bring home the win for the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing squad – his 12th career win in class. It was a great comeback from a tough start to the season opener, scoring valuable points in the title fight, which has him fourth and 20 points behind Scholtz.

 

From left to right with Mathew Scholtz, Bobby Fong and Jeff Sidlovsky – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS, on the podium after the Superbike Race 2 at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

“It was definitely an up-and-down weekend,” said Fong. “We started off the weekend pretty well – top three in the times in practice and qualifying. We had a good race pace, and our times were faster than I’ve ever been around this place on race tires, so that was good. We just had some bad luck in race one. I had no warning and just tucked the front, so that was a bummer, but we rebounded for Sunday’s race. I was looking forward to a last-lap duel with Mat (Scholtz), but I kind of got lucky on that one. In this sport, sometimes you need some luck, just like I had some bad luck on Saturday. I’m definitely looking forward to Barber. I think Barber will suit my style a little bit better. I’m looking forward to continuing the progress and chipping away at these points.”

In Supersport, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis continued to build momentum in his championship campaign. The young rider from Virginia got a great start in Race 1, quickly moving into second and holding position through much of the race before running off track with five laps to go. Davis quickly regrouped and charged back to third on the final lap to secure his first podium of the season. In Race 2, he once again ran inside the top five, leaving Road Atlanta fifth in the championship standings.

 

Blake Davis (22) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle also made gains in the Supersport Championship, scoring a pair of top-10 finishes (7-10) to move to sixth in the standings.

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane pulled double duty in two classes. In the MotoAmerica Twins Cup, the young Australian scored a sixth and eighth-place finish. In the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, he battled up front in the first race of the weekend. Unfortunately, a crash on the second lap dropped him back to ninth, but he rebounded in Race 2, finishing fourth to score valuable points and leave fourth in the standings.

Next up, the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship heads to Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on May 15-17.

 

 

More from a press release issued by OrangeCat Racing:

Two Podiums for Kelly and a Top Five for Uribe in Superbike Season Opener at Road Atlanta. Sean Dylan Kelly makes his debut with OrangeCat Racing a memorable one with a pair of podium finishes; Jayson Uribe starts strong finishing fifth in race one, eleventh in race two.

OrangeCat Racing, the first official BMW Motorrad Motorsport team in MotoAmerica Superbike, left its first race weekend with two podiums, and riders in second and eighth in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship standings.

Sean Dylan Kelly’s debut with OrangeCat Racing was a competitive start with the Floridian scoring a second-place finish in Saturday’s race one and a third in Sunday’s race two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on his BMW M 1000 RR. 

Kelly’s incumbent teammate Jayson Uribe bounced back from a high-speed crash in a Friday practice to finish a fifth in race one and a fighting eleventh in race two.

The team started the weekend with Kelly putting his BMW on the front row with the third-fastest qualifying time, –0.149 seconds from pole position. Uribe put his OrangeCat Racing BMW on row three, despite losing track time with a Friday crash.

 

Sean Dylan Kelly secures second place in his first Superbike race with OrangeCat Racing, putting the BMW M 1000 RR straight onto the podium. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

In Saturday’s race one, Kelly matched his qualifying position on the opening lap of the race, which was scheduled for 19 laps. Kelly moved up a spot on the sixth lap, and shortly thereafter the race was stopped due to a red flag.

The race was restarted with 12 laps to go, and Kelly again started third, but moved up a spot to second with five laps to go. Uribe was in a heated fight, battling for sixth place. That would turn out to be a battle for fifth, and it went to Uribe, putting his OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR in the top five in the first race of the season.

Although he dropped a spot to third in race two, Kelly was closer to the lead than he was in race one, matching the pace of the two riders ahead of him until starting to struggle with arm pump. Still, Kelly held on for third, his second podium of the weekend.

Uribe was again in a race-long battle for position in race two, running in eighth place until dropping a few spots in the final laps to finish the 19-lap race in eleventh. At the finish line, Uribe was just .774 of a second from eighth. The Californian also had the seventh fastest lap of the race, almost half a second faster than his best from Saturday’s race one.

Jeff Connors — Team Principal: “I am proud of the team and how we handled the weekend. Going into our first season of Superbike has been a journey and it is nice to come out of Road Atlanta with some solid results. We had a few setbacks, but these things happen in racing. With the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, alpha racing, and our talented team members, we will push to be even stronger at Barber. Great start to the season.”

 

Jayson Uribe #36 charges through the esses at Road Atlanta as Cameron Beaubier #1 claws his way forward. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Jayson Uribe — No. 36: “Saturday was an incredible day for the entire race team and I felt great about ending race one in P5 despite riding with a fractured wrist from a crash on Friday. I gave it everything I possibly could in race two – and our pace was on par with the top five – but the last couple laps were tough. I’m going to heal up, get better, and will be back at it for Barber.”

 

Sean Dylan Kelly #40 fires out of the turn, holding off a hard-charging JD Beach #95. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Sean Dylan Kelly — No. 40: “I’m really pumped about this weekend. Had a strong start on Saturday with a P2, and even though I landed in P3 for race two, I felt a lot more competitive and was much closer to the win. It was awesome to start my journey with the OrangeCat Racing team with two podiums: I’m feeling really good and looking forward to making another step at Barber.”

 

OrangeCat Racing’s promotional and technical partners for the 2026 MotoAmerica season include BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Lightfighter, Motoworks Chicago, Ohlins USA, Farasis, and alpha Racing.

For full results of the opening round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).

The second round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 15-17.

 

More from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA:

Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer featured prominently as the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship resumed at Road Atlanta this weekend, racing away with podium finishes.

 

Race Highlights:

  • M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Supersport
      • Tyler Scott upped his perfect 2026 podium record to three-for-three with a pair of impressive outings at Road Atlanta.
    • Superbike
      • Brandon Paasch returned to the squad and was immediately back inside the top ten.
  • Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Superbike
      • Richie Escalante transitioned back to Superbike duty to score a pair of top tens in the premier-class double opener.

 

Tyler Scott extended his perfect 2026 podium streak with a double podium performance aboard the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

M4 ESCSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott carried his frontrunning Daytona form into Road Atlanta and continued to make an impression up front. The Pennsylvanian secured himself a place on the front row, qualifying second fastest aboard the next-generation GSX-R750 racer. He made the most of that strong grid slotting, twice claiming the holeshot before battling among the leaders in a pair of thrilling Supersport shootouts. On Saturday, he finished a close second, some 0.378 seconds off the win. He was well positioned to improve upon that finish on Sunday until encountering a spell of bad luck with slower traffic. Despite getting separated from the lead pack, he managed to win out in a scrap for third to log a double podium weekend.

Scott said, “I set a new personal best lap here at Road Atlanta in today’s race. You know, this hasn’t really been one of the best tracks for me, so I’m really happy with the progress me and my M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team made this weekend. I can’t thank those guys enough. I feel really good on the bike – we’re going to take what we learned and move forward and hopefully be higher up on the podium next time out.”

 

Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante recorded a pair of top-ten finishes while opening his 2026 Superbike campaign at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante traded in his GSX-R750 Daytona 200 racebike for a fire-breathing GSX-R1000R Superbike as the premier class opened its 2026 championship season in Georgia. The Mexican ace secured a second-row grid position and then matched his qualifying performance with a sixth-place run in Saturday’s race. He looked capable of improving upon it, but some midrace misfortune dropped him down to tenth in Sunday’s rematch.

Escalante said, “It was a long weekend for us and a tough one. This is a difficult track for me, and this was our first race on the Superbike after about six months. We never found the best setting that would be good for the podium, but we kept trying and the team worked really hard. We made progress but not enough. We made it through and there are 18 races left. We are ready to get to Barber and try again.”

 

Brandon Paasch returned to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki competition with seventh- and eighth-place Superbike finishes. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Brandon Paasch made his Team Hammer return with a promising opener at Road Atlanta. The two-time Daytona 200 winner, twice worked his way forward aboard his M4 ESCSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike from a Row 4 starting slot, registering seventh and eighth-place results on the weekend.

Paasch said, “The goal was for me to start the Superbike season better than the last time – to get points and a good base setting. We were able to do that. On Saturday, we got a little lucky and ended up battling with Richie and got some solid points. On Sunday, we made a bunch of changes and really started getting into my groove. I passed a whole group of riders to make up some spots. We need to keep the momentum going forward. I know I have a great crew and they kept me pointed in the right direction.”

The 2026 MotoAmerica season will continue on May 15-17 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

 

More from a press release issued by Warhorse HSBK Ducati:

Cameron Beaubier and Benjamin Smith Debut Ducati Panigale V4 R with Top-10 Finishes for Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law.

Six-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Cameron Beaubier, made an action-packed debut for the Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team at round one of the 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Road Atlanta.

Beaubier and the brand new 2026 edition of the all-conquering Ducati Panigale V4 R topped Friday’s timesheets, but it all hit a snag in qualifying on Saturday morning with a crash ensuring he would start from the rear of the grid for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races.

Beaubier was able to close in on third place in Race One, then secured fifth during Sunday’s Race Two.

The result ensures Beaubier leaves Georgia third in the points standings behind leader Scholtz.

Teammate Benjamin Smith also debuted in Ducati colors at Road Atlanta. The youngster acquitted himself well to the task of taming the Panigale V4 R, taking ninth place in Race Two after a mechanical problem ended his first race charge on the final lap.

In the Supersport category, new signing Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse) made the first race one to remember by taking his first win on American soil by 0.3-seconds over Tyler Scott.

All was set for a final lap showdown with Josh Herrin (Ducati) in race two, but a mistake by Binder with two laps to go ensured he didn’t have the final push to deny Herrin, who took his second win of the season.

Binder now sits second to Herrin in the Supersport points, 61 to 58.

 

Cameron Beaubier (1) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Nelson.

 

Cameron Beaubier (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law – #1): “The weekend was pretty wild!” Beaubier said after race two at Road Atlanta. “I can see the potential of this Ducati Panigale V4 R, but it was the first time out on it in a race situation, so we had some issues pop up that were a bit new. We had a few instability problems at high speed, but the team worked so hard all weekend to try to make me comfortable.

“We got a bit lucky in race one with a third place after I crashed in qualifying. The team put the bike back together in time for the race, but we had a clutch problem that they fixed in the pits, so the red flag was a bit of a savior for our result.

“Today I was hoping for a little bit more, but the bottom line is we have some work to do. It’s the first race with a new bike and a new team, so it’s hard to expect a ton more from the weekend. I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

 

Benjamin Smith (78) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Nelson.

 

Benjamin Smith (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law – #78): “Overall, I’d say it was a great weekend,” Smith said. “Considering how little time we’ve had on the bike for this round, I’m super happy with the performance. We had a couple of good sessions on Friday and Saturday. During race one on Saturday, we were running in the top five—fifth on the last lap with three corners to go—and I unfortunately ran into a mechanical problem which ended our race prematurely.

“The team did a great job getting the bike back together for Sunday, and I had another good race. I was hovering around the lead of the second group and ended up in ninth place. The package is incredible. For the first weekend on it, I think we are ahead of where we need to be.”

 

Darryn Binder (70) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Nelson.

 

Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse – #70): “It was a super positive weekend,” South African Binder said. “I’m really happy with how everything went, with a win in race one and a second in race two. I had a really strong race—Josh (Herrin) and I managed to get away, and I was really looking forward to a last-lap battle, but I unfortunately hit my kill switch with two laps to go, which cost me just enough time to not fight for the win. Other than that, everything was excellent, and I can’t thank the team enough for giving me such a good bike.”

Round two of the 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held on May 15-17 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

 

 

More from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

Collins Fights in the Top 10; Gerardo Demonstrates Top 5 Pace; Martinez Learns the Ropes of MotoAmerica; Nassaney Builds On New Chassis Setup.

Torin Collins (71) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus

 

Maximiliano Gerardo (241) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus

 

Austin Martinez (999) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus

 

 

 

 

 

EWC: Yart Yamaha Won The 24 Heures Motos

Mathilde Gasnier
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0
EWC: Yart Yamaha Won The 24 Heures Motos

Le Mans, April 19 – The 49th edition of the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans has concluded at the Bugatti Circuit. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team claimed a strong victory under the Sarthe sun, securing a second win in a row following their 2025 success.

 

Yet, it was far from easy for YZF-R1 #1 (Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz, Tati Mercado). Starting from pole position, the Austrian team completely missed their start, finding themselves kicked out of the top five in the opening laps. It was a long, hard night of racing to get back to the front.

The turning point came at dawn. The BMW #37 of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal, Michael Van der Mark), which had led for the first 16 hours despite a freezing night at 4°C, eventually dropped down. A series of bad luck ruined hopes for a first European victory at Le Mans: a crash by Van Der Mark in the morning, a penalty following a collision at Turn 7, and then a mechanical issue late in the race that sent the M1000RR sliding down the standings. With its rival defeated, YART settled for managing a lead of four to six laps to give Yamaha its sixth victory at Le Mans.

 

SERT performs well, Kawasaki focuses on reliability

Behind the winners, Yoshimura SERT Motul secured second place on the podium with their Suzuki #12. The trio of Gregg Black, Etienne Masson, and Dan Linfoot managed to overcome electronic cutouts early in the race and a shifter issue later on to secure valuable points.

Third place went to the Kawasaki Webike Trickstar (Cristian Gamarino, Roman Ramos, Gregory Leblanc). The Kawasaki #11 bike proved reliable, avoiding every pitfall to capitalize on the failures of their rivals.

The race also saw other notable retirements. The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99’s Yamaha, brilliant at the start of the race, finished with an engine failure. It was also a tough race for the Honda F.C.C. TSR Honda France, which crashed in the early hours. After returning to the track following more than 15 minutes of mechanical work, it ultimately secured 12th place overall.

 

 

Champion-Hert Powered by MRP Team. Photo courtesy EWC

 

Superstock: Champion-Hert MRP takes the win

Superstock win went to the BMW of Champion-Hert Powered by MRP, which is the Hungarian team’s first-ever victory. It finished ahead of the No Limits Honda, which took second place. Third place went to the TRT27 AZ Moto team, which hadn’t stood on the podium since the 2024 Bol d’Or.

 

Legacy Competition Team. Photo courtesy EWC

 

Legacy Competition Wins in the Production Class

In Production, Legacy Competition team riding the Yamaha #96 to the victory, edging out the GreenTeam 42 Lycée Saint Claire 42 Kawasaki. Special mention goes to Mana-au Competition, which, in its very first appearance in the category, claimed third place on the podium.

 

  • CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS

This opening round has logically put the YART Yamaha in the lead of the FIM EWC championship ahead of the next round in June (5-6): the 8 Hours of Spa Motos at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit (ticketing).

 

WHAT THEY SAID…

 

EWC – Winner: YART Yamaha Official EWC Team (#1)

Marvin Fritz: “Amazing way to start the year with the number one on our bike. To take back-to-back wins here at Le Mans is incredible. Last year it happened on my birthday, and this year it came just before, so maybe I gave myself an early present. The team did an amazing job. We struggled at the start of the week, and I started the weekend with a crash in the gravel, but we sat down together, worked through it, and turned the bike into a winning package. In the race, it felt unbelievable, and even at the end, when I wanted to ride a bit slower, the pace was still there. A huge thank you to the whole YART team, especially my teammates. They did a fantastic job, made no mistakes, and that is how you win Le Mans.”

 

Karel Hanika: “It is an amazing start to the season, and with even more points than last year, it is a great way to begin. It wasn’t a perfect weekend because we had some issues in practice. We were trying to find the right way because a few things weren’t working as usual, so we had to make a few modifications to the bike and adapt our riding. But we did a great job, moved forward, and the bike felt amazing in the race. We had no technical problems and no issues in the pit stops, so overall it was a great weekend. We got the lap record, pole position, and the race win, so we could not ask for much more. Now we look ahead to the next race.”

 

Leandro Mercado: “It feels like a dream. To join this team for my first race and come away with pole position and the win is incredible. The race was perfect, so it was an amazing feeling. I want to thank the whole team for a fantastic job. My teammates were also really fast, and together we made no mistakes. There were no mistakes in the pit stops; it was a clean race, and I am so happy. It is an amazing feeling.”

 

Mandy Kainz (Team Manager): “This is one of those rare endurance races where almost everything went perfectly. We made virtually no mistakes, the bike worked incredibly well, and the whole team performed at a very high level. Nothing came loose, nothing went wrong, and after all those laps the bike was still running as it had at the start. It was simply a perfect performance. I have not calculated everything yet, but if you win the race and take all the points from qualifying, you can be very happy with how the championship has started.”

 

STK – Winner: Champion-Hert Powered by MRP (#38)

Loris Cresson: “It means a lot to me. I have been watching this race since I was a child. The team did an incredible job this weekend. We had no issues and no technical problems. It was a dream race, and it ended perfectly.”

 

MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Twins Cup Race At Road Atlanta

Michael Gougis
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0
MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Twins Cup Race At Road Atlanta

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin took the red flag-interrupted MotoAmerica Twins Cup win at Road Atlanta on Sunday, finishing 2.624 seconds ahead of Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg in second. Karns/TST Industries Racing’s Kevin Olmedo was third, followed by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bodie Paige in fourth and Karns/TST Industries Racing’s Isaac Woodworth in fifth.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday King Of The Baggers Race At Road Atlanta

Michael Gougis
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0
MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday King Of The Baggers Race At Road Atlanta

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Hayden Gillim won the MotoAmerica King of The Baggers race at Road Atlanta on Sunday, finishing 4.161 seconds ahead of teammate Rocco Landers in second place. J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Troy Herfoss completed the podium in third, followed by Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith in fourth and SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara in fifth.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Superbike Race At Road Atlanta (Updated)

Michael Gougis
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0
MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Superbike Race At Road Atlanta (Updated)

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong took the MotoAmerica QUAD LOCK Superbike win on Sunday at Road Atlanta, finishing 2.921 seconds ahead of Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz in second place. OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly was third, followed by Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach in fourth and Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law’s Cameron Beaubier in fifth. MotoAmerica’s revised results moved Beaubier to fifth and Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen, who was originally fifth, to sixth. Beaubier was assessed a five-second penalty for a start violation, but the penalty does not appear on the revised results.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Royal Enfield BTR Race At Road Atlanta

Michael Gougis
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0
MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Royal Enfield BTR Race At Road Atlanta

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 
Brianna Cutler took the win in the MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. sprint on Sunday at Road Atlanta, finishing 4.909 seconds ahead of Jasmine Noelle in second place. Bryanna Everitt completed the podium in third, followed by Tati Paze in fourth and Emily Dickson in fifth.

 

26_4_RDATL_BTR_R2_res

MotoAmerica: Results Of Sunday Supersport Race From Road Atlanta

Michael Gougis
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0
MotoAmerica: Results Of Sunday Supersport Race From Road Atlanta

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila’s Josh Herrin took the MotoAmerica Supersport win on Sunday at Road Atlanta ahead of Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse’s Darryn Binder, who finished 1.490 seconds back. M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was third, followed by Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov in fourth and Strack Racing’s Blake Davis in fifth.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results Of Sunday Talent Cup Race At Road Atlanta

Michael Gougis
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0
MotoAmerica: Results Of Sunday Talent Cup Race At Road Atlanta

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira won Sunday’s MotoAmerica Talent Cup race at Road Atlanta, just beating Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker and Team Hammer’s Jake Paige, with Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane and Bettencourt Racing’s Nathan Bettencourt completing the top five. The front trio were separated by just 0.221 seconds in a tightly contested finish, while Bettencourt trailed the leader by over 11 seconds.

 

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WorldSBK: Race Two Results From Assen

Mathilde Gasnier
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0
WorldSBK: Race Two Results From Assen

Nicolo Bulega won World Superbike Race Two Sunday afternoon at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the Championship point leader won the 21-lap race by 2.724 seconds.

His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up. 

Sam Lowes was third on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.

Alvaro Bautista finished the race fourth on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R and his teammate, Yari Montella got fifth.

Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 9th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR. 

American Garrett Gerloff finished the race 18th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 186 points, 69 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 117 points. Sam Lowes is third with 82 points.

 

Resultswsbk race 2

 

ChampionshipStandingswsbk

 

 

More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:

Lucky Number 13: Bulega equals Razgatlioglu with 13th consecutive victory with Assen hat-trick. Bulega is one short of the all-time record after he claimed the Race 2 win in the Netherlands, ahead of teammate Lecuona and Sam Lowes.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has drawn level with Toprak Razgatlioglu after securing his 13th consecutive victory in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. His Race 2 victory etched his name into the history books as he beat teammate Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the TT Circuit Assen, while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out the rostrum in the final race of the Pirelli Dutch Round.

 

BATTLING TO THE RECORD: Bulega made to work hard for his 13th win in a row

Sam Lowes hit the front as soon as Lap 1 through the opening sector of the first lap and looked to defend from the factory Ducati duo, but Lecuona looked to make a move on the #14 at Turn 6 and 7; however, Lecuona ran wide, and ended up back in second place, but the #7 hit the front at Turn 1 on Lap 3, before Bulega followed his teammate through at Turn 4. At the end of the lap, Bulega passed Lecuona at Turn 16 under braking to take the lead of the race. Once the #11 hit the front, he was able to control the race as he built a lead over Lecuona on his way to his 13th consecutive victory, equalling the record set by Toprak Razgatlioglu in both 2024 and 2025. It’s also his ninth consecutive win to start the season, and his 22nd consecutive podium; three behind the all-time record. Lecuona made it six podiums in a row, all in P2, while it was a hat-trick of P3s for Sam Lowes; the Brit recorded Great Britain’s 900th WorldSBK podium.

 

P4 FOR BAUTISTA: Three strong results for the #19, Montella fights to fifth

Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) made it three P4 finishes at Assen, with a move on Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) on Lap 4 at Turn 16 the crucial pass for fourth place. Bautista’s teammate, Yari Montella, battled his way through the field to finish in P5 as he used his pace advantage of the #22 to get ahead of the Brit around halfway through the race. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) finished in sixth as Ducati locked out the top six positions, repeating what they did in Race 2 at Phillip Island last year.

 

INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Vierge, Locatelli finish line astern

Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished directly ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli as they came home in seventh and eighth, with ‘Loka’ making a late move on Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to secure P8. ‘Petrux’ came home in ninth with Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) completing the top ten.

 

DROPPING DOWN THE ORDER: Alex Lowes falls from P4 to P11

Alex Lowes finished the race in 11th after dramatically dropping down the order, losing out to Mackenzie in the final stages of the 21-lap race. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was unable to fight his way into the top ten, eventually finishing in 12th, with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team duo Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi in P13, P14 and P15 respectively. Gardner and Manzi finished just 0.003s apart, with the #87 pipping his rookie teammate to 14th.

 

COMPLETING THE FIELD: Every rider finishes the race

Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) finished just 1.585s away from a point as he beat Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing), Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team), Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the top 20. As in Race 1 on Saturday, all 22 riders who started the race finished it, with Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and wildcard Twan Smits (Team Apreco) completing the order.

 

The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.724s

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +5.257s

4. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) + 8.941s

5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.845s

6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +12.872s

Fastest Lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) – 1’33.162s

 

 

Championship Standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 186 points

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 117

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 82

4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 69

5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 69

6. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 67

 

Next up, Balaton Park! Watch all the action from Hungary using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Supercross: Results From Cleveland, OH

Mathilde Gasnier
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0
Supercross: Results From Cleveland, OH

CLEVELAND (April 19, 2026) – For the first time in three decades the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship visited the shores of Lake Erie, where an enthusiastic crowd inside Huntington Bank Field braved rain showers, cold temperatures, and swirling winds for Round 14 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship. The conditions were certainly a factor as the 450SMX Class title fight took yet another dramatic turn in what has become a historic season for the sport’s premier crown. A wild afternoon of racing saw Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen prevail with his fourth win of the year following an unbeatable level of consistency across all three races that brought him within a single point of the championship lead after an adversity plagued effort for Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence.

 

 

Ken Roczen Tightens Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight with Dramatic Triple Crown Victory in Cleveland.

 

The first of three 12 Minutes + 1 Lap premier class races told a very different story from the final outcome as Lawrence started out front with the holeshot and early lead over Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper and Roczen. The clear track paid big dividends for Lawrence as he established a multi-second advantage over the field that proved to be insurmountable. Behind him, Roczen made the pass on Cooper for second and after a brief push forward elected to settle into the position. Lawrence went unchallenged and began the afternoon with a wire-to-wire win by a margin of 5.4 seconds over Roczen, with Cooper in third. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Start followed in fourth, while Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb rounded out the top five.

 
The field was forced to navigate a wet racetrack, a light drizzle, and increased wind for Race 2, which started with Cooper edging out Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton for the holeshot to grab the early lead. An intense early battle for third unfolded between Stewart, Roczen, and Webb, from which Webb got the upper hand. Lawrence, meanwhile, fought his way forward from a start deep in the top 10. The intensity picked up from Roczen, who made a move on Webb for third and then charged by Sexton for second. Sexton regrouped and fought back to reclaim the position, which helped Cooper open a lead of more than five seconds. Sexton, Roczen, and Webb continued their fight as Roczen once again got by Sexton with less than 30 seconds remaining. Out front, Cooper completed a wire-to-wire effort of his own by a margin of two seconds over Roczen, with Sexton third and Webb fourth. Lawrence fought his way forward to finish fifth, well back of the lead group.

 
The third and deciding race began with Roczen out front for the holeshot and early lead over Webb, Sexton, and Cooper while Lawrence emerged in eighth. Roczen dropped the hammer in the opening laps and sprinted out to a five-second lead over Webb, while Sexton and Cooper settled into third and fourth, respectively. As he looked to move forward Lawrence crashed in the whoops and fell outside the top 10, reentering the race in 14th place. Back up front, Cooper crashed while running fourth and reentered in ninth, which moved Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath into fourth. A couple laps later, Lawrence crashed again as he looked to move back into the top 10 and dropped to 14th once more. Out front, Roczen ran away from the field to put the finishing touch on his winning performance by a margin of 8.7 seconds over Webb, while Team Tedder Racing KTM’s Justin Hill passed Sexton on the final lap for third. Cooper recovered for seventh, while Lawrence soldiered home in 14th.

 
An incredibly consistent effort for Roczen easily brought him the overall win with five points on 2-2-1 finishes, as his 27th career victory has moved him into a tie for 10th on the all-time wins list. Webb (5-4-2) and Cooper (3-1-7) finished in a tie for the runner-up spot, six points behind Roczen with 11 points apiece. Webb earned the edge over Cooper by virtue of the Race 3 tiebreaker.
 

Lawrence’s misfortune in the final race relegated him to sixth overall with 20 points on 1-5-14 finishes. As a result, his points lead went from 10 points to just a single point over Roczen with three races remaining. The battle for the championship could be down to a two-rider affair after Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac was forced to miss the Triple Crown following a crash in qualifying that left him with a hip injury. Tomac’s absence allowed Webb to move into third, 22 points out of the lead, while Tomac is now fourth, 31 points back.

 

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen dominated the final race to put the finishing touch on his fourth win of the season. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:

“Wow. I had no idea I was one point back [in the championship]. I am so blown away with the gamble we took with the weather. It was supposed to be clear for the last two races, but it kept raining. That affected my decision with goggles, and I kept sticking with roll-offs just to be safe. After I got the holeshot in the last race I had a clear track and just felt really comfortable. Once I had a gap, I just made sure I didn’t do anything silly. I’m just so grateful I’m able to ride like this.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb captured his second straight runner-up finish following 5-4-2 race finishes. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:

“What a crazy day. Qualifying was great, then the rain came and we had the Triple Crown. I rode bad in the first race but got better for the last two. I didn’t think I had a chance for the podium after the first two [races], so I rode free in the last one. Kenny [Roczen] rode those first laps like it was dry and got away. I was a distant second. Overall, I’m happy with it. We had a good day.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper earned a race win en route to a third-place finish following 3-1-7 finishes. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Justin Cooper – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:

“This track was very tricky, and things could go wrong very quickly. I’m happy to get up from the crash unscathed, the concrete hurt. Just glad to be up on the podium still [despite the crash]. I spun off the gate but somehow came out top five and then had that crash. It was a bummer to go down and give away a spot [overall] but just thankful I’m okay. It was still a great night.”

 

450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen, and Justin Cooper. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

Hunter Lawrence – 6th Place – 450SMX Class:

“I had a bad start and just made it tough on myself. Another rider checked up and I went down. It was a bit of a [expletive] night at the office. We’ll come back next weekend in Philly.”

 

Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence endured through adversity in the final race and saw his championship lead drop to a single point after sixth overall. Photo courtesy SMX

 

 

 

 

Nate Thrasher Prevails with Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Win

 

The first of three 10 Minutes + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class races began with points leader Cole Davies alongside his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Nate Thrasher exiting the first turn. While Davies earned the holeshot, he gave way to Thrasher and soon dropped to third behind Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, Davies’ championship rival. Davies regrouped and found a rhythm that allowed him to reclaim second from Hammaker and close in on Thrasher for the race lead. The teammates engaged in an exciting battle until Davies went down. The New Zealander remounted quickly and resumed in sixth place. Out front, Thrasher came under fire from Hammaker, who bided his time and made the pass. With the lead in hand, the Kawasaki rider pulled away to grab the Race 1 victory by 4.2 seconds over Thrasher. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick finished third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon in fourth. Davies overcame another near crash and made a last lap pass for fifth.

 
A rain shower made for more challenging track conditions for Race 2, which was halted by a red flag following a crash initiated by Davies on the opening lap and resulted in a restart. As racing got underway once again it was Gordon who emerged with his first career holeshot. He led briefly but gave way to Thrasher, while Davies charged up to third to position to put himself a couple spots ahead of Hammaker. The championship rivals soon battled for third, as Hammaker made an easy pass for the position but was later repassed by Davies. The pair duked it out once more, late in the race, as Hammaker reclaimed the position just before the final lap. Back out front, Thrasher easily controlled the race and cruised to victory by a margin of 3.7 seconds over Gordon. Hammaker held off Davies for third, while Bennick completed the top five.

 
The third and final race got underway with Davies at the head of the pack for the holeshot ahead of Gordon. Behind them, Thrasher started deep in the top 10 while Hammaker made contact with his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Nick Romano, went down, and was forced to start at the tail end of the field. Davies seized the moment with his premium track position and quickly established a multi-second lead on the field as Gordron settled into second. Thrasher was able to make early passes and claw his way up to third but dropped to fourth as Bennick moved into podium position. Hammaker, meanwhile, broke into the top 10 a few minutes into the race and continued to move forward. Davies managed his advantage through the slippery conditions to end the day on a high note with a winning margin of 2.6 seconds over Gordon, with Bennick third and Thrasher in fourth. ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson was fifth, while Hammaker battled back for sixth.

 
Thrasher’s 2-1-4 finishes put him atop the overall standings with a combined score of seven points for the seventh win of his career. He also extended a personal streak of at least one Supercross victory each year of his professional career, which dates back to the 2021 season. Thrasher is the fifth different Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider to win in the 250SMX Class this season for a combined total of 13 victories, which is one shy of the class record for a manufacturer. The runner-up spot went to Gordon, who finished one point behind his teammate for the win following 4-2-2 finishes, while Davies completed a podium sweep for Star Racing in third after the Race 3 victory gave him 10 points with 5-4-1 finishes. Hammaker (1-3-6) finished tied with Davies but settled for fourth by virtue of the Race 3 tiebreaker.

 
With his podium finish, Davies added to his lead in the Eastern Divisional Championship and now holds a 21-point lead over Hammaker with just two races remaining. Bennick, who finished fifth with 11 points on 3-5-5 finishes, strengthened his grip on third and sits 43 points out of the lead.

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher broke through for his first win of the 2026 season and the seventh of his career. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Nate Thrasher – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:

“It’s awesome [to be on top of the podium]. The offseason was unreal, honestly. I felt like I was going to be able to contend for the championship but had a little mishap [and injured his shoulder]. That’s part of it, though. We’ve done what we can–fourth [place], second [place], and now first. We’re trending [upward] and it feels good to be back up here.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon finished in the runner-up spot in just his second career start. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Landen Gordon – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:

“If you would have told me after last weekend [finishing last] I’d be sitting on the podium, that’d be unbelievable. I’ve put in so much work into this. I’m backed by the best team, so I expect this, but it’s truly unbelievable. I have no words. I’m sure it’ll sink in, but right now I’m in shock.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies extended his points lead with a third-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Cole Davies – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:

“It was a rough day, but we still managed a podium. I didn’t give up and fought through. Just reset for the last [race] and got the win. It is what it is. Congrats to my teammates, they were riding good.”

 

Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Landen Gordon, Nate Thrasher, and Cole Davies. Photo courtesy SMX

 

 

 

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 25, with Round 15 from Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. Live comprehensive broadcast coverage will be available exclusively on Peacock, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC on Sunday, April 26, at 1 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:

MotoAmerica: More From SBK & SSP at Road Atlanta

In Sunday’s encore Quad Lock Superbike race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Bobby Fong (50) hounded leader Mathew Scholtz, then snatched the victory when Scholtz had a technical issue with his bike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

More from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Persistence Pays Off For Fong In Quad Lock Superbike Race Two At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Round one of the 2026 Quad Lock Superbike Championship concluded on Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong overtaking polesitter and Saturday’s race one winner Mathew Scholtz with only a couple of laps left to go. Strack Racing Yamaha’s Scholtz experienced a technical problem in the closing laps, and Fong pounced to take the checkered flag.

 

Scholtz (#11) got the holeshot for the second race in a row and looked to be headed for the double win at Road Atlanta until adversity struck. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Scholtz’s return to the premier Quad Lock Superbike Championship after two years and two consecutive championships in MotoAmerica’s Supersport class was a dream come true up to that point. The South African, who has called Georgia his home for the past several years, earned the pole, won Saturday’s race, and was poised to make it a perfect weekend with an encore win on Sunday. But, with just two laps remaining, Scholtz suddenly dropped off the pace, enabling Fong to move into the lead and win the race by nearly three seconds over Scholtz.  

Meanwhile, Sean Dylan Kelly scored his second podium result of the weekend with a third-place finish. The Floridian logged a solid first Superbike weekend with his new OrangeCat Racing team. 

JD Beach had a lonely race in fourth aboard his Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1, but he salvaged valuable points after suffering a race one DNF from a mechanical failure.

Fifth-place finisher Cameron Beaubier left Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta third in points after a hard-fought weekend. The six-time and defending Superbike Champion started from 20th on the grid and made his way all the way up to sixth, ironically, by the sixth lap. Beaubier then overtook Wrench Motorcycles rider Cam Petersen to secure a top-five finish with Petersen coming home sixth.

In seventh place was the Real Steel Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP of Hayden Gillim, just beating out M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch in eighth aboard his GSX-R1000R.

 

Benjamin Smith (#78), Richie Escalante (#54), and Hayden Gillim (#69) head downhill into Turn 12 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law’s Benjamin Smith and Mission Foods M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante rounded out the top 10.

 

The following quote is from race two winner Fong:

“My confidence was kicked twice this weekend and as a racer, you have two crashes and you don’t know what the hell is going on, you’re kind of just looking around like, ‘I can’t do that again,’ especially with my team owner. Everybody knows he’d probably kill me if I did one more throwing it down. So, no. It wasn’t that great at the time. I just wanted it to be over with. But I knew at the end it was going to be a hell of a last-lap battle, if his bike didn’t break. We got a little lucky at the end. I’m sure it would have been fireworks, for sure. We’re both competitive riders. We try to be safe out there, but we want the win just as much as anybody. It was good to get 25 points on the board. Looking forward to Barber. This track, you don’t get that big a drop when the tire goes off. It’s not like a huge decline like most tracks. I feel like going to Barber, you get a huge drop off in the tires and stuff. I think we excel a little bit. I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to be a long season. These guys next to me are super-fast. I feel like, every weekend, we’re going to be seeing each other up here.”

 

 

Deion Campbell (#194) leads Brandon Paasch (#66) and Andrew Lee (#14). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Superbike Cup – Depth Of Field Tested In Race Two

BPR Racing Yamaha’s Deion Campbell was the first Superbike Cup finisher in race two, and he took the checkers ahead of some of the full-on Superbike riders. The Californian finished ahead of Superbike Cup points leader and Real Steel Honda rider Andrew Lee by just .061 of a second.

The third Superbike Cup finisher in race two was Canadian Alex Dumas aboard his Aftercare Scheibe Racing/Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

The following quote is from Deion Campbell, first Superbike Cup finisher in race two winner:

“It was an eventful weekend, for sure. We started off strong, had some little mishaps on Friday. Saturday, we continued with our pace, pushing very well. Unfortunately, we had a little mishap in the first race. And it didn’t go too well for me, but the BPR Racing guys buckled down and really worked hard and got me a great platform to come back strong for race two. Got a great start, got up there in the Superbike grid a little bit. I was just trying to keep my head down, keep up with those guys and stay consistent. I was really just hitting my marks and making sure I brought it home safe in first place.”

 

For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, CLICK HERE

 

 

 

More from another press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Herrin Bounces Back Over Binder In Supersport Showdown.

The second round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is in the books. With much cooler temperatures than Saturday’s race one, several riders commented that tire grip was readily available around the 2.54-mile Georgia circuit. No doubt that helped produce a new lap record in Supersport and lap records in the support classes, as well.

Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila rider Josh Herrin took the win in race two aboard his Ducati Panigale V2. The 2022 Supersport Champion spent the first half of the race in the lead group of four riders before making his move to first on lap nine. Once Herrin had a clear track in front of him, the 33-year-old Californian stretched out a 1.490-second gap over second place and set a new Supersport lap record in the process at 1:27.554.

Second-place finisher, Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse’s Darryn Binder led the first half of the race and defended multiple pass attempts from the riders behind him at turn 10A. The South African Supersport race one winner showed he has the speed to run directly with Herrin and briefly set his own Supersport lap record of 1:27.613 on lap 15 before Herrin eclipsed him by .059 of a second and trails Herrin by just three points.

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was the only other rider to dip into the minute-27 club with a 1:27.938 on lap 11. The GSX-R750 rider could not keep touch with the leaders, however, as they consistently put down minute-27’s for the remainder of the race. Scott finished 6.6 seconds behind the leader to cap off the podium. Scott is third in points with 56 points.

Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov brought her Ducati Panigale V2 home in fourth position. The polesitter ran as high as third for a moment before falling behind the lead group, finishing 6.9 seconds behind the leader. She sits fourth in points with 42 heading into the next round.

Rounding out the top five was Strack Racing’s Blake Davis aboard his Yamaha YZF-R9. After finishing third in race one, Davis heads to Barber fifth in points with 36 on the board.  

 

Josh Herrin crosses the finish line ahead of Darryn Binder to take the win in Sunday’s Supersport race two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The following quote is from race two winner Josh Herrin:

“I lived here for a long time, and I love coming here and all the people here. I have a lot of family and friends. I’ve never clicked well with it. On a 600, or supersport class, it’s been better to me, but in Superbike, I’ve really struggled here. So, that one felt good.

“To answer your question about riding with Darryn (Binder), yes, it was a lot of fun, but everybody in this class for the most part, except for Tyler (Scott), is new for me riding around them. So, I’m trying to sit back and learn their styles and see where they’re passing, where I can get away a little bit and stuff like that. It’s a lot of fun, though. You know me and my history. I’d rather fight to the end than have boring races. I was having a lot of fun out there. Super-happy with how the team worked this weekend. Thanks to the whole Rahal Desnuda Tequila team.”

 

For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE

For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, CLICK HERE

 

 

 

More from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Mathew Scholtz and Bobby Fong Split Wins in Thrilling MotoAmerica Superbike Opener. Yamaha BLU CRU riders set the pace at Road Atlanta to kick off the 2026 MotoAmerica season in style, with Blake Davis finishing on the podium in Supersport. 

Anticipation was high for the MotoAmerica Superbike season opener at Road Atlanta, with a stacked premier-class field eager to launch their title campaigns at the 2.55-mile circuit in Braselton, Georgia. And perhaps no one was more ready than Mathew Scholtz.

Fresh off back-to-back MotoAmerica Supersport titles with Strack Racing Yamaha, Scholtz made his return to the Superbike class with confidence. There are always question marks at the start of a new season, but Scholtz answered them emphatically: pole position, a masterclass ride in a chaotic, twice-started Race 1, and a runner-up finish in Race 2 to leave his home round with an early championship lead.

“Obviously, I was very excited to get back on the Superbike,” said Scholtz. “We started off very well in the first practice. The bike was really comfortable to ride right out of the gate. We made a few changes to suit my riding style, and then, yeah, we just always seemed to find ourselves at the sharp end. Throughout Friday, and in qualifying, we got pole position.”

 

Bobby Fong (50) and JD Beach (95) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

Lining up alongside him was Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong, with teammate JD Beach starting from the second row in fifth. When the lights went out in Race 1, Yamaha immediately set the tone with a 1-2-3 start, with Scholtz grabbing the holeshot ahead of Beach and Fong.

Scholtz set a blistering pace up front to distance himself from the competition. Meanwhile, Fong moved past Beach into second before chaos struck on Lap 6. Fong crashed in Turn 1, and then a separate incident brought out the red flag. Although Fong was able to return to the pits, he was unable to line up for the restart.

Once again, Scholtz got another great start to lead into turn one and ultimately ride away from the competition, winning by an impressive seven-second margin.

 

Mathew Scholtz (on the left) on the podium after his victory in superbike race 1 at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

“The race started off great,” said Scholtz. “I got the holeshot and managed to pull out a gap. The red flag came out, and I knew that when the tires dropped off, that I had a little bit better pace than most of the guys. So I just started the second part of the race with confidence that I just had to stick to my lines and do what we had been doing throughout the practice sessions, and I brought it home in first place.”

Behind him, Beach held strong in second for much of the race despite being under pressure in a multi-rider battle that included Sean Dylan Kelly and Cameron Beaubier. With five laps to go, Beach was shuffled back but recovered to third after Beaubier ran off track. Unfortunately, a technical issue forced him to retire shortly after.

In Race 2, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Scholtz had another brilliant start, with the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing duo of Beach and Fong in pursuit. Fong quickly moved into second and began closing the gap, setting up a high-speed duel between the two Yamaha riders. The pair clicked off laps at a relentless pace, building a commanding lead over the rest of the field.

 

Mathew Scholtz (11) leading Bobby Fong (50) and Sean Dylan Kelly (40) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

As the race unfolded, it became a strategic fight at the front. Then, with two laps remaining, Fong made his move to the lead. With Scholtz managing a late-race technical issue, he brought home the runner-up finish, extending his championship lead to nine points.

Fong continued to ride a strong pace to bring home the win for the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing squad – his 12th career win in class. It was a great comeback from a tough start to the season opener, scoring valuable points in the title fight, which has him fourth and 20 points behind Scholtz.

 

From left to right with Mathew Scholtz, Bobby Fong and Jeff Sidlovsky – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS, on the podium after the Superbike Race 2 at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

“It was definitely an up-and-down weekend,” said Fong. “We started off the weekend pretty well – top three in the times in practice and qualifying. We had a good race pace, and our times were faster than I’ve ever been around this place on race tires, so that was good. We just had some bad luck in race one. I had no warning and just tucked the front, so that was a bummer, but we rebounded for Sunday’s race. I was looking forward to a last-lap duel with Mat (Scholtz), but I kind of got lucky on that one. In this sport, sometimes you need some luck, just like I had some bad luck on Saturday. I’m definitely looking forward to Barber. I think Barber will suit my style a little bit better. I’m looking forward to continuing the progress and chipping away at these points.”

In Supersport, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis continued to build momentum in his championship campaign. The young rider from Virginia got a great start in Race 1, quickly moving into second and holding position through much of the race before running off track with five laps to go. Davis quickly regrouped and charged back to third on the final lap to secure his first podium of the season. In Race 2, he once again ran inside the top five, leaving Road Atlanta fifth in the championship standings.

 

Blake Davis (22) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Yamaha

 

Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle also made gains in the Supersport Championship, scoring a pair of top-10 finishes (7-10) to move to sixth in the standings.

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane pulled double duty in two classes. In the MotoAmerica Twins Cup, the young Australian scored a sixth and eighth-place finish. In the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, he battled up front in the first race of the weekend. Unfortunately, a crash on the second lap dropped him back to ninth, but he rebounded in Race 2, finishing fourth to score valuable points and leave fourth in the standings.

Next up, the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship heads to Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on May 15-17.

 

 

More from a press release issued by OrangeCat Racing:

Two Podiums for Kelly and a Top Five for Uribe in Superbike Season Opener at Road Atlanta. Sean Dylan Kelly makes his debut with OrangeCat Racing a memorable one with a pair of podium finishes; Jayson Uribe starts strong finishing fifth in race one, eleventh in race two.

OrangeCat Racing, the first official BMW Motorrad Motorsport team in MotoAmerica Superbike, left its first race weekend with two podiums, and riders in second and eighth in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship standings.

Sean Dylan Kelly’s debut with OrangeCat Racing was a competitive start with the Floridian scoring a second-place finish in Saturday’s race one and a third in Sunday’s race two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on his BMW M 1000 RR. 

Kelly’s incumbent teammate Jayson Uribe bounced back from a high-speed crash in a Friday practice to finish a fifth in race one and a fighting eleventh in race two.

The team started the weekend with Kelly putting his BMW on the front row with the third-fastest qualifying time, –0.149 seconds from pole position. Uribe put his OrangeCat Racing BMW on row three, despite losing track time with a Friday crash.

 

Sean Dylan Kelly secures second place in his first Superbike race with OrangeCat Racing, putting the BMW M 1000 RR straight onto the podium. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

In Saturday’s race one, Kelly matched his qualifying position on the opening lap of the race, which was scheduled for 19 laps. Kelly moved up a spot on the sixth lap, and shortly thereafter the race was stopped due to a red flag.

The race was restarted with 12 laps to go, and Kelly again started third, but moved up a spot to second with five laps to go. Uribe was in a heated fight, battling for sixth place. That would turn out to be a battle for fifth, and it went to Uribe, putting his OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR in the top five in the first race of the season.

Although he dropped a spot to third in race two, Kelly was closer to the lead than he was in race one, matching the pace of the two riders ahead of him until starting to struggle with arm pump. Still, Kelly held on for third, his second podium of the weekend.

Uribe was again in a race-long battle for position in race two, running in eighth place until dropping a few spots in the final laps to finish the 19-lap race in eleventh. At the finish line, Uribe was just .774 of a second from eighth. The Californian also had the seventh fastest lap of the race, almost half a second faster than his best from Saturday’s race one.

Jeff Connors — Team Principal: “I am proud of the team and how we handled the weekend. Going into our first season of Superbike has been a journey and it is nice to come out of Road Atlanta with some solid results. We had a few setbacks, but these things happen in racing. With the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, alpha racing, and our talented team members, we will push to be even stronger at Barber. Great start to the season.”

 

Jayson Uribe #36 charges through the esses at Road Atlanta as Cameron Beaubier #1 claws his way forward. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Jayson Uribe — No. 36: “Saturday was an incredible day for the entire race team and I felt great about ending race one in P5 despite riding with a fractured wrist from a crash on Friday. I gave it everything I possibly could in race two – and our pace was on par with the top five – but the last couple laps were tough. I’m going to heal up, get better, and will be back at it for Barber.”

 

Sean Dylan Kelly #40 fires out of the turn, holding off a hard-charging JD Beach #95. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Sean Dylan Kelly — No. 40: “I’m really pumped about this weekend. Had a strong start on Saturday with a P2, and even though I landed in P3 for race two, I felt a lot more competitive and was much closer to the win. It was awesome to start my journey with the OrangeCat Racing team with two podiums: I’m feeling really good and looking forward to making another step at Barber.”

 

OrangeCat Racing’s promotional and technical partners for the 2026 MotoAmerica season include BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Lightfighter, Motoworks Chicago, Ohlins USA, Farasis, and alpha Racing.

For full results of the opening round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).

The second round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 15-17.

 

More from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA:

Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer featured prominently as the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship resumed at Road Atlanta this weekend, racing away with podium finishes.

 

Race Highlights:

  • M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Supersport
      • Tyler Scott upped his perfect 2026 podium record to three-for-three with a pair of impressive outings at Road Atlanta.
    • Superbike
      • Brandon Paasch returned to the squad and was immediately back inside the top ten.
  • Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
    • Superbike
      • Richie Escalante transitioned back to Superbike duty to score a pair of top tens in the premier-class double opener.

 

Tyler Scott extended his perfect 2026 podium streak with a double podium performance aboard the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

M4 ESCSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott carried his frontrunning Daytona form into Road Atlanta and continued to make an impression up front. The Pennsylvanian secured himself a place on the front row, qualifying second fastest aboard the next-generation GSX-R750 racer. He made the most of that strong grid slotting, twice claiming the holeshot before battling among the leaders in a pair of thrilling Supersport shootouts. On Saturday, he finished a close second, some 0.378 seconds off the win. He was well positioned to improve upon that finish on Sunday until encountering a spell of bad luck with slower traffic. Despite getting separated from the lead pack, he managed to win out in a scrap for third to log a double podium weekend.

Scott said, “I set a new personal best lap here at Road Atlanta in today’s race. You know, this hasn’t really been one of the best tracks for me, so I’m really happy with the progress me and my M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team made this weekend. I can’t thank those guys enough. I feel really good on the bike – we’re going to take what we learned and move forward and hopefully be higher up on the podium next time out.”

 

Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante recorded a pair of top-ten finishes while opening his 2026 Superbike campaign at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante traded in his GSX-R750 Daytona 200 racebike for a fire-breathing GSX-R1000R Superbike as the premier class opened its 2026 championship season in Georgia. The Mexican ace secured a second-row grid position and then matched his qualifying performance with a sixth-place run in Saturday’s race. He looked capable of improving upon it, but some midrace misfortune dropped him down to tenth in Sunday’s rematch.

Escalante said, “It was a long weekend for us and a tough one. This is a difficult track for me, and this was our first race on the Superbike after about six months. We never found the best setting that would be good for the podium, but we kept trying and the team worked really hard. We made progress but not enough. We made it through and there are 18 races left. We are ready to get to Barber and try again.”

 

Brandon Paasch returned to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki competition with seventh- and eighth-place Superbike finishes. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

 

Brandon Paasch made his Team Hammer return with a promising opener at Road Atlanta. The two-time Daytona 200 winner, twice worked his way forward aboard his M4 ESCSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike from a Row 4 starting slot, registering seventh and eighth-place results on the weekend.

Paasch said, “The goal was for me to start the Superbike season better than the last time – to get points and a good base setting. We were able to do that. On Saturday, we got a little lucky and ended up battling with Richie and got some solid points. On Sunday, we made a bunch of changes and really started getting into my groove. I passed a whole group of riders to make up some spots. We need to keep the momentum going forward. I know I have a great crew and they kept me pointed in the right direction.”

The 2026 MotoAmerica season will continue on May 15-17 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

 

More from a press release issued by Warhorse HSBK Ducati:

Cameron Beaubier and Benjamin Smith Debut Ducati Panigale V4 R with Top-10 Finishes for Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law.

Six-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Cameron Beaubier, made an action-packed debut for the Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team at round one of the 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Road Atlanta.

Beaubier and the brand new 2026 edition of the all-conquering Ducati Panigale V4 R topped Friday’s timesheets, but it all hit a snag in qualifying on Saturday morning with a crash ensuring he would start from the rear of the grid for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races.

Beaubier was able to close in on third place in Race One, then secured fifth during Sunday’s Race Two.

The result ensures Beaubier leaves Georgia third in the points standings behind leader Scholtz.

Teammate Benjamin Smith also debuted in Ducati colors at Road Atlanta. The youngster acquitted himself well to the task of taming the Panigale V4 R, taking ninth place in Race Two after a mechanical problem ended his first race charge on the final lap.

In the Supersport category, new signing Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse) made the first race one to remember by taking his first win on American soil by 0.3-seconds over Tyler Scott.

All was set for a final lap showdown with Josh Herrin (Ducati) in race two, but a mistake by Binder with two laps to go ensured he didn’t have the final push to deny Herrin, who took his second win of the season.

Binder now sits second to Herrin in the Supersport points, 61 to 58.

 

Cameron Beaubier (1) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Nelson.

 

Cameron Beaubier (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law – #1): “The weekend was pretty wild!” Beaubier said after race two at Road Atlanta. “I can see the potential of this Ducati Panigale V4 R, but it was the first time out on it in a race situation, so we had some issues pop up that were a bit new. We had a few instability problems at high speed, but the team worked so hard all weekend to try to make me comfortable.

“We got a bit lucky in race one with a third place after I crashed in qualifying. The team put the bike back together in time for the race, but we had a clutch problem that they fixed in the pits, so the red flag was a bit of a savior for our result.

“Today I was hoping for a little bit more, but the bottom line is we have some work to do. It’s the first race with a new bike and a new team, so it’s hard to expect a ton more from the weekend. I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

 

Benjamin Smith (78) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Nelson.

 

Benjamin Smith (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law – #78): “Overall, I’d say it was a great weekend,” Smith said. “Considering how little time we’ve had on the bike for this round, I’m super happy with the performance. We had a couple of good sessions on Friday and Saturday. During race one on Saturday, we were running in the top five—fifth on the last lap with three corners to go—and I unfortunately ran into a mechanical problem which ended our race prematurely.

“The team did a great job getting the bike back together for Sunday, and I had another good race. I was hovering around the lead of the second group and ended up in ninth place. The package is incredible. For the first weekend on it, I think we are ahead of where we need to be.”

 

Darryn Binder (70) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Nelson.

 

Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse – #70): “It was a super positive weekend,” South African Binder said. “I’m really happy with how everything went, with a win in race one and a second in race two. I had a really strong race—Josh (Herrin) and I managed to get away, and I was really looking forward to a last-lap battle, but I unfortunately hit my kill switch with two laps to go, which cost me just enough time to not fight for the win. Other than that, everything was excellent, and I can’t thank the team enough for giving me such a good bike.”

Round two of the 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held on May 15-17 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

 

 

More from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

Collins Fights in the Top 10; Gerardo Demonstrates Top 5 Pace; Martinez Learns the Ropes of MotoAmerica; Nassaney Builds On New Chassis Setup.

Torin Collins (71) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus

 

Maximiliano Gerardo (241) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus

 

Austin Martinez (999) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus

 

 

 

 

 

EWC: Yart Yamaha Won The 24 Heures Motos

Yart Yamaha official EWC Team makes it two in a row at Le Mans. Photo courtesy EWC.

Le Mans, April 19 – The 49th edition of the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans has concluded at the Bugatti Circuit. The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team claimed a strong victory under the Sarthe sun, securing a second win in a row following their 2025 success.

 

Yet, it was far from easy for YZF-R1 #1 (Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz, Tati Mercado). Starting from pole position, the Austrian team completely missed their start, finding themselves kicked out of the top five in the opening laps. It was a long, hard night of racing to get back to the front.

The turning point came at dawn. The BMW #37 of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal, Michael Van der Mark), which had led for the first 16 hours despite a freezing night at 4°C, eventually dropped down. A series of bad luck ruined hopes for a first European victory at Le Mans: a crash by Van Der Mark in the morning, a penalty following a collision at Turn 7, and then a mechanical issue late in the race that sent the M1000RR sliding down the standings. With its rival defeated, YART settled for managing a lead of four to six laps to give Yamaha its sixth victory at Le Mans.

 

SERT performs well, Kawasaki focuses on reliability

Behind the winners, Yoshimura SERT Motul secured second place on the podium with their Suzuki #12. The trio of Gregg Black, Etienne Masson, and Dan Linfoot managed to overcome electronic cutouts early in the race and a shifter issue later on to secure valuable points.

Third place went to the Kawasaki Webike Trickstar (Cristian Gamarino, Roman Ramos, Gregory Leblanc). The Kawasaki #11 bike proved reliable, avoiding every pitfall to capitalize on the failures of their rivals.

The race also saw other notable retirements. The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99’s Yamaha, brilliant at the start of the race, finished with an engine failure. It was also a tough race for the Honda F.C.C. TSR Honda France, which crashed in the early hours. After returning to the track following more than 15 minutes of mechanical work, it ultimately secured 12th place overall.

 

 

Champion-Hert Powered by MRP Team. Photo courtesy EWC

 

Superstock: Champion-Hert MRP takes the win

Superstock win went to the BMW of Champion-Hert Powered by MRP, which is the Hungarian team’s first-ever victory. It finished ahead of the No Limits Honda, which took second place. Third place went to the TRT27 AZ Moto team, which hadn’t stood on the podium since the 2024 Bol d’Or.

 

Legacy Competition Team. Photo courtesy EWC

 

Legacy Competition Wins in the Production Class

In Production, Legacy Competition team riding the Yamaha #96 to the victory, edging out the GreenTeam 42 Lycée Saint Claire 42 Kawasaki. Special mention goes to Mana-au Competition, which, in its very first appearance in the category, claimed third place on the podium.

 

  • CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS

This opening round has logically put the YART Yamaha in the lead of the FIM EWC championship ahead of the next round in June (5-6): the 8 Hours of Spa Motos at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit (ticketing).

 

WHAT THEY SAID…

 

EWC – Winner: YART Yamaha Official EWC Team (#1)

Marvin Fritz: “Amazing way to start the year with the number one on our bike. To take back-to-back wins here at Le Mans is incredible. Last year it happened on my birthday, and this year it came just before, so maybe I gave myself an early present. The team did an amazing job. We struggled at the start of the week, and I started the weekend with a crash in the gravel, but we sat down together, worked through it, and turned the bike into a winning package. In the race, it felt unbelievable, and even at the end, when I wanted to ride a bit slower, the pace was still there. A huge thank you to the whole YART team, especially my teammates. They did a fantastic job, made no mistakes, and that is how you win Le Mans.”

 

Karel Hanika: “It is an amazing start to the season, and with even more points than last year, it is a great way to begin. It wasn’t a perfect weekend because we had some issues in practice. We were trying to find the right way because a few things weren’t working as usual, so we had to make a few modifications to the bike and adapt our riding. But we did a great job, moved forward, and the bike felt amazing in the race. We had no technical problems and no issues in the pit stops, so overall it was a great weekend. We got the lap record, pole position, and the race win, so we could not ask for much more. Now we look ahead to the next race.”

 

Leandro Mercado: “It feels like a dream. To join this team for my first race and come away with pole position and the win is incredible. The race was perfect, so it was an amazing feeling. I want to thank the whole team for a fantastic job. My teammates were also really fast, and together we made no mistakes. There were no mistakes in the pit stops; it was a clean race, and I am so happy. It is an amazing feeling.”

 

Mandy Kainz (Team Manager): “This is one of those rare endurance races where almost everything went perfectly. We made virtually no mistakes, the bike worked incredibly well, and the whole team performed at a very high level. Nothing came loose, nothing went wrong, and after all those laps the bike was still running as it had at the start. It was simply a perfect performance. I have not calculated everything yet, but if you win the race and take all the points from qualifying, you can be very happy with how the championship has started.”

 

STK – Winner: Champion-Hert Powered by MRP (#38)

Loris Cresson: “It means a lot to me. I have been watching this race since I was a child. The team did an incredible job this weekend. We had no issues and no technical problems. It was a dream race, and it ended perfectly.”

 

MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Twins Cup Race At Road Atlanta

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Michael Gougis.

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin took the red flag-interrupted MotoAmerica Twins Cup win at Road Atlanta on Sunday, finishing 2.624 seconds ahead of Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg in second. Karns/TST Industries Racing’s Kevin Olmedo was third, followed by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bodie Paige in fourth and Karns/TST Industries Racing’s Isaac Woodworth in fifth.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday King Of The Baggers Race At Road Atlanta

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Michael Gougis.

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Hayden Gillim won the MotoAmerica King of The Baggers race at Road Atlanta on Sunday, finishing 4.161 seconds ahead of teammate Rocco Landers in second place. J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Troy Herfoss completed the podium in third, followed by Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith in fourth and SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara in fifth.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Superbike Race At Road Atlanta (Updated)

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Michael Gougis.

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong took the MotoAmerica QUAD LOCK Superbike win on Sunday at Road Atlanta, finishing 2.921 seconds ahead of Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz in second place. OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly was third, followed by Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s JD Beach in fourth and Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law’s Cameron Beaubier in fifth. MotoAmerica’s revised results moved Beaubier to fifth and Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen, who was originally fifth, to sixth. Beaubier was assessed a five-second penalty for a start violation, but the penalty does not appear on the revised results.

 

26_4_RDATL_SBK_R2_res (2)

MotoAmerica: Results From Sunday Royal Enfield BTR Race At Road Atlanta

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Michael Gougis.

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 
Brianna Cutler took the win in the MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. sprint on Sunday at Road Atlanta, finishing 4.909 seconds ahead of Jasmine Noelle in second place. Bryanna Everitt completed the podium in third, followed by Tati Paze in fourth and Emily Dickson in fifth.

 

26_4_RDATL_BTR_R2_res

MotoAmerica: Results Of Sunday Supersport Race From Road Atlanta

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Michael Gougis.

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila’s Josh Herrin took the MotoAmerica Supersport win on Sunday at Road Atlanta ahead of Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse’s Darryn Binder, who finished 1.490 seconds back. M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was third, followed by Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov in fourth and Strack Racing’s Blake Davis in fifth.

 

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MotoAmerica: Results Of Sunday Talent Cup Race At Road Atlanta

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo by Michael Gougis.

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

Precision Track Days delivers a welcoming, professionally run track-day experience where riders can learn, improve, and have fun at their own pace. With a strong focus on safety, coaching, and great community (plus some seriously good dinners), riders gain the confidence to enjoy more laps and leave feeling better than they arrived. Whether it’s your first track day or your hundredth, riding with Precision means an experience that’s exciting, supportive, and thoughtfully guided.

 

Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira won Sunday’s MotoAmerica Talent Cup race at Road Atlanta, just beating Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker and Team Hammer’s Jake Paige, with Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane and Bettencourt Racing’s Nathan Bettencourt completing the top five. The front trio were separated by just 0.221 seconds in a tightly contested finish, while Bettencourt trailed the leader by over 11 seconds.

 

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WorldSBK: Race Two Results From Assen

Sam Lowes (14), Alvaro Bautista (19) and Alex Lowes (22) during the WSBK race 2 at Assen. Photo courtesy WSBK.

Nicolo Bulega won World Superbike Race Two Sunday afternoon at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the Championship point leader won the 21-lap race by 2.724 seconds.

His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up. 

Sam Lowes was third on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.

Alvaro Bautista finished the race fourth on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R and his teammate, Yari Montella got fifth.

Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line 9th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR. 

American Garrett Gerloff finished the race 18th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 186 points, 69 ahead of Iker Lecuona who has 117 points. Sam Lowes is third with 82 points.

 

Resultswsbk race 2

 

ChampionshipStandingswsbk

 

 

More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:

Lucky Number 13: Bulega equals Razgatlioglu with 13th consecutive victory with Assen hat-trick. Bulega is one short of the all-time record after he claimed the Race 2 win in the Netherlands, ahead of teammate Lecuona and Sam Lowes.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has drawn level with Toprak Razgatlioglu after securing his 13th consecutive victory in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. His Race 2 victory etched his name into the history books as he beat teammate Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the TT Circuit Assen, while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out the rostrum in the final race of the Pirelli Dutch Round.

 

BATTLING TO THE RECORD: Bulega made to work hard for his 13th win in a row

Sam Lowes hit the front as soon as Lap 1 through the opening sector of the first lap and looked to defend from the factory Ducati duo, but Lecuona looked to make a move on the #14 at Turn 6 and 7; however, Lecuona ran wide, and ended up back in second place, but the #7 hit the front at Turn 1 on Lap 3, before Bulega followed his teammate through at Turn 4. At the end of the lap, Bulega passed Lecuona at Turn 16 under braking to take the lead of the race. Once the #11 hit the front, he was able to control the race as he built a lead over Lecuona on his way to his 13th consecutive victory, equalling the record set by Toprak Razgatlioglu in both 2024 and 2025. It’s also his ninth consecutive win to start the season, and his 22nd consecutive podium; three behind the all-time record. Lecuona made it six podiums in a row, all in P2, while it was a hat-trick of P3s for Sam Lowes; the Brit recorded Great Britain’s 900th WorldSBK podium.

 

P4 FOR BAUTISTA: Three strong results for the #19, Montella fights to fifth

Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) made it three P4 finishes at Assen, with a move on Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) on Lap 4 at Turn 16 the crucial pass for fourth place. Bautista’s teammate, Yari Montella, battled his way through the field to finish in P5 as he used his pace advantage of the #22 to get ahead of the Brit around halfway through the race. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) finished in sixth as Ducati locked out the top six positions, repeating what they did in Race 2 at Phillip Island last year.

 

INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Vierge, Locatelli finish line astern

Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished directly ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli as they came home in seventh and eighth, with ‘Loka’ making a late move on Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to secure P8. ‘Petrux’ came home in ninth with Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) completing the top ten.

 

DROPPING DOWN THE ORDER: Alex Lowes falls from P4 to P11

Alex Lowes finished the race in 11th after dramatically dropping down the order, losing out to Mackenzie in the final stages of the 21-lap race. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was unable to fight his way into the top ten, eventually finishing in 12th, with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team duo Remy Gardner and Stefano Manzi in P13, P14 and P15 respectively. Gardner and Manzi finished just 0.003s apart, with the #87 pipping his rookie teammate to 14th.

 

COMPLETING THE FIELD: Every rider finishes the race

Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) finished just 1.585s away from a point as he beat Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing), Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team), Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the top 20. As in Race 1 on Saturday, all 22 riders who started the race finished it, with Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and wildcard Twan Smits (Team Apreco) completing the order.

 

The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.724s

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +5.257s

4. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) + 8.941s

5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.845s

6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +12.872s

Fastest Lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) – 1’33.162s

 

 

Championship Standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 186 points

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 117

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 82

4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 69

5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 69

6. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 67

 

Next up, Balaton Park! Watch all the action from Hungary using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Supercross: Results From Cleveland, OH

Monster Energy Supercross made its first visit to Cleveland since the 1995 season, which featured some of the most unpredictable weather conditions of the year. Photo courtesy SMX

CLEVELAND (April 19, 2026) – For the first time in three decades the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship visited the shores of Lake Erie, where an enthusiastic crowd inside Huntington Bank Field braved rain showers, cold temperatures, and swirling winds for Round 14 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship. The conditions were certainly a factor as the 450SMX Class title fight took yet another dramatic turn in what has become a historic season for the sport’s premier crown. A wild afternoon of racing saw Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen prevail with his fourth win of the year following an unbeatable level of consistency across all three races that brought him within a single point of the championship lead after an adversity plagued effort for Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence.

 

 

Ken Roczen Tightens Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight with Dramatic Triple Crown Victory in Cleveland.

 

The first of three 12 Minutes + 1 Lap premier class races told a very different story from the final outcome as Lawrence started out front with the holeshot and early lead over Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper and Roczen. The clear track paid big dividends for Lawrence as he established a multi-second advantage over the field that proved to be insurmountable. Behind him, Roczen made the pass on Cooper for second and after a brief push forward elected to settle into the position. Lawrence went unchallenged and began the afternoon with a wire-to-wire win by a margin of 5.4 seconds over Roczen, with Cooper in third. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Start followed in fourth, while Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb rounded out the top five.

 
The field was forced to navigate a wet racetrack, a light drizzle, and increased wind for Race 2, which started with Cooper edging out Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton for the holeshot to grab the early lead. An intense early battle for third unfolded between Stewart, Roczen, and Webb, from which Webb got the upper hand. Lawrence, meanwhile, fought his way forward from a start deep in the top 10. The intensity picked up from Roczen, who made a move on Webb for third and then charged by Sexton for second. Sexton regrouped and fought back to reclaim the position, which helped Cooper open a lead of more than five seconds. Sexton, Roczen, and Webb continued their fight as Roczen once again got by Sexton with less than 30 seconds remaining. Out front, Cooper completed a wire-to-wire effort of his own by a margin of two seconds over Roczen, with Sexton third and Webb fourth. Lawrence fought his way forward to finish fifth, well back of the lead group.

 
The third and deciding race began with Roczen out front for the holeshot and early lead over Webb, Sexton, and Cooper while Lawrence emerged in eighth. Roczen dropped the hammer in the opening laps and sprinted out to a five-second lead over Webb, while Sexton and Cooper settled into third and fourth, respectively. As he looked to move forward Lawrence crashed in the whoops and fell outside the top 10, reentering the race in 14th place. Back up front, Cooper crashed while running fourth and reentered in ninth, which moved Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath into fourth. A couple laps later, Lawrence crashed again as he looked to move back into the top 10 and dropped to 14th once more. Out front, Roczen ran away from the field to put the finishing touch on his winning performance by a margin of 8.7 seconds over Webb, while Team Tedder Racing KTM’s Justin Hill passed Sexton on the final lap for third. Cooper recovered for seventh, while Lawrence soldiered home in 14th.

 
An incredibly consistent effort for Roczen easily brought him the overall win with five points on 2-2-1 finishes, as his 27th career victory has moved him into a tie for 10th on the all-time wins list. Webb (5-4-2) and Cooper (3-1-7) finished in a tie for the runner-up spot, six points behind Roczen with 11 points apiece. Webb earned the edge over Cooper by virtue of the Race 3 tiebreaker.
 

Lawrence’s misfortune in the final race relegated him to sixth overall with 20 points on 1-5-14 finishes. As a result, his points lead went from 10 points to just a single point over Roczen with three races remaining. The battle for the championship could be down to a two-rider affair after Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac was forced to miss the Triple Crown following a crash in qualifying that left him with a hip injury. Tomac’s absence allowed Webb to move into third, 22 points out of the lead, while Tomac is now fourth, 31 points back.

 

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen dominated the final race to put the finishing touch on his fourth win of the season. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:

“Wow. I had no idea I was one point back [in the championship]. I am so blown away with the gamble we took with the weather. It was supposed to be clear for the last two races, but it kept raining. That affected my decision with goggles, and I kept sticking with roll-offs just to be safe. After I got the holeshot in the last race I had a clear track and just felt really comfortable. Once I had a gap, I just made sure I didn’t do anything silly. I’m just so grateful I’m able to ride like this.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb captured his second straight runner-up finish following 5-4-2 race finishes. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:

“What a crazy day. Qualifying was great, then the rain came and we had the Triple Crown. I rode bad in the first race but got better for the last two. I didn’t think I had a chance for the podium after the first two [races], so I rode free in the last one. Kenny [Roczen] rode those first laps like it was dry and got away. I was a distant second. Overall, I’m happy with it. We had a good day.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper earned a race win en route to a third-place finish following 3-1-7 finishes. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Justin Cooper – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:

“This track was very tricky, and things could go wrong very quickly. I’m happy to get up from the crash unscathed, the concrete hurt. Just glad to be up on the podium still [despite the crash]. I spun off the gate but somehow came out top five and then had that crash. It was a bummer to go down and give away a spot [overall] but just thankful I’m okay. It was still a great night.”

 

450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen, and Justin Cooper. Photo courtesy SMX.

 

Hunter Lawrence – 6th Place – 450SMX Class:

“I had a bad start and just made it tough on myself. Another rider checked up and I went down. It was a bit of a [expletive] night at the office. We’ll come back next weekend in Philly.”

 

Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence endured through adversity in the final race and saw his championship lead drop to a single point after sixth overall. Photo courtesy SMX

 

 

 

 

Nate Thrasher Prevails with Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Win

 

The first of three 10 Minutes + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class races began with points leader Cole Davies alongside his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Nate Thrasher exiting the first turn. While Davies earned the holeshot, he gave way to Thrasher and soon dropped to third behind Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, Davies’ championship rival. Davies regrouped and found a rhythm that allowed him to reclaim second from Hammaker and close in on Thrasher for the race lead. The teammates engaged in an exciting battle until Davies went down. The New Zealander remounted quickly and resumed in sixth place. Out front, Thrasher came under fire from Hammaker, who bided his time and made the pass. With the lead in hand, the Kawasaki rider pulled away to grab the Race 1 victory by 4.2 seconds over Thrasher. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick finished third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon in fourth. Davies overcame another near crash and made a last lap pass for fifth.

 
A rain shower made for more challenging track conditions for Race 2, which was halted by a red flag following a crash initiated by Davies on the opening lap and resulted in a restart. As racing got underway once again it was Gordon who emerged with his first career holeshot. He led briefly but gave way to Thrasher, while Davies charged up to third to position to put himself a couple spots ahead of Hammaker. The championship rivals soon battled for third, as Hammaker made an easy pass for the position but was later repassed by Davies. The pair duked it out once more, late in the race, as Hammaker reclaimed the position just before the final lap. Back out front, Thrasher easily controlled the race and cruised to victory by a margin of 3.7 seconds over Gordon. Hammaker held off Davies for third, while Bennick completed the top five.

 
The third and final race got underway with Davies at the head of the pack for the holeshot ahead of Gordon. Behind them, Thrasher started deep in the top 10 while Hammaker made contact with his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Nick Romano, went down, and was forced to start at the tail end of the field. Davies seized the moment with his premium track position and quickly established a multi-second lead on the field as Gordron settled into second. Thrasher was able to make early passes and claw his way up to third but dropped to fourth as Bennick moved into podium position. Hammaker, meanwhile, broke into the top 10 a few minutes into the race and continued to move forward. Davies managed his advantage through the slippery conditions to end the day on a high note with a winning margin of 2.6 seconds over Gordon, with Bennick third and Thrasher in fourth. ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson was fifth, while Hammaker battled back for sixth.

 
Thrasher’s 2-1-4 finishes put him atop the overall standings with a combined score of seven points for the seventh win of his career. He also extended a personal streak of at least one Supercross victory each year of his professional career, which dates back to the 2021 season. Thrasher is the fifth different Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider to win in the 250SMX Class this season for a combined total of 13 victories, which is one shy of the class record for a manufacturer. The runner-up spot went to Gordon, who finished one point behind his teammate for the win following 4-2-2 finishes, while Davies completed a podium sweep for Star Racing in third after the Race 3 victory gave him 10 points with 5-4-1 finishes. Hammaker (1-3-6) finished tied with Davies but settled for fourth by virtue of the Race 3 tiebreaker.

 
With his podium finish, Davies added to his lead in the Eastern Divisional Championship and now holds a 21-point lead over Hammaker with just two races remaining. Bennick, who finished fifth with 11 points on 3-5-5 finishes, strengthened his grip on third and sits 43 points out of the lead.

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher broke through for his first win of the 2026 season and the seventh of his career. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Nate Thrasher – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:

“It’s awesome [to be on top of the podium]. The offseason was unreal, honestly. I felt like I was going to be able to contend for the championship but had a little mishap [and injured his shoulder]. That’s part of it, though. We’ve done what we can–fourth [place], second [place], and now first. We’re trending [upward] and it feels good to be back up here.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon finished in the runner-up spot in just his second career start. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Landen Gordon – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:

“If you would have told me after last weekend [finishing last] I’d be sitting on the podium, that’d be unbelievable. I’ve put in so much work into this. I’m backed by the best team, so I expect this, but it’s truly unbelievable. I have no words. I’m sure it’ll sink in, but right now I’m in shock.”

 

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies extended his points lead with a third-place finish. Photo courtesy SMX

 

Cole Davies – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:

“It was a rough day, but we still managed a podium. I didn’t give up and fought through. Just reset for the last [race] and got the win. It is what it is. Congrats to my teammates, they were riding good.”

 

Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Landen Gordon, Nate Thrasher, and Cole Davies. Photo courtesy SMX

 

 

 

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 25, with Round 15 from Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. Live comprehensive broadcast coverage will be available exclusively on Peacock, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC on Sunday, April 26, at 1 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:
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