Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Dunlop Motorcycle Tires is proud to announce that multiple new lap records were established at Road Atlanta during the latest round of MotoAmerica competition. Powered by Dunlop’s Sportmax Slick tires, riders delivered record-breaking performances across several classes in a weekend defined by speed, consistency, and dominance.
King Of The Baggers:
Lap Record: 1:27.669 – Hayden Gillim, Qualifying 2 (4/18/2026)
Race Lap Record: 1:28.192 – Hayden Gillim, Challenge Race (4/18/2026)
Note: Gillim lowered the race lap record again in Race 2 while completing a perfect weekend sweep.
Supersport:
Lap Record & Race Lap Record: 1:27.554 – Josh Herrin, Race 2 (4/19/2026)
BTR:
Lap Record & Race Lap Record: 1:54.992 – Brianna Cutler, Race 2 (4/19/2026)
Previous record of 1:57.059 was broken by more than two seconds.
These record-setting performances highlight the exceptional grip, stability, and consistency of Dunlop’s Sportmax Slick tires. From qualifying to race conditions, riders relied on Dunlop to push beyond previous limits and deliver championship-level results.
About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires: Dunlop is the number one selling and largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in North America. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, and X for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.
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.
The second round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship took place at Road Atlanta, and Altus Motorsports continued to build momentum from Daytona with hard-fought performances from its four rider lineup.
Supersport – Fast times and hard-fought positions gained despite hiccups.
After qualifying 8th in Q2, Torin Collins had a strong start to his 2026 season in both races after missing out at Daytona. Collins was in a tight battle for 7th throughout the race up through the final lap, but a crash in the last lap demoted him to 13th. Collins rode tactically in Race 2 while exchanging places with two other riders and finished in 7th. Collin’s speed increased throughout the weekend on his Yamaha YZF-R9 and he now sits at 12th in the championship standings.
Torin Collins:“This was my first race weekend of the season after missing Daytona, so it was all about getting up to speed with the new bike. I felt better every session and kept making progress, which was good to see… Overall, a solid way to kick things off. Still lots to learn and improve to get up with that front group, but I’m feeling really good on the bike and that top 5 isn’t far off. I’m looking forward to Barber, it’s a track where the Yamaha R9 should really shine. Big thanks to the team for giving me a great bike.”
Torin Collins (71) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
Maximiliano Gerardo had fast pace throughout the weekend, qualifying 9th just .015 behind teammate Torrin Collins. Gerardo took part in a race-long battle throughout race 1, which he finished in a solid 8th place. Gerardo had a rapid start to Race 2, getting up to 6th place midway through lap one, but he suffered an unfortunate technical glitch shortly after, which severely limited the power on his Yamaha YZF-R9 and dropped him back to 15th place by lap six. The glitch eventually resolved itself and Gerardo fought his way back up to finish in 11th place. After he regained full power Gerardo was consistently setting lap times equivalent to riders in the top five positions. He currently sits at 9th place in the championship standings.
Maximiliano Gerardo:“It was a complicated weekend where the results did not accompany finishing p8 and p11 in the races. The positive thing is that we finished the race 2, making lap times within the top 5 and a competitive bike. Thanks to the whole team for the hard work so that everything works in the best way.”
Maximiliano Gerardo (241) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
This weekend was Austin Martinez’s first time racing in MotoAmerica and his first time at Road Atlanta. He consistently improved from session to session on his Suzuki GSX-R 750,ultimately qualifying in 24th place. Martinez climbed to an impressive 17th place in race 1 and followed it up with a 19th place in race 2.
Austin Martinez:“I’m happy with my first MotoAmerica weekend. It was a new track for me and I improved consistently over the weekend to finish both races with a P17 and P19. Looking forward to a great year of growth with Altus!”
Austin Martinez (999) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
Jaret Nassaney had a challenging start to his weekend due to a lack of feeling in the bike. Landing 21st in qualifying made the rest of the weekend an uphill battle, but Jaret still went out and put it all on the line to finish 16th in race 1 and 17th in race 2. After significant changes in chassis setup Saturday evening Jaret was riding at a much faster pace then during his qualifying and race 1 pace. After this setup change, Jaret was able to run a faster pace and gain four places to finish in 17th overall in race 2.
Jaret Nassaney:“It was a bit of a disappointing weekend for me. I had high hopes to be battling for a top ten, but we struggled a lot with the bike setup all weekend. I just wasn’t comfortable at all until Sunday, but by then we were too far back on the grid. Happy that we finally got the bike moving in the right direction. I know we will come back stronger for Barber! Thank you to Will, Thibault, Murph, and the whole Altus Motorsports team for all the hard work this weekend! We will come out swinging for Barber!”
Jaret Nassaney (59) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
The Altus Motorsports team worked hard and persevered through every challenge that arose during race weekend. All four riders improved in pace every day and showed grit and determination in the races as they fought their way through the field. The whole team worked tirelessly to refine the chassis over the course of the weekend and saw a breakthrough in setup on the Yamaha YZF-R9s on Sunday morning, which should carry over to the rest of the season. With a solid setup secured, the team is optimistic heading to round 3 at Barber Motorsport Park in just a few weeks.
“I would like to congratulate Torin for a great weekend of racing. Both races finishing in top 10 and we know he will be battling in top 5 soon. This past weekend we also made a breakthrough with the chassis Sunday morning on our R9’s. Max and Jaret said the bikes felt 100 times better after the changes. I am very happy for all the hard work Crew Chief Thibault Few and Willy from K-Tech put in to make this happen. Austin came in with hopes of being in top 15. He pushed all weekend and improved his times every session. With his positive attitude and confidence he will be racing in the top 15 soon. My wife Janette and myself would like to say thank you to all of our sponsors for your continued support. We will be at Barber in May and can’t wait to see what we can do” said Team Co-Owner George Nassaney.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Hayden Gillim (69) at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J Neslon.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Dunlop Motorcycle Tires is proud to announce that multiple new lap records were established at Road Atlanta during the latest round of MotoAmerica competition. Powered by Dunlop’s Sportmax Slick tires, riders delivered record-breaking performances across several classes in a weekend defined by speed, consistency, and dominance.
King Of The Baggers:
Lap Record: 1:27.669 – Hayden Gillim, Qualifying 2 (4/18/2026)
Race Lap Record: 1:28.192 – Hayden Gillim, Challenge Race (4/18/2026)
Note: Gillim lowered the race lap record again in Race 2 while completing a perfect weekend sweep.
Supersport:
Lap Record & Race Lap Record: 1:27.554 – Josh Herrin, Race 2 (4/19/2026)
BTR:
Lap Record & Race Lap Record: 1:54.992 – Brianna Cutler, Race 2 (4/19/2026)
Previous record of 1:57.059 was broken by more than two seconds.
These record-setting performances highlight the exceptional grip, stability, and consistency of Dunlop’s Sportmax Slick tires. From qualifying to race conditions, riders relied on Dunlop to push beyond previous limits and deliver championship-level results.
About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires: Dunlop is the number one selling and largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in North America. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, and X for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.
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.
The second round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship took place at Road Atlanta, and Altus Motorsports continued to build momentum from Daytona with hard-fought performances from its four rider lineup.
Supersport – Fast times and hard-fought positions gained despite hiccups.
After qualifying 8th in Q2, Torin Collins had a strong start to his 2026 season in both races after missing out at Daytona. Collins was in a tight battle for 7th throughout the race up through the final lap, but a crash in the last lap demoted him to 13th. Collins rode tactically in Race 2 while exchanging places with two other riders and finished in 7th. Collin’s speed increased throughout the weekend on his Yamaha YZF-R9 and he now sits at 12th in the championship standings.
Torin Collins:“This was my first race weekend of the season after missing Daytona, so it was all about getting up to speed with the new bike. I felt better every session and kept making progress, which was good to see… Overall, a solid way to kick things off. Still lots to learn and improve to get up with that front group, but I’m feeling really good on the bike and that top 5 isn’t far off. I’m looking forward to Barber, it’s a track where the Yamaha R9 should really shine. Big thanks to the team for giving me a great bike.”
Torin Collins (71) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
Maximiliano Gerardo had fast pace throughout the weekend, qualifying 9th just .015 behind teammate Torrin Collins. Gerardo took part in a race-long battle throughout race 1, which he finished in a solid 8th place. Gerardo had a rapid start to Race 2, getting up to 6th place midway through lap one, but he suffered an unfortunate technical glitch shortly after, which severely limited the power on his Yamaha YZF-R9 and dropped him back to 15th place by lap six. The glitch eventually resolved itself and Gerardo fought his way back up to finish in 11th place. After he regained full power Gerardo was consistently setting lap times equivalent to riders in the top five positions. He currently sits at 9th place in the championship standings.
Maximiliano Gerardo:“It was a complicated weekend where the results did not accompany finishing p8 and p11 in the races. The positive thing is that we finished the race 2, making lap times within the top 5 and a competitive bike. Thanks to the whole team for the hard work so that everything works in the best way.”
Maximiliano Gerardo (241) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
This weekend was Austin Martinez’s first time racing in MotoAmerica and his first time at Road Atlanta. He consistently improved from session to session on his Suzuki GSX-R 750,ultimately qualifying in 24th place. Martinez climbed to an impressive 17th place in race 1 and followed it up with a 19th place in race 2.
Austin Martinez:“I’m happy with my first MotoAmerica weekend. It was a new track for me and I improved consistently over the weekend to finish both races with a P17 and P19. Looking forward to a great year of growth with Altus!”
Austin Martinez (999) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
Jaret Nassaney had a challenging start to his weekend due to a lack of feeling in the bike. Landing 21st in qualifying made the rest of the weekend an uphill battle, but Jaret still went out and put it all on the line to finish 16th in race 1 and 17th in race 2. After significant changes in chassis setup Saturday evening Jaret was riding at a much faster pace then during his qualifying and race 1 pace. After this setup change, Jaret was able to run a faster pace and gain four places to finish in 17th overall in race 2.
Jaret Nassaney:“It was a bit of a disappointing weekend for me. I had high hopes to be battling for a top ten, but we struggled a lot with the bike setup all weekend. I just wasn’t comfortable at all until Sunday, but by then we were too far back on the grid. Happy that we finally got the bike moving in the right direction. I know we will come back stronger for Barber! Thank you to Will, Thibault, Murph, and the whole Altus Motorsports team for all the hard work this weekend! We will come out swinging for Barber!”
Jaret Nassaney (59) at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Altus
The Altus Motorsports team worked hard and persevered through every challenge that arose during race weekend. All four riders improved in pace every day and showed grit and determination in the races as they fought their way through the field. The whole team worked tirelessly to refine the chassis over the course of the weekend and saw a breakthrough in setup on the Yamaha YZF-R9s on Sunday morning, which should carry over to the rest of the season. With a solid setup secured, the team is optimistic heading to round 3 at Barber Motorsport Park in just a few weeks.
“I would like to congratulate Torin for a great weekend of racing. Both races finishing in top 10 and we know he will be battling in top 5 soon. This past weekend we also made a breakthrough with the chassis Sunday morning on our R9’s. Max and Jaret said the bikes felt 100 times better after the changes. I am very happy for all the hard work Crew Chief Thibault Few and Willy from K-Tech put in to make this happen. Austin came in with hopes of being in top 15. He pushed all weekend and improved his times every session. With his positive attitude and confidence he will be racing in the top 15 soon. My wife Janette and myself would like to say thank you to all of our sponsors for your continued support. We will be at Barber in May and can’t wait to see what we can do” said Team Co-Owner George Nassaney.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
June 6, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
