You want to ride a MotoGP-bike? Yeah, good luck with that: everyone knows these are machines made for murder, beasts of technology that only those gifted with near-superhuman reflexes can manage. These days, those rides have about as much in common with your average road bike as a space shuttle has in common with a paper airplane. What can I say; you can’t walk the cutting edge if you don’t expect to bleed a little.
Except that once upon a time, there was a bike that was different. Fast as lightning but turned on a dime. Easily built in bulk, yet suited to almost every riding style under the sun.
Rossi rode it to victory. So did Max Biaggi.
Like a samurai blade, its deceptive simplicity was only possible because it built on ages of experience with every complex mechanic under the sun. Its name was the Honda RC211V and it was the bike that changed everything.
It’s a machine born out of necessity: when the sun finally fell on the era of the two-stroke engine, it was a whole new game for everyone. MotoGP itself was different then, too: way more of a technological wild west, where there were many different ways to build your ideal racer as long as those ways weren’t electronic. It’s impossible to avoid: telling the story of the RC211V means telling a story about MotoGP itself, because its role in racing history is just that big.
Luckily, we’ve got some great storytellers in Mat and Peter here. One of them even rode the bloody thing! This is going to be one of those episodes that you really don’t want to miss, so pour one out for a legend and get straight into it…
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If you’re interested in connecting with a really unique MotoGP audience — we’re working with Smash Brand Group out of Sydney to manage partnerships. Curious? Just head to smashbrandgroup.com.au and get in touch!
Multiple MotoGP Grand Prix winner Bastianini adds his considerable experience to the American team, who have been front-runners in the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. From Moto3 debut in 2014 to Moto2 World Champion in 2020, Bastianini took three podiums as a MotoGP rookie in 2021. 2022 started with a bang – victory in Qatar – followed by wins in the USA, France and Aragon which resulted in a 3rd place position in the World Championship standings. His breakout form was blunted in 2023 through an early season injury but Bastianini bounced back in 2024 which saw him in title contention for much of the year, taking nine Grand Prix podiums, including two w GPins and 1 Sprint victory, finally finishing the season 4th overall.
Carrying the nickname ‘Bestia’ – The Beast – Bastianini will bring race winning pedigree and experience to the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team and its continuing journey with Aprilia’s RS-GP prototypes when pre-season testing gets underway at Valencia, after the conclusion of the 2026 World Championship season.
Enea Bastianini: “I am extremely excited to join the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team for the next two MotoGP Championships. Starting from the test in Valencia this year, it is going to be a real new challenge for me as we are entering a new era with a new bike, new tires and new regulations. For this, I am happy to bring my experience and my fighting spirit to Trackhouse so that we can develop the new Aprilia RS-GP together. The team has grown a lot during 2026 and it has become a title contender – for sure I will do my best for us to stay on top.”
Justin Marks, Owner, Trackhouse Entertainment Group: “It’s a very exciting moment for the SuperFile Trackhouse team to welcome someone like Enea to race our Aprilias. His racing pedigree, his MotoGP winning history, and his experience at the top of this game all contribute to the perfect scenario for a racing team that we all believe is on the verge of greatness. Enea’s infectious personality, eagerness to get started, humility, and positivity are the attributes we always look for in our mission to attract athletes that are the entire package. We’re going to have a lot of fun chasing trophies and creating memorable moments over the next few years with Enea, Raul, and all the amazing people and partners at Trackhouse.”
The two Editor’s Scrapbook layouts seen below were published in Roadracing World in 2017 and 2013, featuring photos from the worldwide media intro for the revolutionary Suzuki GSX-R750, held at Suzuki’s test course on February 2nd, 1985. Plus a bonus photo of John Ulrich riding the bike during the intro. The air/oil-cooled bike quickly dominated 750cc Supersport races worldwide, and became competitive in Superbike races as well. It was the first GSX-R model, later joined by the GSX-R1100, and later still, the GSX-R600.
Another photo from the world intro for the original Suzukj GSX-R750, held February 2nd, 1985 on Suzuki’s Ryuyo Test Course in Hamamatsu, Japan. John Ulrich is shown on board an absolutely stock bike, dragging a replaceable leather knee patch before knee sliders were invented. Photo by Masao Suzuki. Copyright 2025, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
Last year the Zlock Racing team left the Bonneville Salt Flats with three new FIM-accredited Land Speed World Records (LSWR) and the motorcycle performance specialists from Washington State in the Pacific Northwest are back for this week’s 2026 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials (BMST) August 23-27, aiming to rewrite the record books once again.
In 2025 it was the team’s Dale Zlock and Lisa Cipolla who set new benchmark speeds on the world-famous Utah salt flats and 57-year-old Cipolla–a Youth Services Librarian–is hoping to extend the two records she set last year. But 70-year-old Zlock will be joining the support crew as his elder brother, Dan, makes an attempt on a record that has stood since 1993.
“My bike is going to require a substantial redesign in order to reach the 175 mph that I need to break the record I’m going after,” explained Dale. “It’s just going to take too much time and effort and I’ve only just started to think about the redesign so I need to take a year off. There’s bodywork that needs to be done, there are chassis pieces that have to be made and then there’s the engine – it’s not just a matter of building a bigger engine, there’s a lot of other stuff involved.”
All record categories are gender-neutral and determined by the method by which the motorcycle is propelled, body kit, power source, capacity, and number of cylinders. Part of the FIM LSWR discipline, the BMST is an annual event that has run since 2004 and given the discipline’s very particular requirements-–most notably a vast expanse of flat, firm terrain and favorable weather conditions–it represents a once-a-year opportunity for the majority of competitors looking to set new records.
Last year Dan Zlock, who has been competing at the BMST since 2013, had hoped to exceed the record for a partially-streamlined 750cc machine that currently stands at 186.302 mph (299.824 kph) and was set by three-time FIM MotoGP World Champion Loris Capirossi on a factory HRC Honda, but conditions were not suitable. However, this time around the 73-year-old is optimistic about his chances.
“I have a 750 of my own design,” he said. “The chassis is the same ZX-10R chassis that I’ve used to set records at over 200 mph, but I’ve developed a 750 engine to fit in that chassis. It’s my own design based on a 2000 ZX-9R, but I’ve de-stroked it, de-bored it and modified it and it runs on nitrous. It’s an interesting piece of kit.
“Last year the conditions weren’t right, but that was OK because I’d already set it on fire twice – once on the dyno and again on the salt so as it turned out it was all for the best. The current record sits at 186 mph so I need the 750 to go probably around 190 and that’s a big ask.
The FIM Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials course. Photo by Jean Turner/FIM.
“On the dyno it makes around 170 horsepower on nitrous, but the nitrous only lasts for about 30 seconds so I will need to get the timing on the course correct, the salt must be good and the wind has to be good. It’s doable, but everything has to be right. The bike has already gone 186 mph in 2024 – and the salt wasn’t all that good – but on the return run at about that speed I hit a rut that knocked me up and out of the saddle and scared the living daylights out of myself.”
Cipolla, whose heroics last year earned her the nickname “the World’s Fastest Librarian,” returns with her four-cylinder 2012 Zlock Racing 600cc Kawasaki ZX-6R that is decked out, as are all Zlock machines, in the team’s trademark fluorescent yellow. With special pistons and upgraded conrods, designed by Dan and made by Arrow Precision in England who manufacture components for MotoGP and F1, much to her delight, this time around it has also been fitted with a nitrous oxide kit for extra horsepower.
“I feel totally factory,” she said. “I just turn up and the team hand me my bike and are like ‘here it is.’ I know how to start it, I know how to throw a leg over it and I know how to ride it. After that I don’t know all that much.”
In 2025 Cipolla set a new FIM World Record with a top speed of 146.799mph (236.251km/h) with her machine partially streamlined before returning the next day, removing her bodywork and achieving an unfaired FIM World Record of 135.466mph (217.979km/h). Both records had ‘open’ status, meaning Lisa was the first rider to attempt them.
“I’ll be attempting to break my own records. I’m hoping for better salt because I feel like the records I set last year were so slow. I should be able to hit 160 without trouble, especially with nitrous. The plan is to get an honest-to-goodness, fast record in the books for the FIM.
“The first time I had nitrous on the bike I was so nervous. I was at full-chat – I couldn’t possibly get any more out of the engine – and then I hit the nitrous button and it just went whoosh! It was just glorious – super-joyful. I was giggling all the way back to the pits.”
The 2026 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials take place between 23-27 August.
American riders Jaxon Castro and Luke Shen in the 110 4S class and Maverick Johnson in the 190 cc class represented the United States at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup in China. They were joined by Canadian riders Fadhili Ndungu-Kraemer, Austin Da, and Tammer Chehade in the 110 4S class; Lincoln Scott and Jäger Stockill in the 190 cc class; and Ethan Reardon in the 160 cc class. Together, the American and Canadian riders competed against an international field across the event’s races.
Jaxon Castro put together a strong showing for the American contingent, earning a third-place finish in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S. He followed with a 10th-place finish in Race 2 and another 10th-place finish in the Super Final Race.
Luke Shen also represented the American contingent in the 110cc class, finishing 18th in both Race 1 and Race 2 before securing 20th overall in the combined results.
Fadhili Ndungu-Kraemer (6) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Fadhili Ndungu-Kraemer delivered a determined performance in the 110 4S class, finishing 11th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S. He followed with a 20th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 17th in the Super Final Race.
Austin Da (5) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Austin Da put together a consistent performance in the 110 4S class, finishing 14th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S. He matched that result with another 14th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 16th in the Super Final Race.
Tammer Chehade (7) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Tammer Chehade competed in the 110 4S class aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S, finishing 19th in Race 1 before placing 22nd in Race 2.
Maverick Johnson (33) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Maverick Johnson also delivered a solid performance aboard his OHVALE GP-0 190, finishing ninth in Race 1 before placing 10th in both Race 2 and the Super Final Race.
Lincoln Scott put together a solid performance in the 190 cc class, finishing 11th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 190. He followed with a 12th-place finish in Race 2 before recording a DNF in the Super Final Race.
Jäger Stockill put together a consistent performance in the 190 cc class, finishing 15th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 190. He followed with a 17th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 15th in the Super Final Race.
Ethan Reardon delivered a strong showing in the 160 cc class, finishing seventh in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 160. He followed with a 14th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 13th in the Super Final Race.
Pipe Dreams Podcast returns with a special episode featuring one of the most naturally talented and versatile young riders in American motorcycle racing, Rocco Landers. From growing up around racing in Southern California to dominating MotoAmerica as a teenager, racing in Europe with the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and eventually earning his first factory opportunity with Indian Motorcycle, Rocco’s career has taken a path few could have predicted.
In this episode, Rocco reflects on growing up with his father Stoney Landers as his coach, mechanic, crew chief and biggest supporter, spending his formative years racing in Italy and Spain, and returning to America to become one of the most dominant young riders in MotoAmerica history. He discusses winning two Junior Cup championships and a Twins Cup title, making the jump to Supersport and 1000cc machinery, and experiencing the pressure that came with being labeled a potential future American MotoGP star.
Rocco also opens up about the twists and turns of his career, from the Red Bull Rookies Cup and the European development system to opportunities in Twins Cup, Supersport, Stock 1000 and King of the Baggers. He shares what it was like adapting to a 600-pound motorcycle, winning his first Bagger race at COTA, and ultimately landing a factory ride with Indian Motorcycle and Vance & Hines alongside Troy Herfoss and Hayden Gillim. From the MotoGP dream that never followed a straight path to finally getting a true OEM opportunity, this conversation offers a closer look at the talent, adaptability and mentality behind one of America’s most intriguing young racers. This is Rocco Landers.
🎧 Episode 41 is now streaming on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, the full episodeis out now.
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. – For the first time all summer Mother Nature played a central role in the outcome of the action at the penultimate race of the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, from Budds Creek Motocross Park. Heavy morning rains set the tone for a challenging afternoon that remained free from rainfall at Round 27 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, where a wet and muddy track eventually transitioned into a competitive racing surface as the sun emerged at the Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Presented by Carter CAT. In the premier 450SMX Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96] put forth a dominant performance to capture his sixth win of the season and reclaim control of the points lead, setting up a winner-take-all showdown at the season finale with his teammate and brother, Jett Lawrence [#1]. In the 250SMX Class, a day that saw a dramatic shift atop the point standings also welcomed the summer’s seventh different winner as Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] prevailed to set a new record of parity in the smaller displacement and give Honda a sweep of the day’s victories.
Hunter Lawrence Dominates Budds Creek to Reclaim Points Lead, Set Up Winner-Take-All Championship Showdown with Brother Jett
450 SMX Class
Qualifying
The first session of the morning ultimately became the deciding factor in the combined time sheet as a heavy rain shower prior to the second session effectively forced every rider to forego logging any laps. As a result, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan [#38] ended up atop the charts with a time of 1:54.734, which placed him a half second ahead of Jett Lawrence and his time of 1:55.266, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire [#24] followed in third [1:55.501]. Hunter Lawrence ended up fourth [1:55.541] after his fastest lap was disallowed for jumping on a red cross flag. He held the second-fastest lap prior to the penalty.
The first moto began under tricky track conditions, as Haiden Deegan [#38] grabbed the holeshot but gave way to Hunter Lawrence [#96], who carried on to the win. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The opening premier class moto kicked off with Deegan out front for the holeshot, with Hunter Lawrence and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac [#3] in tow. Jett Lawrence got a poor jump off the gate, made contact with another rider while navigating the first turn, and emerged deep inside the top 20 before eventually falling outside a points-paying position.
Hunter Lawrence showed patience on the opening lap and pulled the trigger on a pass that caught Deegan off guard and allowed the Honda rider to take control of the moto. Deegan responded to keep the battle engaged, but Lawrence soon pulled ahead by more than two seconds.
As the top three settled into their respective positions the focus shifted on Jett Lawrence’s climb through the field. He fought his way into the top 15 through the opening 10 minutes and held a pace that was on par with the leaders.
As the moto surpassed its halfway point, Jett broke into the top 10. Meanwhile, the gap between Hunter Lawrence and Deegan dwindled down to just over a second as the top two navigated heavy lapped traffic. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] made the pass around his teammate Tomac for third.
Hunter Lawrence weathered the pressure from Deegan and reestablished a lead of more than three seconds inside the final five minutes. Further back, Jett Lawrence continued to move up the running order and on the cusp of the top five. As time ran out on the race clock, the championship leader made the pass for fifth.
Back out front, Hunter Lawrence finished strong with his biggest lead of the moto and took the checkered flag for the 11th time this summer by a margin of 5.6 seconds over Deegan. Prado finished more than 50 seconds back in third, with Tomac posting a season-best moto finish in fourth ahead of Jett Lawrence, who salvaged fifth.
Hunter Lawrence’s exceptional pace saw him lap up to 11th place in the 40-rider field.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The final moto of the afternoon provided the best conditions of the day and saw Hunter Lawrence wrestle his way into the lead with the holeshot over Prado and fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Aaron Plessinger [#7]. Deegan and Jett Lawrence emerged deep in the top 10.
Hunter Lawrence looked to take full advantage of the clear track and laid down a blistering opening lap to establish a 3.4 second lead over Prado, as 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing’s Mikkel Haarup [#31] moved into third.
As the lead trio settled in, Jett Lawrence was patiently moving his way forward and picked off several riders to make his way into fourth through the opening five minutes of the moto. Deegan sat a few positions back in seventh.
Out front, Prado made inroads on his deficit to Hunter Lawrence and held a faster pace as the first 10 minutes drew to a close. Jett Lawrence, meanwhile, attacked Haarup for third and made an impressive outside move to take the position.
Hunter Lawrence withstood the pressure from Prado and once again extended his lead, which soon reached nearly six seconds with less than 10 minutes to go. Further back, Jett Lawrence started to make gains on Prado. As time ran out on the race clock Jett closed in on Prado to initiate a two-lap battle for the position. On the final lap Jett forced the issue and used a lapped rider as a pick to make the pass on the Spaniard.
Back out front, a wire-to-wire performance in the final moto capped off another dominant outing for Hunter Lawrence, who made it a dozen moto wins on the season. He crossed the line 5.9 seconds ahead of his younger brother, with Prado third and Deegan fourth.
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Hunter Lawrence’s sixth 1-1 performance and sixth victory of the summer is the seventh of his career, but more importantly, moved him back atop the championship standings with one race remaining.
Prado secured back-to-back runner-up finishes after a 3-3 afternoon.
Deegan captured his fifth consecutive overall podium result in third (2-4) and now has eight podiums in the first 10 races of his rookie season.
Jett Lawrence settled for fourth (5-2), which signified just his third-ever non-podium finish in 37 premier class starts and his first not impacted by a crash nor a penalty.
An 11-point swing moved Hunter Lawrence back atop the championship standings heading into the final round, with he and Jett separated by a single point. It signified the sixth time the points lead has changed hands between the siblings this summer.
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Honda HRC Progressive (1-1):
“Anything can happen, so I just focused on myself. I tried to get around the first turn the best I can and then just ride my own race. I haven’t felt great all week [physically], so it feels great to get this done.”
Jorge Prado (26) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Jorge Prado | #26 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (3-3):
“My start was good [and] my riding was good most of the time. In those last 10 minutes I struggle and have a hard time with the lappers. I need to be better at that. Hopefully we can get a moto win before the season ends.”
Haiden Deegan (38) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (2-4):
“I was chasing BamBam [Barcia] for so long and overheated my bike. I’m still happy with the day. We’re making improvements each week and I just want to keep putting in the work. On to the next one.”
Jett Lawrence finished off the podium for just the third time in his premier class career and with it lost hold of the points lead. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
4th Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Honda HRC Progressive (5-2):
“It’s going to be exciting [next weekend]. [Hunter and I] have been going back and forth with the red plate. Now it’s one point and winner-take-all at the next one. I need to get better on the starts; those have been terrible. If I can fix that I think we’ll be in good shape.”
Chance Hymas Becomes Seventh Different 250SMX Winner to Set New Record
250 SMX Class
Qualifying
The first qualifying session proved to be faster for the smaller displacement as the final session was greeted with the early stages of a steady storm that ultimately altered the course of the day. For the second week in a row, points leader and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen [#47] paced the field with a time of 1:56.283, which placed him three tenths ahead of his championship rival, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies [#37] and his time of 1:56.596. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] rounded out the top three [1:56.944].
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first moto of the afternoon saw Kitchen take advantage of his first gate pick with his first holeshot of the summer ahead of Davies and Hymas. The Honda rider went on the attack early and made a pass on Davies. Then, as he pressured Kitchen for the lead, the Kawasaki rider went down and reentered the race in 17th place.
Hymas took advantage of the opportunity to lead the field and assert his hold of first. However, Davies closed in and snuck through to seize control of the moto. After one lap, Davies’ lead sat at 3.5 seconds. Behind them, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon [#180] moved into third.
As Davies started to pull away from the field, Kitchen was in the midst of a recovery effort, fighting his way back into the top 10 with 23 minutes remaining on the race clock. However, as the moto wore on, Kitchen’s vision was compromised as he ran out of tear-offs, which forced him to remove his goggles with 18 minutes to go. As a result, he slowly started to lose positions and dropped outside the top 10 with about 10 minutes to go.
The top three settled in through the heart of the moto, with enough distance between each of them to assert their hold on each position. On the final lap, Hymas was able to get Davies in his sights, but it was too little too late. Davies closed out his eighth moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds, with Gordon in third. AEO Powersports KTM’s Carson Mumford [#71] was fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Kayden Minear [#99] fifth.
Kitchen made a late push and salvaged 10th but was ultimately penalized for going beyond the track limits as the field emerged from the starting gate. As a result, Kitchen was docked four positions and was credited with 14th place.
The opening moto began when conditions were at the worst as Cole Davies [#37] emerged with the win while Levi Kitchen [#47] was penalized for going off track off the start. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
With the sun shining and an improving racetrack, the second moto began with Hymas out front with the holeshot ahead of Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha’s Parker Ross [#40] and Davies, with Gordon in fourth. Kitchen slotted into sixth. Davies was able to make the move around Ross before the end of the opening lap.
Hymas established a lead of 2.4 seconds over Davies as Kitchen put in a charge to break into the top three. The Kawasaki rider closed in on Ross and made the pass, giving him 25 minutes to try and track down the top two.
As the moto reached its halfway point, Hymas’ lead grew to nearly four seconds over Davies, with Kitchen able to make small gains in his pursuit from third.
In response to Kitchen’s push, Davies also picked up the pace and started to close in on Hymas. As the fastest rider on the track, Kitchen moved within striking distance of Davies with a little more than 10 minutes remaining on the race clock. The Kawasaki rider continued to close in and was able to take advantage of a miscue by Davies to take control of second. Kitchen faced a 3.2 second deficit to Hyams with just under seven minutes to go.
Kitchen closed in on Hymas and got within striking distance of making a challenge for the lead, but Hymas kept him at bay over the final several laps to hold on for his second moto win of the season by 2.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Davies nearly a half minute behind in third.
Chance Hymas [#29] seized the moment in Moto 2 and turned the holeshot into his first overall victory of the season, setting a new record for parity. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Hymas’ 2-1 effort allowed him to break through for the third overall win of his career. With it, he became the seventh different rider to capture a 250SMX Class victory this summer, which set a new record for race winners in a single season.
Davies grabbed his third straight podium result in second (1-3) and now has seven top three finishes this summer, which has ultimately moved him in control of his own destiny in the championship.
The rookie Gordon captured the first overall podium result of his career in third (3-7), making him the eighth different rider to claim a maiden podium this summer.
Kitchen’s strong effort in the second moto helped him make the most out of a challenging afternoon in fifth overall (14-2).
A 15-point swing in the championship moves Davies back atop the point standings heading into the final round, where he’ll hold a 14-point lead over Kitchen for the last two motos of the season.
“I feel like you get a flash of all the hard times. It feels amazing to get back to this point. I owe so much to my team for their support of me and everything they’ve done to get us here. Holeshot, wire-to-wire, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Cole Davies (37) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Cole Davies | #37 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-3):
“It’s not over ’til it’s over. I just need to focus on getting two good starts next weekend and see how it plays out. Another good day and we’ll try to do it again next weekend.”
Landen Gordon (180) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Landen Gordon | #180 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (3-7):
“I’ve been putting in good days during the week recently and was able to bring it into the weekend. I finally did it. This is unreal. Outdoors is tough, so I’m stoked.”
Levi Kitchen endured through a challenging first moto, which ultimately proved costly in the championship standings as he finished fifth overall. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
5th Place – Levi Kitchen | #47 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (14-2):
“I just need to treat this like any other weekend and put this behind me. It’s hard to do, but it is what it is. One mistake can have a massive impact, which is tough, but all I can do is give it everything I’ve got next weekend and see what happens.”
Budds Creek also hosted the penultimate round of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony. It proved to be another dominant outing for reigning back-to-back champion and current points leader Lachlan Turner [#1], who piloted her Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha to dominant moto victories on Friday and Saturday. The fourth win of the season for Turner saw her outrun Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7] and SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen [#51]. The victory allowed Turner to extend her lead in the championship to 21 points over Cannon with one round and two motos remaining.
Post-Race Press Conference // Budds Creek National
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will culminate with a title heavy season finale next Saturday, August 29, where a trio of champions will be crowned for the first time at the final round of the SMX World Championship regular season from Indiana’s Ironman Raceway. The U.S. Army Ironman National Finals Presented by Tucker Freight Lines will be shown live in its entirety exclusively on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by coverage of the motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.
For information about the Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Spearheaded by the efforts of Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) and Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Estenson Racing Yamaha pulled off a clean sweep of victories at the 79th World Famous Caterpillar Peoria TT presented by Walters Brothers Harley-Davidson, Round 14 of 16 for the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
And as it was, both headlining wins at the Peoria Motorcycle Club in Peoria, Illinois, were of significant consequence.
Daniels closed out the day’s proceedings by coming out on top of a tense duel with Mission AFT SuperTwins’ rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 Super.com/RWR/Rocket Doctor Harley-Davidson XG750R).
The premier-class Main Event saw the reigning and former Grand National Champions go head-to-head for the entirety of the 10-minute and two lap affair. Bauman grabbed the holeshot but Daniels was restless in second, repeatedly looking for a way up the inside in the track’s first and last corners.
After being rebuffed by multiple crisscrossing square-ups, Daniels made his intended maneuver stick with just under six minutes remaining on the clock.
The Estenson Racing Yamaha ace grabbed a couple tenths in a hurry and threatened to shake free. However, Bauman found his second wind as the laps wound down and the two encountered lapped traffic. At that point, the Rick Ware Racing pilot closed right back in on Daniels’ rear wheel, eying a final-lap lunge with the checkered flag in sight.
Instead, Daniels held his line and raced his way to a 0.325-second margin of victory.
The win was especially rewarding for Daniels, who grew up in nearby Mattoon, Illinois, dreaming of days like this. He said, “That was probably the toughest Main Event of my career. I got off in second, but that was actually good. I was watching Briar and seeing where I was a little bit better. He was making a few mistakes, and I snuck by. I tried to be smooth, but it wasn’t super smooth. He was right on me, I kind of pulled a gap, but then he reeled it back in. I could hear him sizing up a move, and I tried to do anything I could to not let it happen.
“It feels great. The bike was just flawless. And you know, Briar is really good here… just like Chris (Carr), Henry (Wiles), and JD (Beach) – he’s one of those guys. He was trying to take the reins on taking this place over, and I knew he was going to be really tough to beat. I’m so pumped to get the job done. It’s amazing.”
Third title contender, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), had his work cut out for him after being forced through the LCQ due to losing his chain landing the jump while leading his heat race.
Despite this disadvantage, Kopp somehow slotted his way up into fourth on the opening lap of the Main Event. However, he was unable to translate that into genuine contention, quickly losing the position to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke), who then reeled in Peoria legend Henry Wiles (No. 911 DL Racing/HYMMCO Yamaha MT-07).
Fisher finally made his way through on Wiles with less than a minute remaining, as Kopp looked to pull off a similar feat.
The Latus Motors Harley runner came up just short, with Fisher earning the final spot on the box, while Wiles edged Kopp for fourth by a scant 0.044 seconds.
“Fast Boy from Illinois” Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) finished sixth, with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Chad Cose (No. 49 Parker Racing/Pro Roofing Yamaha MT-07), and Kole King (No. 80 King Performance/Motul KTM 790 Duke) rounding out the top ten.
As a result of his momentous triumph, Daniels now boasts a commanding 20-point advantage in his Grand National Championship defense with just the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I & II to go. He currently sits at 272 points, followed by Bauman (252) and Kopp (249).
KICKER AFT Singles
The KICKER AFT Singles class promised yet another epic clash with Drane in position to successfully defend his class crown, and his archrival, home-state hero Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), hoping to stay alive by defending his home turf.
That promise was broken when it became clear Drane wanted no part of any further drama, while Saathoff got saddled with his own. While the Estenson Racing Yamaha ace powered off with the holeshot, Saathoff initially found himself behind the visiting Max Whale (No. 18 Australian Road Services/Heaton Plant & Pipeline KTM 450 SX-F).
While Saathoff rectified that situation in short order, he suffered a bobble in the last corner of the opening lap. That mishap cost him the position, time, and any realistic chance of challenging Drane.
Drane ran a clean race at the front, clocking up a record-tying eighth victory to lock down his second consecutive KICKER AFT Singles title.
He said, “It’s been a great season – eight wins so far, which is really cool. We didn’t really change anything. We rode the same bike all day… The track just kept getting better and better, and I kept feeling better and better. I knew I had to go out there and try to win, so I put my head down the first half of the race and got a gap. I kept looking back and just tried to manage the gap. I didn’t need to do anything silly and brought the championship home.”
Countryman Whale served as a de facto bodyguard, keeping Saathoff corralled behind him for the remainder of the race to claim a runner-up finish in his first attempt of the ‘26 season.
With the top three positions well out of reach, several riders were in contention for fourth. That position ultimately went to Tarren Santero (No. 75 Roof Systems/Texas Utility Studies/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) despite the attempts of Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F), and company.
Pfanders finished fifth, while Tadman ultimately dropped back to eighth. Between them, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 JMC Motorsports/Fairway GMC KTM 450 SX-F) and Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R Racing/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) picked up sixth and seventh, respectively, while Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer’s Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) and Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) completed the top ten.
Now with 264 points, Drane holds an unassailable lead with two rounds remaining. Saathoff has a strong grasp on second at 215, while Tadman (182), Santero (193), and Brunner (170) all retain slim yet mathematical shots at that spot.
Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational
While Daniels’ and Drane’s wins garnered the headlines, it was actually the KICKER AFT Singles champ’s younger brother, Sam Drane (No. 7 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who kicked off the Estenson Racing Yamaha sweep.
The rising star rounded out a dominant day of his own with a fittingly dominant performance in the Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational.
Even amongst an all-star collection of amateurs invited to compete in a race organized in memory of the late Dan Bromley, Drane proved himself in a class of his own in Peoria.
After topping the charts in practice, both qualifying sessions, and his heat race, the Australian kept right on rolling through the Main Event. Drane took the holeshot and systematically built up his lead across the 12-lapper, ultimately taking the checkered flag with a 5.020-second margin of victory.
MotoAmerica road racer Sam Drane (in the middle) celebrates his ProSport 450 victory at the 79th Caterpillar Peoria TT, joined on the podium by runner-up and fellow MotoAmerica road racer Jake Paige (on the left) and third-place finisher Adam Costan-Wood (on the right). Photo by Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing.
The win was Drane’s fourth in the inaugural season of AFT ProSport 450 competition.
Jake Paige (No. 55 Paige Racing GASGAS MC 450F) and Adam Costan-Wood (No. 88 Turner Racing Honda CRF450R) attempted to keep Drane in sight early before shifting focus to their fight for second.
Paige had gotten away in that position but soon found himself facing constant and intense pressure from Costan-Wood. That carried on right up to the final stripe, where Paige just managed to hold Costan-Wood at bay by 0.071 seconds to complete an all Australia 1-2.
Behind, Dillon Durelle (No. 58 Durelle Racing Yamaha YZ450F) worked his way past Cody Mishey (No. 26 Team Mishey Racing Honda CRF450R) to score fourth, with Mishey holding on to complete the top five.
[Note: When not flat-tracking, Australians Sam Drane (who won) and Jake Paige (who finished second) compete in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup road racing series, regularly finishing on the podium.]
Next Up
It all comes down to this: The 2026 Grand National Championship will be decided at the series’ crown jewel – the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I & II, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6.
For those that can’t catch the live action at the track, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2026. FloSports is available by visitinghttps://flosports.link/AFT2026 or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports coverage of the World Famous Caterpillar Peoria TT, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 30, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT). The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres can be found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
World Moto Clash’s self-imposed deadline for depositing the promised $2.86 million prize purse in an escrow fund has passed with organizers still looking for funding (which they previously said they already had) and saying that the odds of the inaugural event actually being held are down to 25%.
Stanford Crane, founder and chief executive officer of World Moto Clash, told Roadracing World that the organization is still negotiating with one party in a last-minute attempt to find the money for the run-what-you-brung race with a prize of $1 million to the winner.
Initially slated for July at Utah Motorsports Campus, organizers moved the initial round of the event—billed as racing meets reality television programming—to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on the weekend of September 18-20. In an interview published on April 29 on roadracingworld.com, Crane said that the purse money would be in an escrow account 30 days prior to the event taking place. That has not taken place.
The idea for the event was first floated nearly 20 years ago, with claims that it would draw wildly unique machines that would out-perform top-level racebikes because of the lack of technical restrictions. But this year was the first in which a specific date and venue was announced for the race. In April, organizers also announced a production and marketing team for the event.
The racing, WMC organizers explained, would be the backdrop for a reality television-like product, and the back stories of the racers leading up to the event were critical. Crane said his model was more like the Ultimate Fighting Championship than a traditional racing series, and that the events would be VIP-studded occasions akin to a Super Bowl-like production.
But to date, there have been no announcements about rider or team participation in the event. There have been no announcements about television or broadcast or production deals or that any of the shooting has started.
A major road racing event like this requires an infrastructure that is in place weeks, if not months, before it happens. Lots of soft barriers are required to make Mid-Ohio raceable for motorcycles, tire suppliers have to be in place, insurance must be purchased and at this point, there is no evidence that plans for any of that have been confirmed. (The announced plans for the weekend’s on-track activities called for much longer periods of running than at a MotoAmerica or World Superbike event, and one MotoAmerica team owner calculated that each rider at a World Moto Clash event would likely go through nearly 40 tires.)
There have been no official announcements of operational partners to actually staff and run the event.
Crane says that a final decision on whether Mid-Ohio will take place will be made no later than Monday, August 24th.
First Person/Opinion:
By Michael Gougis
Professional motorcycle racing in the U.S. is a tightly-knit community, where everyone talks to each other. So far, no one I have talked to has seen any WMC money. WMC’s strategy seems to have been to announce the idea, get some high-profile names on board and to take that to the investment community and raise the money needed to pull off the event.
From the start, it was clear that this would only work as a purely entertainment product. There’s a concept in financial circles called the Efficient Market Hypothesis, which states that when all information about a product is known, markets reflect the actual value of a product. MotoAmerica’s (and professional road racing’s) current value in terms of an entertainment product reflect the reality of the modern entertainment landscape. It’s not like motorcycle road racing is something new. And MotoAmerica’s operators work hard at promoting the sport. They’re not inept or incompetent at what they do. What you see today is what they can sell it for.
There are lots of theories on how to make motorcycle road racing more attractive to investors and sponsors. Many have been tried, some have succeeded, some have failed. Liberty Media has expanded the audience of MotoGP, but that is a series that has roots that are decades old and Liberty Media also happens to run Formula One. The increase in the size of the MotoGP audience has not generated a concurrent increase in profitability. Liberty’s plans for further audience expansion center around ideas that either have been tried (more U.S. rounds) or are controversial, such as adding tracks closer to city centers. And believe me, neither the Utah Motorsports Campus nor Mid-Ohio are close to city centers!
A no-regulation motorsports event doesn’t suddenly make racing as an entertainment product significantly more attractive to investors; in fact, the exact opposite seems to be true. Liberty Media, and Dorna before that, had a huge rulebook for MotoGP to make sure, in part, that no one runs away with a season or series due solely to a technological breakthrough. A runaway at the front by a rider or a single team is not an entertainment product they can sell. So simply changing the rules or eliminating them doesn’t suddenly make motorcycle road racing a hot entertainment product where you can offer nearly $3 million in a purse for a single race and still make money on the deal.
And if back stories about racers would increase the value of any road racing series, well, that’s been tried. Everyone talks about the success Formula One had with their reality-like product. But MotoGP’s attempt at that failed miserably. And–no offense, all–there’s no shortage of back stories available on social media about pretty much anyone on the MotoAmerica grid. You could, I suppose, put celebrities on racebikes and bring an audience that way, but once the green flag drops, the bulls–t stops, and I’m not sure watching a celebrity getting lapped is going to attract attention or investors.
There are other structural challenges to doing a high-stakes race as entertainment. There’s the expense of going racing; it would not be out of the question for a team to spend more than $100,000 to show up and run a pair of riders on MotoAmerica-spec Superbikes for a weekend and leave empty-handed–and that figure doesn’t include the cost of building the bike. There’s the risk of injury to one of the team’s stars. Many of us remember what happened to MotoGP attendance during the dark days when Valentino Rossi broke his leg and was sidelined.
These are issues that someone looking at this as a pure investment vehicle would ponder carefully, especially when there are other entertainment products where they could invest without that risk. You could shoot an entire season of some reality programs for what a MotoGP team spends in a weekend. A purse of nearly $3 million for every WMC event is pretty much unheard of for any racing event, and investors want assurances that they will see a return. There are races that pay $1 million or more to the winner. But they are rare and all are car races.
You can never say never, especially when the entertainment industry is involved. I still love Gilbert Gottfried’s comedy bit on pitching the TV show “Hogan’s Heroes” to network executives: “It’s set in a World War II prisoner of war camp. It’s a comedy!” Who thought that was a good idea? Yet it ran for six seasons!
But the entertainment industry has had nearly 20 years to look at the World Moto Clash concept and so far, there have been no takers. And unless something changes dramatically, it’s really hard to see how this will ever make financial sense to investors or professional racers.
For an podcast on the topic featuring Roadracing World Founder & Editor John Ulrich, watch below:
At Ohvale, every new motorcycle has always been born from a vision before becoming a project. OHVALE GP-5 is the latest expression of this philosophy: a motorcycle created to write another important chapter in Ohvale’s history.
The Ohvale GP-5 comes with a choice of powerplants, a Honda CRF250R or ZS RR250, each of which can be equipped with two different ECUs. Photo by Ohvale.
Making motorcycling an accessible discipline for everyone, offering every rider a motorcycle capable of enhancing the pleasure of riding, improving their skills and allowing them to fully experience the world of racing, has always been one of the principles guiding every Ohvale project.
Over the years, we have developed motorcycles designed to meet the needs of enthusiasts, from beginners to the most experienced riders, offering high-performance, high-quality machines with an unmistakable racing spirit. At the same time, supporting young riders from their very first steps through to their debut in international and world championships represents the vision that continues to guide the development of our product range. Ohvale has built a unique ecosystem dedicated to rider development and the pleasure of riding on
track.
Until now, the range has consisted of the OHVALE GP-0, GP-2 and GP-7. Today, Ohvale continues its evolution with a new addition, which has been under development for some time and is now ready to fit between the OHVALE GP-2 and OHVALE GP-7, making the transition to full-size wheels even more natural and progressive.
Electronics include engine mapping, pit speed limiting and rain settings. Photo by Ohvale.
From this vision comes OHVALE GP-5: the latest addition to the Ohvale product range. A motorcycle that is easy to ride, fun and designed to help riders reach their limits. As intuitive as OHVALE GP-2. As high-performing as OHVALE GP-7. Featuring 15-inch wheels, an aluminium perimeter frame, a 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine, fully adjustable OHRACING forks and a complete Brembo braking system with dual front discs, OHVALE GP-5 aims to set a new benchmark in the international motorcycle landscape, combining performance, build quality and uncompromising riding enjoyment.
OHVALE GP-5 will be available with two different engine options, the HONDA CRF250R and ZS RR250, each of which can be equipped with two different ECUs: one featuring a race map and one featuring a restricted map.
OHVALE GP-5 has been developed to offer every rider the ideal tool to train, improve their
performance and challenge themselves across an even wider range of circuits, from karting tracks to larger, full-size circuits. Thanks to its advanced chassis, innovative ergonomics and high-level components, it is also the perfect choice for more experienced riders looking for a powerful, complete and highly performing motorcycle, technically capable of allowing them to fully express their riding potential without compromise.
Dual disc Brembo braking system on the Ohvale GP-5. Photo courtesy Ohvale.
At the same time, remaining faithful to the Ohvale philosophy, GP-5 has been designed to support the development of young talents, introducing an additional and fundamental step within the brand’s rider development pathway. A motorcycle conceived for those looking for a focused technical platform that can support the rider throughout their progression and prepare them for the transition to higher categories.
Valerio Da Lio, CEO and Founder of Ohvale S.r.l.:
“Once again, Ohvale proves to be a pioneer in the world of two wheels, giving shape to an idea and responding to a real need within today’s motorcycling landscape. With OHVALE GP-5, we innovate and expand our offering with a motorcycle capable of interpreting the track in yet another new way, while remaining faithful to the philosophy that has always guided us and led us to become a leader in our segment. OHVALE GP-5 is innovation. OHVALE GP-5 is research. OHVALE GP-5 is pure racing.”
You want to ride a MotoGP-bike? Yeah, good luck with that: everyone knows these are machines made for murder, beasts of technology that only those gifted with near-superhuman reflexes can manage. These days, those rides have about as much in common with your average road bike as a space shuttle has in common with a paper airplane. What can I say; you can’t walk the cutting edge if you don’t expect to bleed a little.
Except that once upon a time, there was a bike that was different. Fast as lightning but turned on a dime. Easily built in bulk, yet suited to almost every riding style under the sun.
Rossi rode it to victory. So did Max Biaggi.
Like a samurai blade, its deceptive simplicity was only possible because it built on ages of experience with every complex mechanic under the sun. Its name was the Honda RC211V and it was the bike that changed everything.
It’s a machine born out of necessity: when the sun finally fell on the era of the two-stroke engine, it was a whole new game for everyone. MotoGP itself was different then, too: way more of a technological wild west, where there were many different ways to build your ideal racer as long as those ways weren’t electronic. It’s impossible to avoid: telling the story of the RC211V means telling a story about MotoGP itself, because its role in racing history is just that big.
Luckily, we’ve got some great storytellers in Mat and Peter here. One of them even rode the bloody thing! This is going to be one of those episodes that you really don’t want to miss, so pour one out for a legend and get straight into it…
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music! And additional thanks to flowerhead, who’s music you can find here.
Oh, and a quick word in regards to sponsors:
If you’re interested in connecting with a really unique MotoGP audience — we’re working with Smash Brand Group out of Sydney to manage partnerships. Curious? Just head to smashbrandgroup.com.au and get in touch!
Multiple MotoGP Grand Prix winner Bastianini adds his considerable experience to the American team, who have been front-runners in the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. From Moto3 debut in 2014 to Moto2 World Champion in 2020, Bastianini took three podiums as a MotoGP rookie in 2021. 2022 started with a bang – victory in Qatar – followed by wins in the USA, France and Aragon which resulted in a 3rd place position in the World Championship standings. His breakout form was blunted in 2023 through an early season injury but Bastianini bounced back in 2024 which saw him in title contention for much of the year, taking nine Grand Prix podiums, including two w GPins and 1 Sprint victory, finally finishing the season 4th overall.
Carrying the nickname ‘Bestia’ – The Beast – Bastianini will bring race winning pedigree and experience to the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team and its continuing journey with Aprilia’s RS-GP prototypes when pre-season testing gets underway at Valencia, after the conclusion of the 2026 World Championship season.
Enea Bastianini: “I am extremely excited to join the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team for the next two MotoGP Championships. Starting from the test in Valencia this year, it is going to be a real new challenge for me as we are entering a new era with a new bike, new tires and new regulations. For this, I am happy to bring my experience and my fighting spirit to Trackhouse so that we can develop the new Aprilia RS-GP together. The team has grown a lot during 2026 and it has become a title contender – for sure I will do my best for us to stay on top.”
Justin Marks, Owner, Trackhouse Entertainment Group: “It’s a very exciting moment for the SuperFile Trackhouse team to welcome someone like Enea to race our Aprilias. His racing pedigree, his MotoGP winning history, and his experience at the top of this game all contribute to the perfect scenario for a racing team that we all believe is on the verge of greatness. Enea’s infectious personality, eagerness to get started, humility, and positivity are the attributes we always look for in our mission to attract athletes that are the entire package. We’re going to have a lot of fun chasing trophies and creating memorable moments over the next few years with Enea, Raul, and all the amazing people and partners at Trackhouse.”
Roadracing World Founder & Editor John Ulrich riding the original Suzuki GSX-R750 during the February 1985 world intro, held at Suzuki's Ryuyo test track. Photo by Masao Suzuki. Copyright 2013, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
The two Editor’s Scrapbook layouts seen below were published in Roadracing World in 2017 and 2013, featuring photos from the worldwide media intro for the revolutionary Suzuki GSX-R750, held at Suzuki’s test course on February 2nd, 1985. Plus a bonus photo of John Ulrich riding the bike during the intro. The air/oil-cooled bike quickly dominated 750cc Supersport races worldwide, and became competitive in Superbike races as well. It was the first GSX-R model, later joined by the GSX-R1100, and later still, the GSX-R600.
Another photo from the world intro for the original Suzukj GSX-R750, held February 2nd, 1985 on Suzuki’s Ryuyo Test Course in Hamamatsu, Japan. John Ulrich is shown on board an absolutely stock bike, dragging a replaceable leather knee patch before knee sliders were invented. Photo by Masao Suzuki. Copyright 2025, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
From Left, Zlock Racing's Dan Zlock, Lisa Cipolla and Dale Zlock in 2025. Photo by Sean Lawless/FIM.
Last year the Zlock Racing team left the Bonneville Salt Flats with three new FIM-accredited Land Speed World Records (LSWR) and the motorcycle performance specialists from Washington State in the Pacific Northwest are back for this week’s 2026 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials (BMST) August 23-27, aiming to rewrite the record books once again.
In 2025 it was the team’s Dale Zlock and Lisa Cipolla who set new benchmark speeds on the world-famous Utah salt flats and 57-year-old Cipolla–a Youth Services Librarian–is hoping to extend the two records she set last year. But 70-year-old Zlock will be joining the support crew as his elder brother, Dan, makes an attempt on a record that has stood since 1993.
“My bike is going to require a substantial redesign in order to reach the 175 mph that I need to break the record I’m going after,” explained Dale. “It’s just going to take too much time and effort and I’ve only just started to think about the redesign so I need to take a year off. There’s bodywork that needs to be done, there are chassis pieces that have to be made and then there’s the engine – it’s not just a matter of building a bigger engine, there’s a lot of other stuff involved.”
All record categories are gender-neutral and determined by the method by which the motorcycle is propelled, body kit, power source, capacity, and number of cylinders. Part of the FIM LSWR discipline, the BMST is an annual event that has run since 2004 and given the discipline’s very particular requirements-–most notably a vast expanse of flat, firm terrain and favorable weather conditions–it represents a once-a-year opportunity for the majority of competitors looking to set new records.
Last year Dan Zlock, who has been competing at the BMST since 2013, had hoped to exceed the record for a partially-streamlined 750cc machine that currently stands at 186.302 mph (299.824 kph) and was set by three-time FIM MotoGP World Champion Loris Capirossi on a factory HRC Honda, but conditions were not suitable. However, this time around the 73-year-old is optimistic about his chances.
“I have a 750 of my own design,” he said. “The chassis is the same ZX-10R chassis that I’ve used to set records at over 200 mph, but I’ve developed a 750 engine to fit in that chassis. It’s my own design based on a 2000 ZX-9R, but I’ve de-stroked it, de-bored it and modified it and it runs on nitrous. It’s an interesting piece of kit.
“Last year the conditions weren’t right, but that was OK because I’d already set it on fire twice – once on the dyno and again on the salt so as it turned out it was all for the best. The current record sits at 186 mph so I need the 750 to go probably around 190 and that’s a big ask.
The FIM Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials course. Photo by Jean Turner/FIM.
“On the dyno it makes around 170 horsepower on nitrous, but the nitrous only lasts for about 30 seconds so I will need to get the timing on the course correct, the salt must be good and the wind has to be good. It’s doable, but everything has to be right. The bike has already gone 186 mph in 2024 – and the salt wasn’t all that good – but on the return run at about that speed I hit a rut that knocked me up and out of the saddle and scared the living daylights out of myself.”
Cipolla, whose heroics last year earned her the nickname “the World’s Fastest Librarian,” returns with her four-cylinder 2012 Zlock Racing 600cc Kawasaki ZX-6R that is decked out, as are all Zlock machines, in the team’s trademark fluorescent yellow. With special pistons and upgraded conrods, designed by Dan and made by Arrow Precision in England who manufacture components for MotoGP and F1, much to her delight, this time around it has also been fitted with a nitrous oxide kit for extra horsepower.
“I feel totally factory,” she said. “I just turn up and the team hand me my bike and are like ‘here it is.’ I know how to start it, I know how to throw a leg over it and I know how to ride it. After that I don’t know all that much.”
In 2025 Cipolla set a new FIM World Record with a top speed of 146.799mph (236.251km/h) with her machine partially streamlined before returning the next day, removing her bodywork and achieving an unfaired FIM World Record of 135.466mph (217.979km/h). Both records had ‘open’ status, meaning Lisa was the first rider to attempt them.
“I’ll be attempting to break my own records. I’m hoping for better salt because I feel like the records I set last year were so slow. I should be able to hit 160 without trouble, especially with nitrous. The plan is to get an honest-to-goodness, fast record in the books for the FIM.
“The first time I had nitrous on the bike I was so nervous. I was at full-chat – I couldn’t possibly get any more out of the engine – and then I hit the nitrous button and it just went whoosh! It was just glorious – super-joyful. I was giggling all the way back to the pits.”
The 2026 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials take place between 23-27 August.
Jaxon Castro (26) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
American riders Jaxon Castro and Luke Shen in the 110 4S class and Maverick Johnson in the 190 cc class represented the United States at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup in China. They were joined by Canadian riders Fadhili Ndungu-Kraemer, Austin Da, and Tammer Chehade in the 110 4S class; Lincoln Scott and Jäger Stockill in the 190 cc class; and Ethan Reardon in the 160 cc class. Together, the American and Canadian riders competed against an international field across the event’s races.
Jaxon Castro put together a strong showing for the American contingent, earning a third-place finish in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S. He followed with a 10th-place finish in Race 2 and another 10th-place finish in the Super Final Race.
Luke Shen also represented the American contingent in the 110cc class, finishing 18th in both Race 1 and Race 2 before securing 20th overall in the combined results.
Fadhili Ndungu-Kraemer (6) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Fadhili Ndungu-Kraemer delivered a determined performance in the 110 4S class, finishing 11th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S. He followed with a 20th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 17th in the Super Final Race.
Austin Da (5) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Austin Da put together a consistent performance in the 110 4S class, finishing 14th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S. He matched that result with another 14th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 16th in the Super Final Race.
Tammer Chehade (7) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Tammer Chehade competed in the 110 4S class aboard his OHVALE GP-0 110 4S, finishing 19th in Race 1 before placing 22nd in Race 2.
Maverick Johnson (33) at the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup. Photo courtesy of the 2026 OHVALE Guangzhou Supercup.
Maverick Johnson also delivered a solid performance aboard his OHVALE GP-0 190, finishing ninth in Race 1 before placing 10th in both Race 2 and the Super Final Race.
Lincoln Scott put together a solid performance in the 190 cc class, finishing 11th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 190. He followed with a 12th-place finish in Race 2 before recording a DNF in the Super Final Race.
Jäger Stockill put together a consistent performance in the 190 cc class, finishing 15th in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 190. He followed with a 17th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 15th in the Super Final Race.
Ethan Reardon delivered a strong showing in the 160 cc class, finishing seventh in Race 1 aboard his OHVALE GP-0 160. He followed with a 14th-place finish in Race 2 before placing 13th in the Super Final Race.
Rocco Landers (97) at Mid-Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Pipe Dreams Podcast returns with a special episode featuring one of the most naturally talented and versatile young riders in American motorcycle racing, Rocco Landers. From growing up around racing in Southern California to dominating MotoAmerica as a teenager, racing in Europe with the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and eventually earning his first factory opportunity with Indian Motorcycle, Rocco’s career has taken a path few could have predicted.
In this episode, Rocco reflects on growing up with his father Stoney Landers as his coach, mechanic, crew chief and biggest supporter, spending his formative years racing in Italy and Spain, and returning to America to become one of the most dominant young riders in MotoAmerica history. He discusses winning two Junior Cup championships and a Twins Cup title, making the jump to Supersport and 1000cc machinery, and experiencing the pressure that came with being labeled a potential future American MotoGP star.
Rocco also opens up about the twists and turns of his career, from the Red Bull Rookies Cup and the European development system to opportunities in Twins Cup, Supersport, Stock 1000 and King of the Baggers. He shares what it was like adapting to a 600-pound motorcycle, winning his first Bagger race at COTA, and ultimately landing a factory ride with Indian Motorcycle and Vance & Hines alongside Troy Herfoss and Hayden Gillim. From the MotoGP dream that never followed a straight path to finally getting a true OEM opportunity, this conversation offers a closer look at the talent, adaptability and mentality behind one of America’s most intriguing young racers. This is Rocco Landers.
🎧 Episode 41 is now streaming on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, the full episodeis out now.
Hunter Lawrence [#96] and Jorge Prado [#26] began the second moto out front, with Lawrence ultimately completing the 1-1 moto sweep with a wire-to-wire victory. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. – For the first time all summer Mother Nature played a central role in the outcome of the action at the penultimate race of the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, from Budds Creek Motocross Park. Heavy morning rains set the tone for a challenging afternoon that remained free from rainfall at Round 27 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, where a wet and muddy track eventually transitioned into a competitive racing surface as the sun emerged at the Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Presented by Carter CAT. In the premier 450SMX Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96] put forth a dominant performance to capture his sixth win of the season and reclaim control of the points lead, setting up a winner-take-all showdown at the season finale with his teammate and brother, Jett Lawrence [#1]. In the 250SMX Class, a day that saw a dramatic shift atop the point standings also welcomed the summer’s seventh different winner as Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] prevailed to set a new record of parity in the smaller displacement and give Honda a sweep of the day’s victories.
Hunter Lawrence Dominates Budds Creek to Reclaim Points Lead, Set Up Winner-Take-All Championship Showdown with Brother Jett
450 SMX Class
Qualifying
The first session of the morning ultimately became the deciding factor in the combined time sheet as a heavy rain shower prior to the second session effectively forced every rider to forego logging any laps. As a result, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan [#38] ended up atop the charts with a time of 1:54.734, which placed him a half second ahead of Jett Lawrence and his time of 1:55.266, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire [#24] followed in third [1:55.501]. Hunter Lawrence ended up fourth [1:55.541] after his fastest lap was disallowed for jumping on a red cross flag. He held the second-fastest lap prior to the penalty.
The first moto began under tricky track conditions, as Haiden Deegan [#38] grabbed the holeshot but gave way to Hunter Lawrence [#96], who carried on to the win. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The opening premier class moto kicked off with Deegan out front for the holeshot, with Hunter Lawrence and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac [#3] in tow. Jett Lawrence got a poor jump off the gate, made contact with another rider while navigating the first turn, and emerged deep inside the top 20 before eventually falling outside a points-paying position.
Hunter Lawrence showed patience on the opening lap and pulled the trigger on a pass that caught Deegan off guard and allowed the Honda rider to take control of the moto. Deegan responded to keep the battle engaged, but Lawrence soon pulled ahead by more than two seconds.
As the top three settled into their respective positions the focus shifted on Jett Lawrence’s climb through the field. He fought his way into the top 15 through the opening 10 minutes and held a pace that was on par with the leaders.
As the moto surpassed its halfway point, Jett broke into the top 10. Meanwhile, the gap between Hunter Lawrence and Deegan dwindled down to just over a second as the top two navigated heavy lapped traffic. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] made the pass around his teammate Tomac for third.
Hunter Lawrence weathered the pressure from Deegan and reestablished a lead of more than three seconds inside the final five minutes. Further back, Jett Lawrence continued to move up the running order and on the cusp of the top five. As time ran out on the race clock, the championship leader made the pass for fifth.
Back out front, Hunter Lawrence finished strong with his biggest lead of the moto and took the checkered flag for the 11th time this summer by a margin of 5.6 seconds over Deegan. Prado finished more than 50 seconds back in third, with Tomac posting a season-best moto finish in fourth ahead of Jett Lawrence, who salvaged fifth.
Hunter Lawrence’s exceptional pace saw him lap up to 11th place in the 40-rider field.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The final moto of the afternoon provided the best conditions of the day and saw Hunter Lawrence wrestle his way into the lead with the holeshot over Prado and fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Aaron Plessinger [#7]. Deegan and Jett Lawrence emerged deep in the top 10.
Hunter Lawrence looked to take full advantage of the clear track and laid down a blistering opening lap to establish a 3.4 second lead over Prado, as 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing’s Mikkel Haarup [#31] moved into third.
As the lead trio settled in, Jett Lawrence was patiently moving his way forward and picked off several riders to make his way into fourth through the opening five minutes of the moto. Deegan sat a few positions back in seventh.
Out front, Prado made inroads on his deficit to Hunter Lawrence and held a faster pace as the first 10 minutes drew to a close. Jett Lawrence, meanwhile, attacked Haarup for third and made an impressive outside move to take the position.
Hunter Lawrence withstood the pressure from Prado and once again extended his lead, which soon reached nearly six seconds with less than 10 minutes to go. Further back, Jett Lawrence started to make gains on Prado. As time ran out on the race clock Jett closed in on Prado to initiate a two-lap battle for the position. On the final lap Jett forced the issue and used a lapped rider as a pick to make the pass on the Spaniard.
Back out front, a wire-to-wire performance in the final moto capped off another dominant outing for Hunter Lawrence, who made it a dozen moto wins on the season. He crossed the line 5.9 seconds ahead of his younger brother, with Prado third and Deegan fourth.
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Hunter Lawrence’s sixth 1-1 performance and sixth victory of the summer is the seventh of his career, but more importantly, moved him back atop the championship standings with one race remaining.
Prado secured back-to-back runner-up finishes after a 3-3 afternoon.
Deegan captured his fifth consecutive overall podium result in third (2-4) and now has eight podiums in the first 10 races of his rookie season.
Jett Lawrence settled for fourth (5-2), which signified just his third-ever non-podium finish in 37 premier class starts and his first not impacted by a crash nor a penalty.
An 11-point swing moved Hunter Lawrence back atop the championship standings heading into the final round, with he and Jett separated by a single point. It signified the sixth time the points lead has changed hands between the siblings this summer.
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Honda HRC Progressive (1-1):
“Anything can happen, so I just focused on myself. I tried to get around the first turn the best I can and then just ride my own race. I haven’t felt great all week [physically], so it feels great to get this done.”
Jorge Prado (26) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Jorge Prado | #26 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (3-3):
“My start was good [and] my riding was good most of the time. In those last 10 minutes I struggle and have a hard time with the lappers. I need to be better at that. Hopefully we can get a moto win before the season ends.”
Haiden Deegan (38) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (2-4):
“I was chasing BamBam [Barcia] for so long and overheated my bike. I’m still happy with the day. We’re making improvements each week and I just want to keep putting in the work. On to the next one.”
Jett Lawrence finished off the podium for just the third time in his premier class career and with it lost hold of the points lead. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
4th Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Honda HRC Progressive (5-2):
“It’s going to be exciting [next weekend]. [Hunter and I] have been going back and forth with the red plate. Now it’s one point and winner-take-all at the next one. I need to get better on the starts; those have been terrible. If I can fix that I think we’ll be in good shape.”
Chance Hymas Becomes Seventh Different 250SMX Winner to Set New Record
250 SMX Class
Qualifying
The first qualifying session proved to be faster for the smaller displacement as the final session was greeted with the early stages of a steady storm that ultimately altered the course of the day. For the second week in a row, points leader and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen [#47] paced the field with a time of 1:56.283, which placed him three tenths ahead of his championship rival, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies [#37] and his time of 1:56.596. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] rounded out the top three [1:56.944].
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first moto of the afternoon saw Kitchen take advantage of his first gate pick with his first holeshot of the summer ahead of Davies and Hymas. The Honda rider went on the attack early and made a pass on Davies. Then, as he pressured Kitchen for the lead, the Kawasaki rider went down and reentered the race in 17th place.
Hymas took advantage of the opportunity to lead the field and assert his hold of first. However, Davies closed in and snuck through to seize control of the moto. After one lap, Davies’ lead sat at 3.5 seconds. Behind them, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon [#180] moved into third.
As Davies started to pull away from the field, Kitchen was in the midst of a recovery effort, fighting his way back into the top 10 with 23 minutes remaining on the race clock. However, as the moto wore on, Kitchen’s vision was compromised as he ran out of tear-offs, which forced him to remove his goggles with 18 minutes to go. As a result, he slowly started to lose positions and dropped outside the top 10 with about 10 minutes to go.
The top three settled in through the heart of the moto, with enough distance between each of them to assert their hold on each position. On the final lap, Hymas was able to get Davies in his sights, but it was too little too late. Davies closed out his eighth moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds, with Gordon in third. AEO Powersports KTM’s Carson Mumford [#71] was fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Kayden Minear [#99] fifth.
Kitchen made a late push and salvaged 10th but was ultimately penalized for going beyond the track limits as the field emerged from the starting gate. As a result, Kitchen was docked four positions and was credited with 14th place.
The opening moto began when conditions were at the worst as Cole Davies [#37] emerged with the win while Levi Kitchen [#47] was penalized for going off track off the start. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
With the sun shining and an improving racetrack, the second moto began with Hymas out front with the holeshot ahead of Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha’s Parker Ross [#40] and Davies, with Gordon in fourth. Kitchen slotted into sixth. Davies was able to make the move around Ross before the end of the opening lap.
Hymas established a lead of 2.4 seconds over Davies as Kitchen put in a charge to break into the top three. The Kawasaki rider closed in on Ross and made the pass, giving him 25 minutes to try and track down the top two.
As the moto reached its halfway point, Hymas’ lead grew to nearly four seconds over Davies, with Kitchen able to make small gains in his pursuit from third.
In response to Kitchen’s push, Davies also picked up the pace and started to close in on Hymas. As the fastest rider on the track, Kitchen moved within striking distance of Davies with a little more than 10 minutes remaining on the race clock. The Kawasaki rider continued to close in and was able to take advantage of a miscue by Davies to take control of second. Kitchen faced a 3.2 second deficit to Hyams with just under seven minutes to go.
Kitchen closed in on Hymas and got within striking distance of making a challenge for the lead, but Hymas kept him at bay over the final several laps to hold on for his second moto win of the season by 2.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Davies nearly a half minute behind in third.
Chance Hymas [#29] seized the moment in Moto 2 and turned the holeshot into his first overall victory of the season, setting a new record for parity. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Hymas’ 2-1 effort allowed him to break through for the third overall win of his career. With it, he became the seventh different rider to capture a 250SMX Class victory this summer, which set a new record for race winners in a single season.
Davies grabbed his third straight podium result in second (1-3) and now has seven top three finishes this summer, which has ultimately moved him in control of his own destiny in the championship.
The rookie Gordon captured the first overall podium result of his career in third (3-7), making him the eighth different rider to claim a maiden podium this summer.
Kitchen’s strong effort in the second moto helped him make the most out of a challenging afternoon in fifth overall (14-2).
A 15-point swing in the championship moves Davies back atop the point standings heading into the final round, where he’ll hold a 14-point lead over Kitchen for the last two motos of the season.
“I feel like you get a flash of all the hard times. It feels amazing to get back to this point. I owe so much to my team for their support of me and everything they’ve done to get us here. Holeshot, wire-to-wire, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Cole Davies (37) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Cole Davies | #37 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-3):
“It’s not over ’til it’s over. I just need to focus on getting two good starts next weekend and see how it plays out. Another good day and we’ll try to do it again next weekend.”
Landen Gordon (180) at Budds Creek. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Landen Gordon | #180 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (3-7):
“I’ve been putting in good days during the week recently and was able to bring it into the weekend. I finally did it. This is unreal. Outdoors is tough, so I’m stoked.”
Levi Kitchen endured through a challenging first moto, which ultimately proved costly in the championship standings as he finished fifth overall. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
5th Place – Levi Kitchen | #47 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (14-2):
“I just need to treat this like any other weekend and put this behind me. It’s hard to do, but it is what it is. One mistake can have a massive impact, which is tough, but all I can do is give it everything I’ve got next weekend and see what happens.”
Budds Creek also hosted the penultimate round of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony. It proved to be another dominant outing for reigning back-to-back champion and current points leader Lachlan Turner [#1], who piloted her Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha to dominant moto victories on Friday and Saturday. The fourth win of the season for Turner saw her outrun Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7] and SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen [#51]. The victory allowed Turner to extend her lead in the championship to 21 points over Cannon with one round and two motos remaining.
Post-Race Press Conference // Budds Creek National
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will culminate with a title heavy season finale next Saturday, August 29, where a trio of champions will be crowned for the first time at the final round of the SMX World Championship regular season from Indiana’s Ironman Raceway. The U.S. Army Ironman National Finals Presented by Tucker Freight Lines will be shown live in its entirety exclusively on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by coverage of the motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.
For information about the Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Tom Drane (No. 1) wins his second consecutive KICKER AFT Singles Championship after winning the 79th running of the Caterpillar Peoria TT. Photo by Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Spearheaded by the efforts of Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) and Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Estenson Racing Yamaha pulled off a clean sweep of victories at the 79th World Famous Caterpillar Peoria TT presented by Walters Brothers Harley-Davidson, Round 14 of 16 for the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
And as it was, both headlining wins at the Peoria Motorcycle Club in Peoria, Illinois, were of significant consequence.
Daniels closed out the day’s proceedings by coming out on top of a tense duel with Mission AFT SuperTwins’ rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 Super.com/RWR/Rocket Doctor Harley-Davidson XG750R).
The premier-class Main Event saw the reigning and former Grand National Champions go head-to-head for the entirety of the 10-minute and two lap affair. Bauman grabbed the holeshot but Daniels was restless in second, repeatedly looking for a way up the inside in the track’s first and last corners.
After being rebuffed by multiple crisscrossing square-ups, Daniels made his intended maneuver stick with just under six minutes remaining on the clock.
The Estenson Racing Yamaha ace grabbed a couple tenths in a hurry and threatened to shake free. However, Bauman found his second wind as the laps wound down and the two encountered lapped traffic. At that point, the Rick Ware Racing pilot closed right back in on Daniels’ rear wheel, eying a final-lap lunge with the checkered flag in sight.
Instead, Daniels held his line and raced his way to a 0.325-second margin of victory.
The win was especially rewarding for Daniels, who grew up in nearby Mattoon, Illinois, dreaming of days like this. He said, “That was probably the toughest Main Event of my career. I got off in second, but that was actually good. I was watching Briar and seeing where I was a little bit better. He was making a few mistakes, and I snuck by. I tried to be smooth, but it wasn’t super smooth. He was right on me, I kind of pulled a gap, but then he reeled it back in. I could hear him sizing up a move, and I tried to do anything I could to not let it happen.
“It feels great. The bike was just flawless. And you know, Briar is really good here… just like Chris (Carr), Henry (Wiles), and JD (Beach) – he’s one of those guys. He was trying to take the reins on taking this place over, and I knew he was going to be really tough to beat. I’m so pumped to get the job done. It’s amazing.”
Third title contender, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), had his work cut out for him after being forced through the LCQ due to losing his chain landing the jump while leading his heat race.
Despite this disadvantage, Kopp somehow slotted his way up into fourth on the opening lap of the Main Event. However, he was unable to translate that into genuine contention, quickly losing the position to Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke), who then reeled in Peoria legend Henry Wiles (No. 911 DL Racing/HYMMCO Yamaha MT-07).
Fisher finally made his way through on Wiles with less than a minute remaining, as Kopp looked to pull off a similar feat.
The Latus Motors Harley runner came up just short, with Fisher earning the final spot on the box, while Wiles edged Kopp for fourth by a scant 0.044 seconds.
“Fast Boy from Illinois” Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) finished sixth, with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Chad Cose (No. 49 Parker Racing/Pro Roofing Yamaha MT-07), and Kole King (No. 80 King Performance/Motul KTM 790 Duke) rounding out the top ten.
As a result of his momentous triumph, Daniels now boasts a commanding 20-point advantage in his Grand National Championship defense with just the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I & II to go. He currently sits at 272 points, followed by Bauman (252) and Kopp (249).
KICKER AFT Singles
The KICKER AFT Singles class promised yet another epic clash with Drane in position to successfully defend his class crown, and his archrival, home-state hero Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), hoping to stay alive by defending his home turf.
That promise was broken when it became clear Drane wanted no part of any further drama, while Saathoff got saddled with his own. While the Estenson Racing Yamaha ace powered off with the holeshot, Saathoff initially found himself behind the visiting Max Whale (No. 18 Australian Road Services/Heaton Plant & Pipeline KTM 450 SX-F).
While Saathoff rectified that situation in short order, he suffered a bobble in the last corner of the opening lap. That mishap cost him the position, time, and any realistic chance of challenging Drane.
Drane ran a clean race at the front, clocking up a record-tying eighth victory to lock down his second consecutive KICKER AFT Singles title.
He said, “It’s been a great season – eight wins so far, which is really cool. We didn’t really change anything. We rode the same bike all day… The track just kept getting better and better, and I kept feeling better and better. I knew I had to go out there and try to win, so I put my head down the first half of the race and got a gap. I kept looking back and just tried to manage the gap. I didn’t need to do anything silly and brought the championship home.”
Countryman Whale served as a de facto bodyguard, keeping Saathoff corralled behind him for the remainder of the race to claim a runner-up finish in his first attempt of the ‘26 season.
With the top three positions well out of reach, several riders were in contention for fourth. That position ultimately went to Tarren Santero (No. 75 Roof Systems/Texas Utility Studies/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) despite the attempts of Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F), and company.
Pfanders finished fifth, while Tadman ultimately dropped back to eighth. Between them, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 JMC Motorsports/Fairway GMC KTM 450 SX-F) and Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R Racing/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) picked up sixth and seventh, respectively, while Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer’s Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) and Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) completed the top ten.
Now with 264 points, Drane holds an unassailable lead with two rounds remaining. Saathoff has a strong grasp on second at 215, while Tadman (182), Santero (193), and Brunner (170) all retain slim yet mathematical shots at that spot.
Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational
While Daniels’ and Drane’s wins garnered the headlines, it was actually the KICKER AFT Singles champ’s younger brother, Sam Drane (No. 7 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who kicked off the Estenson Racing Yamaha sweep.
The rising star rounded out a dominant day of his own with a fittingly dominant performance in the Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational.
Even amongst an all-star collection of amateurs invited to compete in a race organized in memory of the late Dan Bromley, Drane proved himself in a class of his own in Peoria.
After topping the charts in practice, both qualifying sessions, and his heat race, the Australian kept right on rolling through the Main Event. Drane took the holeshot and systematically built up his lead across the 12-lapper, ultimately taking the checkered flag with a 5.020-second margin of victory.
MotoAmerica road racer Sam Drane (in the middle) celebrates his ProSport 450 victory at the 79th Caterpillar Peoria TT, joined on the podium by runner-up and fellow MotoAmerica road racer Jake Paige (on the left) and third-place finisher Adam Costan-Wood (on the right). Photo by Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing.
The win was Drane’s fourth in the inaugural season of AFT ProSport 450 competition.
Jake Paige (No. 55 Paige Racing GASGAS MC 450F) and Adam Costan-Wood (No. 88 Turner Racing Honda CRF450R) attempted to keep Drane in sight early before shifting focus to their fight for second.
Paige had gotten away in that position but soon found himself facing constant and intense pressure from Costan-Wood. That carried on right up to the final stripe, where Paige just managed to hold Costan-Wood at bay by 0.071 seconds to complete an all Australia 1-2.
Behind, Dillon Durelle (No. 58 Durelle Racing Yamaha YZ450F) worked his way past Cody Mishey (No. 26 Team Mishey Racing Honda CRF450R) to score fourth, with Mishey holding on to complete the top five.
[Note: When not flat-tracking, Australians Sam Drane (who won) and Jake Paige (who finished second) compete in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup road racing series, regularly finishing on the podium.]
Next Up
It all comes down to this: The 2026 Grand National Championship will be decided at the series’ crown jewel – the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I & II, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6.
For those that can’t catch the live action at the track, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2026. FloSports is available by visitinghttps://flosports.link/AFT2026 or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports coverage of the World Famous Caterpillar Peoria TT, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 30, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT). The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres can be found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
World Moto Clash’s self-imposed deadline for depositing the promised $2.86 million prize purse in an escrow fund has passed with organizers still looking for funding (which they previously said they already had) and saying that the odds of the inaugural event actually being held are down to 25%.
Stanford Crane, founder and chief executive officer of World Moto Clash, told Roadracing World that the organization is still negotiating with one party in a last-minute attempt to find the money for the run-what-you-brung race with a prize of $1 million to the winner.
Initially slated for July at Utah Motorsports Campus, organizers moved the initial round of the event—billed as racing meets reality television programming—to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on the weekend of September 18-20. In an interview published on April 29 on roadracingworld.com, Crane said that the purse money would be in an escrow account 30 days prior to the event taking place. That has not taken place.
The idea for the event was first floated nearly 20 years ago, with claims that it would draw wildly unique machines that would out-perform top-level racebikes because of the lack of technical restrictions. But this year was the first in which a specific date and venue was announced for the race. In April, organizers also announced a production and marketing team for the event.
The racing, WMC organizers explained, would be the backdrop for a reality television-like product, and the back stories of the racers leading up to the event were critical. Crane said his model was more like the Ultimate Fighting Championship than a traditional racing series, and that the events would be VIP-studded occasions akin to a Super Bowl-like production.
But to date, there have been no announcements about rider or team participation in the event. There have been no announcements about television or broadcast or production deals or that any of the shooting has started.
A major road racing event like this requires an infrastructure that is in place weeks, if not months, before it happens. Lots of soft barriers are required to make Mid-Ohio raceable for motorcycles, tire suppliers have to be in place, insurance must be purchased and at this point, there is no evidence that plans for any of that have been confirmed. (The announced plans for the weekend’s on-track activities called for much longer periods of running than at a MotoAmerica or World Superbike event, and one MotoAmerica team owner calculated that each rider at a World Moto Clash event would likely go through nearly 40 tires.)
There have been no official announcements of operational partners to actually staff and run the event.
Crane says that a final decision on whether Mid-Ohio will take place will be made no later than Monday, August 24th.
First Person/Opinion:
By Michael Gougis
Professional motorcycle racing in the U.S. is a tightly-knit community, where everyone talks to each other. So far, no one I have talked to has seen any WMC money. WMC’s strategy seems to have been to announce the idea, get some high-profile names on board and to take that to the investment community and raise the money needed to pull off the event.
From the start, it was clear that this would only work as a purely entertainment product. There’s a concept in financial circles called the Efficient Market Hypothesis, which states that when all information about a product is known, markets reflect the actual value of a product. MotoAmerica’s (and professional road racing’s) current value in terms of an entertainment product reflect the reality of the modern entertainment landscape. It’s not like motorcycle road racing is something new. And MotoAmerica’s operators work hard at promoting the sport. They’re not inept or incompetent at what they do. What you see today is what they can sell it for.
There are lots of theories on how to make motorcycle road racing more attractive to investors and sponsors. Many have been tried, some have succeeded, some have failed. Liberty Media has expanded the audience of MotoGP, but that is a series that has roots that are decades old and Liberty Media also happens to run Formula One. The increase in the size of the MotoGP audience has not generated a concurrent increase in profitability. Liberty’s plans for further audience expansion center around ideas that either have been tried (more U.S. rounds) or are controversial, such as adding tracks closer to city centers. And believe me, neither the Utah Motorsports Campus nor Mid-Ohio are close to city centers!
A no-regulation motorsports event doesn’t suddenly make racing as an entertainment product significantly more attractive to investors; in fact, the exact opposite seems to be true. Liberty Media, and Dorna before that, had a huge rulebook for MotoGP to make sure, in part, that no one runs away with a season or series due solely to a technological breakthrough. A runaway at the front by a rider or a single team is not an entertainment product they can sell. So simply changing the rules or eliminating them doesn’t suddenly make motorcycle road racing a hot entertainment product where you can offer nearly $3 million in a purse for a single race and still make money on the deal.
And if back stories about racers would increase the value of any road racing series, well, that’s been tried. Everyone talks about the success Formula One had with their reality-like product. But MotoGP’s attempt at that failed miserably. And–no offense, all–there’s no shortage of back stories available on social media about pretty much anyone on the MotoAmerica grid. You could, I suppose, put celebrities on racebikes and bring an audience that way, but once the green flag drops, the bulls–t stops, and I’m not sure watching a celebrity getting lapped is going to attract attention or investors.
There are other structural challenges to doing a high-stakes race as entertainment. There’s the expense of going racing; it would not be out of the question for a team to spend more than $100,000 to show up and run a pair of riders on MotoAmerica-spec Superbikes for a weekend and leave empty-handed–and that figure doesn’t include the cost of building the bike. There’s the risk of injury to one of the team’s stars. Many of us remember what happened to MotoGP attendance during the dark days when Valentino Rossi broke his leg and was sidelined.
These are issues that someone looking at this as a pure investment vehicle would ponder carefully, especially when there are other entertainment products where they could invest without that risk. You could shoot an entire season of some reality programs for what a MotoGP team spends in a weekend. A purse of nearly $3 million for every WMC event is pretty much unheard of for any racing event, and investors want assurances that they will see a return. There are races that pay $1 million or more to the winner. But they are rare and all are car races.
You can never say never, especially when the entertainment industry is involved. I still love Gilbert Gottfried’s comedy bit on pitching the TV show “Hogan’s Heroes” to network executives: “It’s set in a World War II prisoner of war camp. It’s a comedy!” Who thought that was a good idea? Yet it ran for six seasons!
But the entertainment industry has had nearly 20 years to look at the World Moto Clash concept and so far, there have been no takers. And unless something changes dramatically, it’s really hard to see how this will ever make financial sense to investors or professional racers.
For an podcast on the topic featuring Roadracing World Founder & Editor John Ulrich, watch below:
At Ohvale, every new motorcycle has always been born from a vision before becoming a project. OHVALE GP-5 is the latest expression of this philosophy: a motorcycle created to write another important chapter in Ohvale’s history.
The Ohvale GP-5 comes with a choice of powerplants, a Honda CRF250R or ZS RR250, each of which can be equipped with two different ECUs. Photo by Ohvale.
Making motorcycling an accessible discipline for everyone, offering every rider a motorcycle capable of enhancing the pleasure of riding, improving their skills and allowing them to fully experience the world of racing, has always been one of the principles guiding every Ohvale project.
Over the years, we have developed motorcycles designed to meet the needs of enthusiasts, from beginners to the most experienced riders, offering high-performance, high-quality machines with an unmistakable racing spirit. At the same time, supporting young riders from their very first steps through to their debut in international and world championships represents the vision that continues to guide the development of our product range. Ohvale has built a unique ecosystem dedicated to rider development and the pleasure of riding on
track.
Until now, the range has consisted of the OHVALE GP-0, GP-2 and GP-7. Today, Ohvale continues its evolution with a new addition, which has been under development for some time and is now ready to fit between the OHVALE GP-2 and OHVALE GP-7, making the transition to full-size wheels even more natural and progressive.
Electronics include engine mapping, pit speed limiting and rain settings. Photo by Ohvale.
From this vision comes OHVALE GP-5: the latest addition to the Ohvale product range. A motorcycle that is easy to ride, fun and designed to help riders reach their limits. As intuitive as OHVALE GP-2. As high-performing as OHVALE GP-7. Featuring 15-inch wheels, an aluminium perimeter frame, a 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine, fully adjustable OHRACING forks and a complete Brembo braking system with dual front discs, OHVALE GP-5 aims to set a new benchmark in the international motorcycle landscape, combining performance, build quality and uncompromising riding enjoyment.
OHVALE GP-5 will be available with two different engine options, the HONDA CRF250R and ZS RR250, each of which can be equipped with two different ECUs: one featuring a race map and one featuring a restricted map.
OHVALE GP-5 has been developed to offer every rider the ideal tool to train, improve their
performance and challenge themselves across an even wider range of circuits, from karting tracks to larger, full-size circuits. Thanks to its advanced chassis, innovative ergonomics and high-level components, it is also the perfect choice for more experienced riders looking for a powerful, complete and highly performing motorcycle, technically capable of allowing them to fully express their riding potential without compromise.
Dual disc Brembo braking system on the Ohvale GP-5. Photo courtesy Ohvale.
At the same time, remaining faithful to the Ohvale philosophy, GP-5 has been designed to support the development of young talents, introducing an additional and fundamental step within the brand’s rider development pathway. A motorcycle conceived for those looking for a focused technical platform that can support the rider throughout their progression and prepare them for the transition to higher categories.
Valerio Da Lio, CEO and Founder of Ohvale S.r.l.:
“Once again, Ohvale proves to be a pioneer in the world of two wheels, giving shape to an idea and responding to a real need within today’s motorcycling landscape. With OHVALE GP-5, we innovate and expand our offering with a motorcycle capable of interpreting the track in yet another new way, while remaining faithful to the philosophy that has always guided us and led us to become a leader in our segment. OHVALE GP-5 is innovation. OHVALE GP-5 is research. OHVALE GP-5 is pure racing.”
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Accessibility
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Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 10, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
