Catch up on everything from the MotoAmerica weekend at VIRginia International Raceway with the latest team press releases and race recaps.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motorsports:
Bobby Fong and Josh Hayes Top the Podium at VIR. Yamaha BLU CRU riders celebrate podiums across all four MotoAmerica classes at Virginia International Raceway, with Bobby Fong leaving with two Superbike wins and Josh Hayes earning a commanding victory in Supersport.
With MotoAmerica racing at Virginia International Raceway during the middle of August, it was guaranteed to be a hot one. It more than lived up to expectations – both with the triple-digit heat index and the racing on track. Amid the heat and hard-fought battles, Yamaha riders enjoyed a successful outing across all four MotoAmerica categories at the 2.25-mile circuit in Alton, Virginia, as the championship battles neared fever pitch and opportunities for wins in the 2026 season began to run out.
In the Superbike tripleheader, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong took home a pair of wins and Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz earned a pair of runner-up finishes. In Supersport, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes finished second in Race 1 and executed a masterclass performance in Race 2 to score his 90th career AMA road race victory. Teammate Brenden Ketelsen also celebrated a milestone with his first MotoAmerica Supersport podium. Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane also had a standout weekend, pulling double duty in Twins Cup and Talent Cup and earning four runner-up finishes.
- MotoAmerica Superbike
With 75 points up for grabs at the seventh round of the championship, all three Yamaha riders – Fong, Scholtz and JD Beach – were looking to make up ground in the hotly contested MotoAmerica Superbike title fight. And with the Yamaha YZF-R1 traditionally strong at VIR, all three liked their odds.
It was a wild weekend of racing, with intense battles and multiple red flags. In the end, Fong celebrated a pair of victories with the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team. The Californian showed speed from the start, qualifying third to start on the front row of the grid. In Race 1, he slotted into fourth before making his way to the runner-up spot and closing in on Scholtz before the red flag came out. After the restart, Fong quickly returned to second and made the pass for the lead with six laps remaining, scoring his 13th career Superbike victory and gaining valuable ground in the championship.
“We needed that win to catch up on some points and also help my confidence,” said Fong. “We’ve got two long, hot races tomorrow, so a lot can happen. We just have to keep our heads down, keep working, and not get too excited because there’s a lot of competition out there. Everybody’s going to improve, so we just have to keep working.”
In Sunday’s Race 2, Fong was seventh after the start and steadily made his way forward. On Lap 7, he claimed a podium spot, passing both Richie Escalante and Sean Dylan Kelly to make it a Yamaha 1-2-3 at the front, with Scholtz in the lead and Beach in second. His forward charge continued on the following lap, passing his teammate and then applying pressure on Scholtz around the halfway mark. The duo built a gap up front, with Fong taking over the lead with four laps to go, bringing his win tally to two on the weekend and 14 career victories.
Later that afternoon, Fong got a better start to the third race and was once again battling up front before a red flag halted the action. Unfortunately, his race ended early after the restart when an incident in Turn 1 left five riders on the ground, including Scholtz and the championship leader Kelly.
“Race 2 was super good,” said Fong. “We had really good pace, and the bike felt really good. I knew in the beginning nobody would be getting away in the race, so I was just patient. We made our move with five or six laps to go, and we had great end-of-race pace like we did last year. As a whole, we had a strong weekend, but I hate not ending on a good note.”
Despite the unfortunate end to the weekend, Fong gained some ground in the title chase, moving to within 38 points of the leader.
“We’ve made a big step with the bike over the last few rounds, and I felt super comfortable,” said Fong. “I’d like to continue our form like we did last year at the end of these races and make another step. Like I said, I’m happy about the first few races. I just wanted it to end a little bit better. I’m looking forward to COTA. We’ve got a little break to try to improve ourselves and try to gain a few points.”
Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz also closed the gap to the championship leader in Virginia. Like Fong, he felt the team had made progress with the bike between rounds, and from the start, the South African showed the speed to run up front. He qualified on pole and got great starts in all three races, including the restarts. In Race 1, Scholtz grabbed the holeshot and led the way before the red flag. He once again led after the restart until Fong took over the top spot with around six laps remaining.
In Sunday’s Race 2, Scholtz got another great start but was passed by Beach on the opening lap. The Strack Racing Yamaha rider stayed on his heels and reclaimed the lead on Lap 7. Around the halfway mark, Fong closed in, and the duo set the pace up front, building a gap over the chasing group. As the laps wound down, Fong made his move and Scholtz crossed the line second to complete another Yamaha 1-2 finish.
In the final race of the weekend, Scholtz was once again battling up front before the red flag came out. Unfortunately, he was collected in the Turn 1 incident after the restart. Scholtz got back on track but was forced into the pits with damage to the bike and was unable to rejoin the race, scoring zero points. Despite the DNF, Scholtz moved to within 17 points of the championship leader with five races remaining.
“The weekend was great, apart from the crash,” said Scholtz. “Coming into VIR, you know that it is a Yamaha-friendly track, and it’s been very good to me in the past. So the main goal was just to close up on the championship lead. We got a second, second, and a zero unfortunately, in the third race, but I definitely feel like we made some progress on the new bike. I think that the Tuesday test after Mid-Ohio really helped us here, and we’re definitely seeing the benefits of that. We’ve got COTA next, which is a little bit of a more difficult track, but we’re progressing with the bike and just wanna keep this championship hunt going.”
Beach showed speed from the start, but a pair of crashes in the practice sessions put him on the back foot heading into the races, and he qualified sixth. Despite starting from the second row of the grid, he got great starts and battled up front throughout the weekend. In Race 1, he slotted into the runner-up spot and was battling for a podium. After the restart, he was fourth and ultimately dropped back to sixth.
In Race 2, Beach got another great start and led the opening six laps, but as the tires began to fade, he lost ground and ultimately finished fifth. In the final race of the weekend, he was third in the twice-started race, but crossed the line fourth. The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider heads to the penultimate round third in the standings, 31 points behind the leader.
“It was a tough week,” said Beach. “It sucks to have three races this weekend and not capitalize on it. I really thought I could get some good points, but with the two crashes, it kind of made it tough. The team did a great job and improved my bike throughout the weekend, and on new tires, the bike felt really good. But for some reason, I was struggling on used tires, which is usually my strong point. I was there every race and was in a spot to be in the top three, but after halfway I just started going backward. And that’s not typically what I do. So it’s definitely frustrating, and I hate it for the team because they worked so hard to get me a good bike, and we just couldn’t do it this weekend. We’ve still got two more rounds to go, so we’re gonna go back home and go back to work and see what we can come up with.”
- MotoAmerica Supersport
In Supersport, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Hayes was in fighting form aboard his Yamaha YZF-R9 at the Virginia International Raceway. He qualified fourth and from there had a strong start inside the top five where he battled for fourth in the opening laps. Around half-distance, Hayes closed in on the lead group and made the pass for third. It was a heated battle, with the four-time Superbike Champion briefly claiming the lead with five laps to go, ultimately finishing second.
Before Sunday’s Race 2, the skies opened up, with a thunderstorm halting on-track activity and delaying the start. When Supersport returned to the track, riders were given a seven-minute wet familiarization session ahead of the race. Tire choice was key, and although the track remained wet, it was drying quickly. Hayes made the call for slicks and immediately took control of the race, setting an unmatched pace in the tricky conditions. He amassed an impressive lead and crossed the line 26.5 seconds clear to earn his 90th career AMA road race victory.
“What a special weekend at a track that has been a good one for me for a long time,” said Hayes. “The win in Race 2 felt like a race built custom for me to succeed. But to race with the front two who have dominated the season in the hot and greasy Race 1 gives me hope and excitement that we are getting closer to success in a full dry race. COTA has always been a difficult one for me, but I’m excited for the challenge, and then New Jersey is another track that has been good to me. The BPR Team is getting a grip on the R9 altogether, with my teammate’s podium also.”
While Hayes celebrated career win No. 90, teammate Brenden Ketelsen celebrated his first MotoAmerica Supersport podium. Starting inside the top 10 in Race 2, Ketelsen steadily worked his way forward, reaching third around the halfway point and bringing it home for a milestone podium finish.
Although he struggled a bit at his home track, qualifying 10th, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis earned a top-five finish in Race 1 and crossed the line seventh in Race 2’s mixed conditions.
- MotoAmerica Twins Cup and Talent Cup
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane also had a standout weekend in Virginia, which was no easy feat while pulling double duty in two classes in the extreme heat. The 16-year-old Australian rose to the occasion, qualifying second in both MotoAmerica Twins Cup and Talent Cup and battling for the win throughout all four races. Drane led multiple laps and ultimately came just shy of the top step, leaving VIR with four runner-up finishes.
MotoAmerica racing resumes at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 11-13. At the penultimate round for Superbike, Supersport and Talent Cup, Yamaha BLU CRU riders will look to continue their championship charge, while the Super Hooligan title will be decided with BPR Racing Yamaha teammates Andy DiBrino and Bryce Kornbau separated by just five points.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Victory for Loris Baz on the Panigale V4 R at VIR in Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike.
It felt like a long time coming, but Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law) has added a second career MotoAmerica Superbike victory to his stellar international career after the triple-header race weekend at Virginia Internation Raceway (VIR).After recording fifth and sixth place finishes in races one and two, Baz was at his dynamic best in race three at VIR. A turn one crash eliminated Bobby Fong, Cameron Petersen, Sean Dylan Kelly, Mathew Scholtz and Benjamin Smith, and Baz overhauled JD Beach, Jayson Uribe and fellow Ducati rider PJ Jacobsen to take a 0.155s win. It was the first time the factory-backed, 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 R has visited Victory Lane this season.
For teammate Benjamin Smith, his weekend started well with the fourth fastest time in qualifying, but the races did not go his way with three crashes.
In the Supersport category, Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse) took the win in a spectacular race one, beating veteran Josh Hayes to the finish line with Josh Herrin third, Binder thus extending his lead in the series.
Race two was held in inclement weather and Hayes made the best of the situation to take the win, but Binder bought home a crucial second place ahead of Brendan Kettlesen and Herrin in fourth.
Binder now holds a commanding 35-point lead in the Supersport series over Herrin.
Binder’s teammate, Wristin Grigg, failed to finish race one but came home with a 13th place finish in race two.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team – #76): “It’s amazing to have the 2026 Ducati Panigale V4 R, which I believe is the best-looking bike in the world, winning here in America. I’m proud to be the first one to do it,” Baz said. “It was a hard weekend, but we kept believing after Mid-Ohio that we were improving every session. I came here thinking I could fight for the win, but this track is so different. It reminded me a lot of 2021, when the big curbs would really upset the bike and make it difficult to ride.
“I can’t thank the team enough, especially my crew chief, Simone. Since Laguna, there hasn’t been a single time when he hasn’t made the bike better from one session to the next. We’ve just kept improving.
“I want to thank Ducati more than anything—Simone, Bobby and (Eraldo) Ferracci. I’m also thinking about Cameron (Beaubier) and wishing him the best recovery. I hope it takes him one week longer, though, so I can be at COTA, which is a track I really like!
“I’m glad to be racing in America for Ducati, and I just hope we can have a lot more success together.”
Benajmin Smith (Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law team – #78): “It was definitely an interesting weekend,” Smith said. “It started off really well. We were in the top five right away, had good qualifying pace and put the bike fourth on the grid.
“In race one, we were running with the front group but I made a small mistake that took me out of the race. Then, in race two, we had almost an identical situation. It was basically cut, copy and paste, which was definitely a bummer.
“Race three started well. I felt good and we were right there. Then the red flag came out. On the restart, we got into turn one and, to be honest, I don’t even know what happened. It was just chaos. I got collected in whatever the first incident was, and unfortunately that was the end of the race for us. It’s all part of the learning process. On to Texas.”
Darryn Binder (Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse – #53): “That was a crazy weekend,” Binder said. “I managed to get the pole position and had a huge battle in race one and took the win.
“Today, there was a huge spanner in the works with the rain just before the second race. I got seven minutes of track familiarization to go and spin some laps, and I opted to go out on the slick tires, but I missed the pit exit and had to start the race from the back of the grid.
“The slicks were definitely the right call. I got up to second by the finish and extended my lead in the championship, so in the end it was all good.
“I’m really looking forward to Circuit of The Americas. That’s a track I know really well from my time in Grand Prix racing, so that’s less more thing I have to worry about. We’ll just keep trying to do more of the same and bank those points for the championship.”
The penultimate round of the 2026 Quad Lock MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at the world-famous Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, over the September 11-13 weekend.
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA:
Paige on the podium for M4 Ecstar Suzuki in Virginia.
Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer added another podium finish to their 2026 tally as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship rolled on at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.
Race Highlights:
- M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
- Superbike
- Richie Escalante twice finished a fighting fourth.
- Brandon Paasch raced his way up to sixth at the flag in Race 3.
- Twins Cup
- Bodie Paige notched up the highlight of a hectic weekend with a third-place finish.
- Matthew Chapin twice ran at the front but was luckless both times out.
- Supersport
- Tyler Scott notched up fifth- and sixth-place finishes following a pair of battles for position
- Superbike
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante registered two hugely impressive finishes in MotoAmerica Superbike action. Twice the Mexican ace scratched his way forward to score a pair of fourth-place finishes aboard his GSX-R1000R – the first just four seconds off the win and the second less than a tenth of a second off the podium. Unfortunately, the promise demonstrated in those races was counterbalanced by the disappointment that came with the third race, when he crashed and was transported to the hospital with a suspected broken arm.
Escalante said, “It was a positive weekend – two P4s – and I was happy with the bike and the team. We felt great about those two races and wanted even more for Sunday. I was down in the field a little but still close to the leaders. I was feeling great and beginning to move forward when I crashed. I am going to get my arm evaluated.”
By contrast, it was third time’s the charm for Escalante’s Superbike teammate, Brandon Paasch. Paasch improved each time out, going from 12th to 10th in Race 1 to Race 2, before closing out his weekend with a sixth, which he defended at the flag, aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
“Sixth was a good result for us on Sunday,” Paasch said. “It was a tough weekend – three races at the hottest event of the year. Add in the weather and it was going to be a race of attrition as much as it was about speed. It took us longer to get going, but by the end, I felt our pace to the front had really improved. I had been getting good starts all weekend, but I lost some positions on the final one when numerous guys in front of me crashed. It felt like it took me the entire race to catch up, but I made a move for sixth and was able to hold on.”
Meanwhile, rising Australian talent Bodie Paige scored another podium in Twins Cup action during a hectic weekend in the class. In a race that was started and stopped multiple times, Paige rebounded with the help of his crew, who got his racebike back up to speed during one of the stoppages after he’d encountered an issue midrace. Paige took full advantage, coming home in third.
He said, “It wasn’t too bad of a race. I tried to stay with the leaders. I tried my best and felt like I was really good through the infield and was making up time there. Hopefully we can get this bike fully dialed in, and I can still work on a few things myself. But overall, I’m happy with another podium.”
Paige looked even stronger on Sunday, hustling the GSX-8R into the lead for a time and then fighting hard in second before his race ended in a brutal highside after crossing a wet curb.
That was a crash that replicated the one suffered minutes earlier by teammate Matthew Chapin, rounding out what proved to be a weekend to forget for the young pilot. Chapin, who has already racked up five podiums including a win this season, ran up front both times out but saw each contest end in disappointing fashion. A mechanical problem, caused by another rider’s crash debris puncturing Chapin’s radiator, ended his race on Saturday, while the aforementioned nasty crash ended his day on Sunday.
Chapin said, “I feel great about how the weekend went, except for the races themselves. We were the fastest Suzuki rider in all the sessions, the bike felt great, and the team was doing a fantastic job. We had a punctured radiator while at the front in the first race, and I crashed hard in Race 2. I had been on that curb the first two laps with no problems, but the third time I had a much different result. I am looking at the positives, and we can run up front. We will look to put it all together and get the results to match the next time.”
It was a similar blend of positives and negatives for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport ace Tyler Scott. In ideal conditions, Scott likely had the potential to fight for podiums and possibly even a win. However, he finished sixth on Saturday, and Sunday’s wet-to-dry conditions made for an eventual charge up to fifth place.
He said, “For Saturday’s race, we had a good setup. With the heat, we were having a little trouble getting the power to the ground. In the end, I feel we may have left a little bit on the table with the result, but we got through Saturday in good shape for Sunday. For Sunday, it had rained and we chose to go with slicks, which I feel was the right choice to make. I had never chosen that before, so it was the first time I have been in that situation. In the early going, I had an adjustment period which hurt my pace, but I picked up the pace and was able to go forward towards the end. We made it through the weekend with no crashes, so we’re feeling good about the next round at COTA.”
The MotoAmerica season will continue on September 11-13 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
For more Road racing news please visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.
More, from a press release issued by Real Steel Honda:
Real Steel Honda Racing perseveres through a demanding weekend at VIR.
The Real Steel Honda Racing team persevered through a hot and humid weekend with a Superbike Triple Header to score their best results of the weekend in the final race. Hayden Gillim qualified 7th again but unfortunately suffered a crash in Race 1 Saturday. Hayden had an off-track excursion in Race 2 on Sunday but pushed back to an 11th place finish at the end. For Race 3 Hayden moved forward to a 5th place finish to cap off the weekend. Hayden slipped to 11th in the Superbike championship standings. Andrew Lee scored 2 second place finishes and ended with a first place finish in the Superbike Cup class. Andrew now leads that championship by 102 points with 330 points.
In the Talent Cup class Ian Fraley scored a 9th place finish in Race 1 but suffered a DNF in Race 2. Derek Sanchez scored a 5th and a 6th respectively in the Talent Cup races.
Next up for the team is the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Texas event September 11-13 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin TX.
Real Steel Honda Racing is proudly supported by American Honda, HRC, Progressive Insurance, Pro Honda Oils. Southern Honda Powersports, Idemitsu, Last Ark: Tactics Analogue, Vesrah, K-Tech suspension, Orient Express, Dunlop, Akrapovic Exhaust Systems, Sprint Filter, Armor Bodywork, Vortex and REB Graphics.
Hayden Gillim – Rider #69 / Team Principal: “VIR ended up being a tough weekend. I felt pretty good on the bike all weekend, but a crash in race 1 set me back a bit. After that, I was tight and sore and was having a hard time doing the lap times. I ran off track at turn 1 in race 2 that put me back in last place. I was able to work my way back to 11th, which was good after that mistake. Race 3 I felt better and had some good pace but just couldn’t go with the leaders and ended up 5th. Looking forward to COTA.”
Andrew Lee – Rider #14: “Rough weekend at VIR. We never really got our feet underneath us and struggled getting the feeling we needed to close up on the guys in front of us. I know the team is working to find some solutions for the remaining rounds, I’m excited to see what we can do moving forward!”
Ian Fraley – Rider #10: “We had a really good weekend overall. Friday started strong as we came out faster than last year, but we struggled with the bike. Q1 was tough with rear grip and front-end support, but after going through data, we made some changes for Q2 that moved us in the right direction. Race 1 wasn’t the result we wanted, but we learned a lot. We made a big engine-braking change that completely changed the bike and made it feel so much better. We ended warmup just 4 tenths off P2, so we were feeling really good heading into Race 2. Race 2 started great and I was battling for P5, but two laps in I got onto the wet curbing from the rain earlier and unfortunately ended my race early. The results don’t show how much progress we made this weekend. We learned a ton, found a much better direction with the bike, and we are all excited to take it to COTA!
Derek Sanchez – Rider #23: “Battled up front all weekend and showed what we’re capable of. P5 in Race 1 after a draft war to the line, and P6 in Race 2 after keeping it smart through mixed conditions for key championship points. The speed is real, the bike felt amazing, and I can’t thank my whole Real Steel Honda team enough for all the relentless work in the pits. COTA can’t come soon enough!”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
Mesa runs as high as P3 on Sunday after making setup progress on the YZF-R9; Nassaney battles through unpredictable track conditions.
VIRginia International Raceway hosted the seventh round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Championship, presenting Altus Motorsports with hot, greasy track conditions on Saturday and mixed conditions on Sunday.
- Supersport
Stefano Mesa continued building momentum on the YZF-R9, making steady setup progress throughout practice and qualifying to secure P8 on the grid. In Race 1, Mesa was fighting inside the top 10 before an unfortunate crash in Turn 7 on lap 15 brought his race to an early end. Heavy rain fell right before Race 2, but stopped before the race began which forced a decision to be made on starting the race on rain tires or on slicks. The team chose to run rain tires which granted an immediate advantage in the early stages of the race. Mesa charged up to P3 early on, but as the track dried out the rain tires proved to be a disadvantage. Mesa was able to hold on to a hard-fought P10 even as his rain tires deteriorated a rapidly drying track.
Stefano Mesa: “VIR was another weekend of learning and making progress with the R9. We continued working on the setup and found quite a few things that helped me feel more comfortable and confident on the bike. By Q2, our pace was getting much closer to the group, which was encouraging. Unfortunately, Race 1 ended with a pretty big crash into Turn 7. For Race 2, heavy rain came down right before the start and we made the call to go with rain tires. Early on it worked really well and we ran P3 for a good part of the race, but as the track dried the guys on slicks started coming through and we eventually finished P10. Overall, I’m happy with the progress we made. I’m feeling better on the bike every weekend, we’re continuing to understand what it needs, and hopefully we can keep building from here and start turning that progress into stronger results.”
Jaret Nassaney qualified P13 and worked tirelessly to find chassis feel in Saturday’s sweltering conditions. Nassaney spent much of Race 1 locked in a three-rider battle before crossing the finish line in P14. Nassaney joined Mesa in running rain tires for Race 2, but saw his tires degrade even faster in the dry conditions. The tire wear became severe and Nassaney made the call to retire to the pits early to avoid a crash.
Jaret Nassaney: “VIR was very hot and unforgiving this weekend. We made some forward progress with the bike, but I struggled with edge grip in every session until Sunday morning. I couldn’t push forward like I would like to be able to. Race 1 I brought home a P14, but felt like I was on ice the whole race. For Race 2, it started downpouring right before our race. I was uncomfortable with the bike, so I took a gamble to stay on rains for the race. It dried out way faster than I expected. I got well into the top 10 on the first lap, but my tires went off very quickly. I didn’t want to crash the bike, so I retired from the race. Disappointed to say the least with how the weekend went, but we will continue to show up and fight! Two more rounds for the season, so let’s end it on a high note. Thank you to my Altus Motorsports team for all the hard work as always!”
“What a weekend! We changed suspension on both bikes to Ohlins hoping for better feel for our riders. With no testing it’s extremely hard to do on race weekends. Mike Himmelsbach with Ohlins stepped up and sent Scotty one of their lead Techs over. Scotty was a tremendous help. Unfortunately everything we had been working towards over two days, we could not use in race two because it was wet. The rain ended the weekend on a low. We were wanting better results. COTA is in a few weeks and we now have a great baseline and understanding of the new suspension. On the Positive my son Jaret ran faster than he ever has at VIR and Stefano went faster each session. Our Crew Chiefs Boyd and Thibault along with Data Engineer Murph have worked hard on making our bikes better every weekend. The heat and humidity were definitely hard on all of us but we did not give up. I want to say Thank You to Will, Tylar, Gent, and Eduardo our mechanics. Without them we could not compete at this level. “ said team co-owner George Nassaney
Changing weather and tricky track surfaces made VIR a challenging weekend for the paddock, but both riders demonstrated strong potential when conditions aligned. Mesa showcased impressive speed early in Race 2 by surging into P3, and the ongoing setup adjustments on the YZF-R9 continue to move in the right direction. Altus Motorsports appreciates the relentless effort from the crew through tough weather calls and is focused on carrying these setup gains forward to Circuit of the Americas in Texas.
More, from a press release issued by M4 Ecstar Suzuki:
Best weekend yet for Sonya Lloyd at VIR.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sonya Lloyd broke into the top ten for the first time during the 2026 MotoAmerica Twins Cup season to close out an outstanding weekend as Virginia International Raceway
Per usual, the engineer made methodical and continual improvement throughout the weekend, gaining speed and confidence aboard the GSX-8R despite battling with hot and slick conditions all the while.
The Georgian qualified 19th fastest at 1:34.434, forcing her to twice fight her way forward in search of that elusive top ten.
She clawed her way up to 12th in Saturday’s chaotic Race 1. She then at last scored a top ten on Sunday’s Race 2, where she finished tenth following an intense multi-rider sprint to the checkered flag.
Afterward, the former WorldWCR contender said, “It was a great weekend all around for us, and I am super happy. The team and I worked hard all weekend and it paid off for us. We had an issue that slowed us down on Friday, but we were able to stay focused. There was a big field this weekend and hot weather.”
Lloyd continued, “Race 1 on Saturday was the craziest race I had ever been in. There were three restarts and since there was no re-gridding, there were holes out there that made for some confusion. I was able to work my way up to 12th with some good starts.”
Not content with that finish, Lloyd looked for another good start for the second race.
“On Sunday, I was hoping to do even better,” she said. “The early part of the race was what I was expecting, and then we had another red flag. Since they re-gridded the field, I was able to start in tenth. I got another good start and jumped up even higher. I have to say, the back-and-forth battles we had for the rest of the race were the most fun I have ever had in motorcycle racing so far. We had four or five racers battling for position. I had never been this close to the front yet, so it was a very new experience for me. I had never raced those guys before and I wasn’t able to hold my best position, but I still was tenth at the flag. I know I need to work on my racecraft more after this one.
“It was our best weekend so far, so we are really pleased for those results. I learned a lot. Next for us is New Jersey. I have never raced there yet, so I will do a couple of track days there before we go back for our event.”
The MotoAmerica Twins Cup season will conclude on September 25-27 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering Aprilia:
Hank Vossberg is the 2026 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion. Robem Engineering Aprilia secures fourth MotoAmerica title in historic, podium-perfect season with the Aprilia RS 660.
The dominant reign of the Aprilia RS 660 in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup reached new historic heights this weekend at VIRginia International Raceway (August 14-16, 2026). Hank Vossberg officially secured the 2026 Twins Cup Championship after a dramatic victory in Saturday’s Race 1, marking the fourth MotoAmerica Twins Cup title for the Robem Engineering team with the Aprilia RS 660 platform.
Vossberg’s championship-clinching weekend began with a statement of pure speed during Saturday’s Qualifying 2, where he placed his Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 on the pole position with a new lap-record of 1:29.420 – eclipsing the time previous set by Jody Barry (Righteous Racing, Aprilia RS 660) in 2021 of 1:30.082.
In Saturday afternoon’s Race 1, Vossberg showcased masterful race craft and intense determination. After an epic battle at the front, Vossberg executed a stunning performance to take the victory by a razor-thin 0.046-second margin over his closest competitor, setting the fastest lap of the race at 1:29.674 (the new race lap record) while mathematically securing the 2026 Twins Cup Championship title with three races remaining in the season.
Sunday’s Race 2 was another tactical masterclass from the newly crowned champion. Vossberg fought hard in a restarted five-lap race, claiming another victory – his ninth of the 12 races this season – just 0.122 seconds ahead of second place finisher. This podium finish preserved Vossberg’s flawless, podium-perfect season, finishing in the top three in all 12 races run so far this year. The depth of Aprilia’s technical dominance was on full display in Race 2, with six Aprilia RS 660 machines finishing in the top 10. Joining Vossberg in the upper echelon of the results were Andrew Weyh (P4 – Weyh Racing), Eli Block (P5 – ECB Racing), Khayden Brown (P7 – 2-Bones Racing), Mallory Dobbs (P8 – Reparto Veloce Racing), and Zachary Foster (P9 – Karns/TST Industries Racing).
This latest crown adds to the legacy of Robem Engineering, which has now secured its fourth MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship utilizing the class-benchmark Aprilia RS 660 platform. The team’s unmatched record of championship success in the Twins Cup category includes title-winning campaigns with Kaleb De Keyrel (2021), a historic double championship (x2) with Alessandro Di Mario (2024, 2025), and now Hank Vossberg’s dominant 2026 title-winning run, writing a new chapter in the team’s storied racing history.
Hank Vossberg / Robem Engineering Aprilia: “It’s a lot. You know, I didn’t think I’d be winning the championship this early in the season. Like, I know I always wanted to win the championship, but winning it with a round and a half to go was pretty crazy. Some misfortune of other riders definitely helped, but the team and the bike all worked amazing. Looking into New Jersey, and even this race, the goal is just to have fun. That’s all I can really do from now on because I have the championship won and will try and make some money by winning some more races. We’re looking forward to the next season. We might be back on Twins Cup if we can’t, you know, find some opportunity in SuperSport. It’ll be a big jump, but I don’t think that I’m unprepared for it. It’ll be a big step, and I know there’s a lot for me to learn.
“I can’t thank Freddy enough; he works at the shop every day, building the bikes, making them better all the time. Matt, he’s out in China right now. Sara, Mike and Chad for being there every round, working through the heat. My mom and dad, my dad for driving the truck to almost every round of the season, and everybody who supported me and made this happen. It’s been a journey.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Aprilia crowned 2026 MotoAmerica Champion. Hank Vossberg claims the 2026 Twins Cup tittle thanks to race 1 victory in Virginia.
It has been an incredibile season for Aprilia in MotoAmerica. At Virginia International Raceway, Hank Vossberg was crowned champion of the Twins Cup—the American championship’s intermediate class—thanks to his victory in Race 1.
In the sixth and penultimate round of the season, held in Virginia, the 16-year-old talent racing for team Robem Engineering proved fast and competitive aboard his Aprilia RS 660 right from Friday. On Saturday, the American confirmed the strong pace shown in practice by first taking pole position with a new lap record (1:29.420) and then winning Race 1, thereby securing the national title three races early. Vossberg completed the sweep in Race 2, wrapping up the weekend with an incredible double victory.
It has been an outstanding season for Vossberg, who has secured nine wins in twelve races and finished on the podium in every single contest. Vossberg’s title highlights the Aprilia RS 660’s competitiveness and Robem Engineering’s outstanding work in the American championship over the years. A winning combination that has racked up four national titles in the last six seasons. Alongside Vossberg, the team’s honours list includes victories by Kaleb De Keyrel (2021) and back-to-back titles with Alessandro Di Mario (2024, 2025).
HANK VOSSBERG: “It’s truly incredible. I never thought I’d win the championship this early. A few circumstances certainly helped me, but the team has done a brilliant job and the Aprilia RS 660 has performed really well. As for the final round in New Jersey, I just want to enjoy myself.”
More, from a press release issued by Karns / TST Industries Team:
Ryan Vickers – Honda Racing UK: 
