So, imagine this. It’s July. You’ve got nothing to do. The day’s a real scorcher, and all you want to do is just sit down in the shade, have a cool drink and, who knows, listen to a ninety minutes long podcast where two geezers discuss the potential benefits of strapping a nuclear reactor to a motorbike and other hypotheticals.
Well, whether you’re having a sunny holiday or are just getting your tan on in the mediterranean bliss of, eh, London…we’ve got just the thing for you!
Last week, we asked our awesome Patreons to send in their questions. Then, on Friday, Mat and Peter went to answer them. ‘Which ones?’, you might ask.
In which case we’d say: ‘All of them!’
Yes, they called us mad. Yes, they said it couldn’t be done. But here we are, with questions about Frankenstein bikes, superstitions about crashing, the feel of a perfect throttle and more. Oh, and stick around to learn something about cycling…
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!
2026 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Presented by Turn 14 Distribution Highlights Greatest Parts of Vintage Motorcycling Community
AMA thanks attendees, partners and sponsors for their part in fostering another dynamic Vintage Motorcycle Days event.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) extends its gratitude to the tens of thousands of attendees and our partners and sponsors who helped make 2026 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution — which ran July 24-26 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio — a roaring success.
Owned and organized by the AMA and co-promoted by track owner Green-Savoree Racing Promotions, Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution is the summer’s premier motorcycle event. The event serves as the primary fundraiser for the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and its mission to preserve the history and heritage of American motorcycling.
“There is no event on the calendar quite like AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, as tens of thousands of enthusiasts gather at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, connected by our shared love of motorcycling,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “An event of this magnitude would be impossible to accomplish without the support of our partners, sponsors, volunteers, AMA staff, and supporters, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s event successful.”
This year, the AMA celebrated the 50th anniversary of AMA Superbike by including a number of iconic motorcycles from AMA Superbike lore. Several former members of Team Honda’s earliest AMA Superbike teams were also in attendance.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and three-time World Grand Prix champion Freddie Spencer served as the grand marshal for the 34th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. He was on-hand to greet fans, participate in daily in question-and-sessions, lead the Lap for History, and sign autographs.
“Freddie Spencer was the perfect Grand Marshal for this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days,” AMA Editorial Director Mitch Boehm said. “Freddie came through the road racing ranks during the 1970s and competed strongly in those early years of AMA Superbike competition, and with AMA Superbike being the theme of this year’s VMD event, we couldn’t have asked for more. Thanks also to Honda teammate Mike Baldwin for adding to the AMA Superbike celebration, along with a handful of other Team Honda riders and crew from the early 1980s.”
Several of the leading brands in the motorcycle industry also attended AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, and the AMA is grateful for the contributions of our sponsors and partners, who supported the event financially.
“We are extremely grateful for title sponsor, Permco, and presenting sponsor, Turn 14 Distribution, who have been steadfast supporters of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for years,” AMA Business Development Manager Michael Kula said. “With Permco serving as title sponsor for the past four events and Turn 14 Distribution coming in for its second year as presenting sponsor, we can’t thank them enough for their dedication and devotion to the vintage riding community.”
Kula also expressed appreciation to all sponsors and vendors, including Permco, Turn 14 Distribution, Motorcycle Classics, Royal Enfield, Cardo, All Balls Racing, SSR Motorsports, Biltwell, Billet Motorsports, Kenda Tire, Spectro Performance Oils, BMW MOA, Classic British Motorcycle Club of Cincinnati, Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club, Trail Bikes, Winston Products, Mimi and Moto, Iron Pony, STACYC, Cometic Gasket/Klotz Lubricants, Mecum Auctions, Liquid Lab, Kabuto Helmets, Vance & Hines, Advanced Sleeve, TrauMoto, Honda Heritage, S&S Cycle, Awareness 22, Third Eye Design and Mize Mobile.
The AMA also thanks Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki and Royal Enfield for hosting demo rides for attendees this year.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days would not be possible without an excellent venue, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is the perfect site for all the exciting opportunities that the event offers its attendees.
“We have built a fantastic working relationship with the team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the facility has become a versatile venue for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days each year,” AMA Chief Operating Officer James Holter said. “We appreciate Mid-Ohio’s efforts to help put on an outstanding event for our members. I’d like to personally thank security manager Paul Alterio and safety manager Brian Sipes for keeping our attendees safe.”
A key piece of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is the largest motorcycle swap meet in North America, which takes place on the Mid-Ohio grounds. For the third straight year, the swap meet sold out well before the event.
“The swap meet at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days has only grown over the past few years, and that is a product of the dedication that our attendees and members have for our swap meet,” AMA Director of Information Technology Shaun Holloway said. “Thank you to our loyal vendors, many of whom have been consistent presences at our swap meet for years, and all of those that made the trip to Mid-Ohio in search of parts, memorabilia or even a new bike.”
The backbone of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is the large collection of AMA members that make the trip to Mid-Ohio for the weekend gathering of enthusiasts. Assisting these outstanding members is the AMA member services team, which works tirelessly throughout the weekend to provide excellent customer service and support to all attendees.
“Each year, we set out to make AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days a worthwhile experience for our members,” AMA Director of Marketing and Communications Joy Burgess said. “A major goal of this event is also to bring in new members, and our outstanding member services team helped process over 450 memberships this year. Thank you to all of our AMA members who make this an outstanding event each year.”
In addition to the members that attended AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the AMA is grateful to all the AMA volunteers, as well as AMA-chartered and partner organizations, that help the event run smoothly.
“It takes a great team to execute an event of this magnitude, and we are immensely grateful for the efforts of our volunteers — which included AMA members, as well as volunteers from the AMA-chartered Christian Motorcyclist Association (CMA), our partner Motorcycle Ohio, and the many bike show judges who assisted with the Motorcycle Classics AMA Hall of Fame Bike Show,” AMA Events Manager Makenzi Martin said. “AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days would not be what it is without our volunteers and dedicated AMA staff, and we cannot thank them enough for sacrificing their time to make this event a success.”
Vintage racing is at the heart of the activities at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, as thousands of racers from across the country competed in vintage motocross, trials, hare scrambles, flat track, road racing and pitbike racing during this year’s event.
“We run one of the most expansive vintage racing programs in the country at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, spanning off-road and on-road disciplines,” AMA Deputy Director of Racing Mike Burkeen said. “With this wide range of racing, we lean heavily on our staff, partner organizations and volunteers, who help keep our racing efforts run as smooth as possible.”
Burkeen thanked Baja M-X Incorporated, the Christian Motorcycle Association, Log Road M-X, Mandy Mastin and the Hare Scrambles Team, Trials Incorporated, America Superbike Racing Association, the Bagger Racing League, Baer Racing, eScore Electronic Event Scoring, Kevin Kelly, RaceLine Ministry, Acerbis, Ashland County Fairgrounds, MotoAmerica and the Roadracing World Action Fund.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is America’s largest celebration of vintage motorcycling and is among the most prominent single-weekend motorcycle events each summer. Stay engaged with AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days news, see photos from the event and prepare for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2027 by visiting VintageMotorcycleDays.com/ .
More photos from VMD:
Ready for a fan lap on the track.Seen in the gigantic vending area.Vintage motocross.
A rider participates in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days road racing activities at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Riders line up on the front straight during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
More, from another press release issued by AMA:
AMA Congratulates 2026 AMA Vintage Grand Champions
Quinn Wentzel crowned AMA Vintage Grand Champion while Dennis Burnett earns AMA Senior Vintage Grand Championship.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Vintage racing sits at the heart of the event schedule at Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution, which is held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, as thousands of racers compete for the AMA Vintage Grand Championship and AMA Senior Vintage Grand Championship during the event.
The AMA Vintage Grand Championship is decided by the combined point totals from motocross, hare scrambles and trials competition throughout the weekend. Capturing the AMA Vintage Grand Championship was Quinn Wentzel of Canfield, Ohio, while Dennis Burnett of Augusta, Kan., rode his way to the AMA Senior Vintage Grand Championship.
Both Wentzel and Burnett took home AMA Vintage Grand Champion honors for the second-consecutive year, displaying consistency and racing prowess during the weekend of competition.
Wentzel earned his fourth-straight AMA Vintage Grand Championship at 2026 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, his eighth overall — including additional championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Wentzel enjoyed podium finishes in all three disciplines, including victories in the Open Motocross class and Vintage Factory Expert in trials.
2026 AMA Vintage Grand Champion Quinn Wentzel. AMA photo.
“I enjoy the atmosphere; it’s just really cool to have all of those races going on in one place,” Wentzel said about racing at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. “I have a long background in hare scrambles, motocross and trials for the last 20 years, so it’s all of the three things I’m good at in one place.”
Burnett also claimed his second-consecutive championship thanks to podium finishes in all three disciplines, including a victory in the Vintage Old School Expert class in trials.
“I’ve been doing it for years. I’ve raced a lot of hare scrambles, a lot of motocross and grew up riding trials. I always like to do every discipline,” Burnett said. “There’s a lot of good competition.”
(Editorial Note: This TV show is airing exclusively on Samsung devices, which means you need a current-model Samsung TV or phone to watch it.)
HOOLIGANS: THE ARCH RACING PROJECT NOW AIRING
ARCH Racing is on a new screen
Samsung TV Plus has officially announced the premiere of Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project, a six-part original docuseries executive produced by and starring ARCH Motorcycle co-founders Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger. The series premiered on Sunday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET in the U.S. on Samsung TV Network, Samsung TV Plus’ flagship channel, with new episodes airing every Sunday through August 16.
Produced by V10 Entertainment, Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project takes viewers inside ARCH Racing’s entry into the high-stakes world of professional motorcycle racing. The series follows Reeves, Hollinger, and the ARCH Racing team as they bring the same craftsmanship, precision, and relentless drive behind ARCH Motorcycle into the MotoAmerica paddock and the Super Hooligan National Championship.
For ARCH, the project is more than a look behind the curtain. It is a story about building something from the ground up, competing against established teams, and pushing a new program forward through the challenges, pressure, and intensity of race weekends. From the garage to the starting grid, the series captures the people, preparation, setbacks, and determination that define life inside a professional race team.
The announcement also marks a major moment for Samsung TV Plus, as Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project becomes the platform’s first original docuseries under its Samsung TV Plus Exclusives banner. The series will be available subscription-free on supported Samsung devices.
Fans can also watch MotoAmerica coverage through the newly launched MotoAmericaTV channel on Samsung TV Plus, a 24/7 destination for North American motorcycle road racing featuring live event streams, full race replays, select practice and qualifying sessions, behind-the-scenes content, archival footage, and coverage from the 2026–2027 season.
Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project premiered Sunday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET on Samsung TV Network.
More, from another press release issued by ARCH Racing:
ARCH Racing Claims Historic Victory at The Ridge
Corey Alexander and the #23 ARCH Racing crew after securing the brand’s first-ever MotoAmerica podium and victory. Photo by Klings Media/courtesy ARCH Racing.
ARCH Racing delivered a milestone weekend at The Ridge Motorsports Park, taking pole position with a new Super Hooligans class lap record, a Race 1 victory, and a second podium finish in Round 3 of the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
The weekend opened with changing Pacific Northwest conditions, as rain and a damp racing surface challenged the Super Hooligan field across early sessions. Corey Alexander immediately showed confidence aboard the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R, running near the front in wet conditions before putting together a standout performance in Q2. Alexander claimed pole position with a 1:44.449, marking a major qualifying breakthrough for ARCH Racing and the 2s-R platform. Teammate Jeremy McWilliams also advanced the program forward, qualifying 10th with a 1:48.169.
Race 1 brought one of the most significant moments yet for ARCH Racing. Starting from pole, Alexander launched the 2s-R into the lead and quickly established the bike as a front-running contender. McWilliams also made a strong start, moving into the podium fight early and giving ARCH two machines inside the lead group before a Lap 3 crash ended his race. McWilliams was able to exit the track under his own power, while Alexander regrouped after taking evasive action and rejoined the battle at the front.
From there, Alexander mounted a determined charge back into contention. In the closing laps, he worked his way into position and made a decisive move to take the lead, bringing the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R across the line for its first MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan victory. The win marked a landmark result for ARCH Racing and a defining step forward for the air-cooled American-built platform.
Corey Alexander
Q: 1st R1: 1st R2: 2nd
“This was a huge weekend for everyone involved with ARCH Racing,” said Corey Alexander. “To put the 2s-R on pole, win Race 1, and come back with another podium on Sunday shows how much progress this team has made. The conditions were tricky, the racing was intense, and nothing came easy, but the crew gave me a bike capable of fighting at the front. To deliver the first win for ARCH in this class is something we’re all incredibly proud of.”
Jeremy McWilliams
Q: 10th R1: DNF R2: 9th
“It was a bit of a wild weekend for me,” said Jeremy McWilliams. “Race 1 started well and we were right in the mix, but unfortunately it ended with a crash. The important thing is that I was okay, and the team did a great job getting us ready again for Sunday. To see Corey get the win and then back it up with another podium was brilliant for the whole ARCH group. The 2s-R keeps moving forward, and weekends like this show what the bike and team are capable of.”
Sunday’s Race 2 backed up Saturday’s breakthrough with another strong performance. Alexander again led early and fought inside a tight lead pack throughout the eight-lap race, ultimately finishing second and securing back-to-back podium results for the team. McWilliams rebounded from Saturday’s crash to finish ninth, adding valuable points, mileage, and feedback to close out the weekend.
For ARCH Racing, The Ridge represented more than a single result. It was a weekend that brought together qualifying speed, race-winning execution, resilience, and continued development of the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R against one of the most competitive grids in the MotoAmerica paddock.
ARCH Racing extends its thanks to its partners, crew, guests, and fans for their continued support throughout the weekend at The Ridge Motorsports Park.
Levi Badie to Substitute for Injured Elisa Gendron Belen at MotoAmerica Mid-Ohio Twins Cup Round
BGB Racing Announces Rider Change Following Weekend Racing Accident
BGB Racing has announced that Levi Badie will compete in the MotoAmerica SC-Project Twins Cup round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next weekend, replacing injured racer Elisa Gendron Belen.
Gendron Belen was competing in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days/ASRA races this past weekend to gain valuable track time ahead of the upcoming MotoAmerica event. During Friday’s opening practice, what initially appeared to be a routine low-side crash on a green track quickly turned into a serious incident when a following rider was unable to avoid her and struck her after the fall.
As a result of the accident, Gendron Belen suffered multiple fractures to her pelvis and sacrum. While her recovery timeline is still being evaluated, her injuries will unfortunately prevent her from competing at next weekend’s MotoAmerica round at Mid-Ohio.
Stepping into the BGB Racing entry is Levi Badie, Elisa’s husband, who has been enjoying a successful season aboard the Speed Farm Racing #8 Harley-Davidson Road Glide in the Bagger Racing League Pro Stock class. The Belgian rider has already earned multiple podium finishes in 2026, including a second-place finish (P2) during this past weekend’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days/ASRA event.
The entire BGB Racing and Speed Farm teams wish Elisa a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing Levi represent the team at Mid-Ohio while she begins the healing process.
WHEATON, Ill. —What happens when world-class motorcycle touring meets iconic MotoGP racetracks? On the latest episode of Driven to Ride, host Mark Long welcomes Cat McLeod, founder of Leod Escapes, for an inside look at creating unforgettable riding experiences across Europe and beyond.
McLeod’s journey into motorcycling began at age 11 on a horse ranch when AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gunnar Lindstrom invited him to trade the fence for a motorcycle. That moment sparked a lifelong passion that eventually led to an MBA, a successful career in motorcycle industry marketing and brand management with companies including Bel-Ray, BikeBandit, and LeoVince USA, and ultimately the creation of Leod Escapes.
Cat McLeod (third from right) with happy tour members and 2-time Superbike World Champion Troy Corser (center) at Catalunya several years ago. Photo courtesy Cat McLeod/Leod Escapes.
After discovering that many traditional motorcycle tours weren’t designed for experienced riders seeking a more engaging experience, McLeod launched Leod Escapes 14 years ago. Today, the company specializes in premium motorcycle adventures that combine breathtaking roads, regional culture, and three days of riding on legendary MotoGP circuits such as Mugello, Catalunya, Phillip Island, Sachsenring, Portimão, and Brno.
Cat McLeod. Photo courtesy Leod Escapes.
During the conversation, McLeod shares how an early tour taught valuable lessons, how he built an international network of instructors, mechanics, and partners, and why his team handles every logistical detail—from motorcycles and accommodations to luggage and support—so guests can focus entirely on the ride.
“Cat has built something that’s much more than a motorcycle tour,” said Mark Long, host of Driven to Ride. “He’s created an experience that challenges riders, immerses them in incredible destinations, and gives them the rare opportunity to ride some of the world’s most legendary racetracks. His story is a great example of turning passion into purpose.”
Listeners will also hear about the planning required to deliver seamless international riding experiences, the appeal of combining technical riding instruction with cultural exploration, and why so many riders return year after year.
Listen to Mark Long’s interview with Cat McLeod your favorite podcast platform. Beginning Wednesday, July 29, watch their full-length, unedited conversation on the “Driven to Ride Podcast” YouTube channel. Learn more at driventoridepodcast.com.
ABOUT DRIVEN TO RIDE:
“Driven to Ride” is an immersive exploration of the motorcycle and adventure lifestyle. Hosted by Mark Long, each episode showcases inspiring guests and notable figures in the motorcycle community who live and breathe the world of two wheels. With candid conversations and captivating storytelling, this podcast is required listening for anyone with a passion for the open road.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Connect with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts and share your thoughts about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #DrivenToRidePodcast. For updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more, follow the “Driven to Ride” podcast on:
Mark Long, the charismatic host of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, is an avid motorcycle enthusiast with a deep passion for sharing the stories that drive the motorcycle community.
First Time Ohvale Mini Winners at Shannonville National.
The Canadian National MOTOMini Series reached mid-season with round three at Shannonville’s Go-Kart “inner loop” July 24 and 25, and there were major changes among the front runners after a consistent early season.Both Championships leaders saw their winning streaks ended in dramatic circumstances.
In the GP2 category for Ohvale 190 racers, Jager Stockill had his four-race winning streak conclude after experiencing ignition problems in both races. Leading the big wheel opener mid-race, Stockill pulled into the pit exit and managed to restart his machine but had to stop twice more and was eventually listed as a Did Not Finish (DNG).His archrival, Stefan Tanasic, earned the win, ending his streak of runner-up placings with his first National success.
Eric Sergi scored a pair of second place finishes in the two races for the 190 Ohvale four-stroke singles, and in the second race he was pushed hard by Cohen Byberg, who netted a pair of thirds.
With two weekends of racing left to go and four remaining Nationals, Tanasic heads the ranking for the first time with 130 points, followed by Sergi at 104 and Stockill at100.Byberg is fourth at a total of 72 points.Stockill has represented Canada at the Valencia, Spain World Finals in the past two seasons in the 160 class and could still earn a spot for the 190 division this season.
In Qualifying, Stockill took pole with a lap at 46.95 seconds, Tanasic next up at 47.86.In the initial race, Stockill went slightly faster with a 46.79 while leading early, Tanasic also slightly faster in good conditions, getting down to 47.62 seconds.
Earlier in the program, run in conjunction with the RACE Moto Regional Series, Tanasic won Lightweight on a Snow City Kawasaki and Stockill worked up to second on a Super Sonic Roadrace School Yamaha R3, having set a new lap record in Qualifying.
Qualifying in the busy 160 Ohvale GP-0 category was hectic, and Mateen O’Brien set the pace on his purple machine, with a best lap of 50.28.Undefeated points leader Tommy Molnar was second on the grid at 50.36, with the front row completed by Austin Da with a top tour of 50.77, Row two was headed by pre-season favorite Martina Cardenas at 50.80.
A tight pack disputed the lead from the start, with Molnar mostly leading from O’Brien as Cardenas worked her way up from mediocre launch.O’Brien seemed to be preparing for a last lap assault, and sure enough he dive bombed Molnar for the lead entering the tight turn one complex at the start of the last lap.
Third year racer O’Brien’s margin of victory in his first career was a scant .15 seconds from Molnar, Cardenas third a further seven seconds back after getting the best of an aggressive dice for the final podium spot with fourth finisher Will Brown.
Quickest racer in the Ohvale 160 opener was front row starter Austin Da, who ran off track and had a big save on his way to place sixth.Da managed to set a lap time 49.11 while he paced the lead group late in the race.
O’Brien turned the second-best lap of the race with a lap at 49.60, Cardenas third best with a 49.63 and Molnar next up at 49.98.
Podium for the second Ohvale 160 GP-0 Canadian National race at Shannonville Motorsport Park, with first race winner and runner-up Mateen O’Brien, points leader and race winner Tommy Molnar and third overall Martina Cardenas. Photo by Colin Fraser for Super Sonic Roadrace School
In race two, another good battle emerged among the top four, with Molnar leading much of the time tailed by O’Brien, Cardenas, and Da.They finished in that order, with Molnar getting enough of an edge (margin of victory 1.4 seconds) to thwart the last lap ambitions of the pursuing mob.
Cardenas was third, just .01 of a second back from O’Brien, also setting the fastest race two lap at 48.71.Da set another good marker at 49.17, backing up his pace in the opener. Runner-up O’Brien turned the next best GP-0 lap time at 49.22, with winner Molnar fourth at 49.42.
In the standings, Molnar’s fifth win of the season solidifies his lead at 145 atop the table, with second overall Cardenas next up at 108. Third is Brown (4/6 at Shannonville) with 73 points.
Next National race for Canada’s top young racers is at Lombardy, north of Kingston, ON, September 4-5.The Championship will climax back at Shannonville September 25-26 for the Nelson International 50th celebration event, marking the anniversary of the opening of the venue on Thanksgiving weekend, 1976.This event will be televised on REV.
American Mikey Lou Sanchez, riding his AC Racing Team Honda on the 2.74-mile (4.41 km) track, finished 10th in Moto4 European Cup Race 1 Sunday morning and 12th in Race 2 Sunday afternoon at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France.
Riding his Revesz Racing Kalex, American Rossi Attila Moor finished ninth in Moto2 European Championship Race 1 on Sunday morning at the 2.74-mile (4.41 km) Magny-Cours circuit in France.
Meanwhile, fellow American Max Toth finished 18th aboard his Cardoso Racing Kalex.
Max Toth (27) at Magny-Cours, in France. Photo courtesy Cardoso Racing Team.
Rossi Attila Moor, riding his Revesz Racing Kalex, finished 7th in Moto2 European Championship Race 2 on Sunday afternoon at Magny-Cours, France.
Meanwhile, Max Toth finished 17th on his Cardoso Racing Kalex.
Max Toth:“Great salvage today – 0.4 from the points. Kept chipping and found the right direction in setup today. Our place on the grid held us from fighting further up front, but I’m happy to have gained 9 positions in both races combined.”
More from a press release issued by RM92 Racing Team:
Rossi Attila Moor closes the weekend with his best qualifying result so far and a spectacular final lap at Magny-Cours.
Rossi Attila Moor delivered another encouraging performance at the MagnyCours round of the 2026 FIM MotoJunior Moto2 Championship.
Progress was evident already during Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions. The team kept improving the bike step by step, and with every run Rossi grew more confident. The work paid off in qualifying, where he secured his best grid position of the season: 9th place, earning a spot on the third row for Sunday’s races.
Race 1 turned into a tough battle, with Rossi finishing 9th. More importantly, the race provided valuable data that allowed the team to make further adjustments to the bike ahead of Race 2.
Those changes immediately proved effective.
In Race 2, Rossi showed stronger pace, greater confidence, and a more consistent performance. At the start of the final lap he was still running in 9th place, when one of the weekend’s most spectacular fights unfolded between him, Francesco Mongiardo, and Moto3 Grand Prix winner Dennis Foggia.
On the brakes into Turn 14, Rossi overtook both riders. The intense fight continued through the final corners, but he held his ground and crossed the finish line in 7th place after a determined and eyecatching last lap.
Rossi Attila Moor (92) and Enej Krsevan (64) at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy RM92 Racing Team.
Beyond the result itself, the weekend’s message was clear: continuous improvement, increasingly competitive race pace, and successful midweekend bike adjustments once again confirmed that Rossi Attila Moor — racing with the support of the Révész Racing Team — is steadily moving forward on his Road To MotoGP journey.
Rossi Attila Moor:“Overall, it was a very positive weekend. Every time we went out on track, we managed to take a step forward — and that’s exactly what we aimed for. The team did an amazing job throughout the weekend, especially between the two races, when the changes they made gave me a much better feeling on the bike. The finallap battle was really tough, but I enjoyed it a lot. Starting from 9th and finishing 7th shows that we’re heading in the right direction. There’s still work to do, but race by race we’re getting closer to our goals. Thank you to the whole team and to everyone who continues to support us.”
WASHOUGAL, Wash. – The Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its final visit to the West Coast for Round 25 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, where the tricky forest setting of the Pacific Northwest’s Washougal MX Park challenged the world’s best racers. The FLY Racing Washougal National Presented by Peterson CAT also signified the series’ annual Military Appreciation Race, which added to the fanfare of the event with military inspired graphics, gear, and special ceremonies celebrating the men and women of the Armed Forces. The most ideal weather conditions of the season greeted the field, which led to another impactful afternoon of racing that saw Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96] add to his 450SMX Class points lead following his fifth win of the season. In the 250SMX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies [#37] made a resounding return to the top of the podium with a dominant 1-1 effort, moving back within striking distance in the title fight a week removed from his worst outing of the season.
Hunter Lawrence Secures Back-to-Back Victories with Washougal Triumph to Extend Pro Motocross Championship Lead
450SMX Class
Qualifying
The morning sessions served as another progressive step for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie Haiden Deegan [#38] as he sat atop the time sheets for the first time following a stellar lap of 2:08.223 in the first session that held through the session. He was followed by Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks [#36] who enjoyed his best-ever qualifying result with a 2:05.581. Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence [#1] rounded out the top three [2:08.702], with Hunter Lawrence in fourth [2:08.748]. The top four were separated by a mere half second.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
Deegan carried the momentum into the first gate drop of the afternoon as he led the field to the holeshot, only to lose traction in the next corner and drop to the tail end of the field. That allowed Jett Lawrence to assume the lead with Hunter Lawrence in tow. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] started third.
As the top three quickly pulled away from the field through the opening five minutes, Deegan did well to make a quick recovery from his misfortune and found his way into the top 10.
As the moto reached its halfway point the Lawrences remained less than two seconds from one another, with Prado falling more than 10 seconds behind. Deegan, meanwhile, stormed all the way up to fourth place and looked to erase a 20 second deficit to the top three.
As the moto continued the gap between the Lawrences slowly grew, as Jett tightened his grip on the lead while the race clock wound down. Soon, Jett found himself more than five seconds ahead of Hunter and added to that advantage over the final laps.
Jett carried on to capture his seventh moto win of the season by 7.2 seconds over Hunter, with Prado a distant third. Deegan maintained his hold of fourth, improving 26 positions, while Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis [#14] rounded out the top five.
Jett [#1] and Hunter [#96] led the way to begin Moto 2, with Hunter taking the initial lead before giving way to Jett, who ultimately crashed to put Hunter back out front. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The Lawrence brothers led the field into the first turn to begin the final moto, with Jett able to grab the holeshot over Hunter, only for the elder sibling to take control of the top spot. Deegan slotted in behind them in third.
As Jett looked to pressure for the lead early, he lost balance off a jump and was forced to take evasive action off to the side of the track. As Hunter pulled away, Jett reentered the track just ahead of Deegan and kept the Yamaha rider behind him.
The top three sat within four seconds of one another through the first 10 minutes of the moto, which allowed them to open a double-digit margin over the rest of the field.
As the Lawrences mirrored one another’s lap times, it allowed them to pull away from Deegan. From there, the lead trio settled in, with Hunter able to move more than two seconds clear of Jett.
As the moto passed the halfway point, Jett dropped the hammer and quickly erased the deficit to Hunter. A battle for the lead unfolded as Jett hounded Hunter and soon wrestled the lead away with just over 10 minutes to go.
A short time later Jett gave up the lead and went down after losing traction on the face of a jump. That allowed Hunter to reclaim the top spot as Jett remounted just ahead of Deegan once again to initiate a short-lived battle for second.
Jett Lawrence put in a torrid charge in the closing laps to get within striking distance of Hunter on the final lap, but Hunter secured his ninth moto win of the season by 1.4 seconds. Deegan followed in third.
After a review of Jett Lawrence’s off-track incident at the beginning of the moto, race officials determined he accelerated on the side of the track, which is an infraction of the rulebook and resulted in a one position penalty. As a result, Deegan was credited with second with Jett relegated to third.
Overall
Hunter Lawrence’s 2-1 effort resulted in his fifth overall win of the season, with back-to-back victories heading into the season’s final break in action.
With the Moto 2 penalty, Jett Lawrence dropped from a tie with Hunter for the overall win to a runner-up effort and a loss of two points with 1-3 finishes.
Deegan enjoyed another consistent afternoon with his fifth podium finish of the season following 4-2 finishes. He has back-to-back podiums for the first time during his rookie campaign.
Hunter Lawrence extended his lead in the championship standings to 12 points over Jett with three races remaining. Deegan remains third, 69 points out of the lead.
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Team Honda HRC Progressive (2-1): “Today was much better than my previous experiences here at Washougal. What a day. That second moto was awesome battling with Jettson. Lawrence brothers 1-2, so a great way to send it off into the break.”
Jett Lawrence (1) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Team Honda HRC Progressive (1-3): “I got a little cross rutted [before the crash] and that caused me to lose traction. I felt good [riding], same as last weekend. I was able to get around Hunter but made a silly mistake. My riding is good, just need to stop making silly mistakes. Looking forward to this break.”
Haiden Deegan (38) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (4-2): “I’m in the battle [with the Lawrences]. It was good to follow Jett for a few laps. To get on the podium is awesome. I’m having fun out there and learning with the team and learning the bike. I can’t wait to keep battling.”
Cole Davies Makes Emphatic Return to the Top of 250SMX Class Podium
250SMX Class
Qualifying
Fresh off his first career win one week ago, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer [#13] put himself atop the charts in the first session of the morning with a time of 2:15.562 and it looked as if it may stand until the tail end of the final session when Davies laid down a time of 2:12.269 to move atop the overall classification by a few tenths. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] rounded out the top three [2:12.571].
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first moto of the day began with Davies out front with the holeshot over the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick [#58]. Beaumer and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen [#47], the hometown favorite and points leader, were two of many riders involved in a crash just after the holseshot line, which forced both to start deep in the 40-rider field.
The clear track allowed Davies to sprint out to a lead of more than three seconds just a couple laps in, as DiFrancesco settled into second and Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] moved up to third.
Further back, Beaumer and Kitchen worked their way through the field together, as both were able to break into the top 20 within the first 10 minutes of the moto. They continued their charge and moved within striking distance of the top 10 just past the halfway point of the moto.
As the moto entered its final 10 minutes Davies moved out more than 10 seconds clear of the field. Kitchen, meanwhile, continued his determined climb with a pass on Beaumer and a forward push that carried him into the top 10, with an eye on additional passes.
Davies cruised to his fifth moto win of the season with a wire-to-wire effort, crossing the finish line 17.1 seconds ahead of DiFrancesco, who secured the best moto result of his career. Hymas rounded out the top three, with Bennick in fourth and AEO Powersports KTM’s Carson Mumford [#71] in fifth. Kitchen clawed his way up to sixth, improving 22 positions.
Cole Davies [#37] grabbed the holeshot in Moto 1 and carried on to a wire-to-wire victory as Landen Gordon [#180] initiated a multi-rider incident to begin the moto. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The second and deciding moto started with DiFrancesco out front with the holeshot ahead of ClubMX Yamaha’s Hunter Yoder [#60] and Hymas, with Davies chasing from fourth. Kitchen started outside the top 10. The battle up front intensified on the opening lap as both Hymas and Davies got around Yoder and looked to pressure DiFrancesco for the lead.
Davies pushed the pace and was able to get around Hymas. He then closed in on DiFrancesco’s rear fender. The Yamaha rider bided his time and pulled the trigger on the pass to take the lead with more than 26 minutes left on the race clock. Kitchen, meanwhile, remained mired in 12th place.
As the moto reached the halfway mark, Davies managed a lead of nearly five seconds over DiFrancesco, while Hymas settled into third. Further back, Kitchen fought his way into the top 10 and looked to move as far forward as possible.
DiFrancesco looked to chip away at Davies’ lead inside the final five minutes and after briefly closing in, Davies responded to establish his biggest lead of the moto and end the threat.
The New Zealander never put a wheel wrong and capped off perhaps his most dominant outing of the season by a margin of 7.3 seconds over DiFrancesco. Hymas followed in third. Kitchen finished a few positions back in sixth.
Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] grabbed the holeshot to begin Moto 2, which he took advantage of to capture a career-best runner-up finish. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Davies’ second 1-1 effort of the summer netted him the third win of his career. It also brought him back into the thick of the title fight with the season’s stretch run looming.
DiFrancesco wrapped up the best performance of his career with a 2-2 performance to grab a runner-up finish.
After capturing his first podium result of the season last weekend, Hymas made back-to-back finishes in the top three following a 3-3 effort.
Mumford enjoyed a breakthrough afternoon of his own with 5-4 finishes that left him just off the podium in fourth, for the best finish of his career.
Kitchen weathered through a tough afternoon at his home track with a 6-6 effort that placed him fifth overall.
Davies’ dominant day helped him outscore Kitchen by 18 points and moved him within seven points of the Kawasaki rider in the championship standings with three races remaining. Beaumer, who finished sixth (8-5), is third, 25 points out of the lead.
Cole Davies (37) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Cole Davies | #37 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-1): “After last weekend I knew I had to step up my game. I had a good day today and made up a lot of points. I’m stoked. I feel like we took a big step in the right direction today. Had a fun day. It was good.”
Ryder DiFrancesco (34) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Ryder DiFrancesco | #34 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (2-2): “It was a great weekend. I love coming up here. It’s close to home [in California] and has a place in my heart. Putting a good day together was my goal and I did that with a 2-2.”
Chance Hymas (29) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Chance Hymas | #29 Honda HRC Progressive (3-3): “I just need to continue doing what I’m doing. I’ve really been enjoying these past few weekends, just getting back to [riding well]. It’s been a long road to get back here and hopefully we can keep knocking off these races, one by one.”
Post Race Press Conference | Round 8 | Washougal
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will observe a late-summer break before returning for the anticipated stretch run of each respective title fight over the final three races of the SMX regular season. The final third of the summer campaign will begin on Saturday, August 15, with the ELF Lubricants Unadilla National from the oldest and most storied venue in American motocross at Central New York’s Unadilla MX. The race will also welcome the return of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony and can be seen in its entirety 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:
The signs have been there for several years now. On a good day, riders on Aprilia’s RS-GP have not only challenged the dominant Ducati Desmosedicis in MotoGP, but have walked away from them.
Marco Bezzecchi (72) took his factory-team Aprilia RS-GP to a fifth straight MotoGP Grand Prix race win with his victory at Circuit of The Americas. And when Bezzecchi and his factory teammate have struggled, the satellite Trackhouse Racing riders have continued to show the potential of this year’s RS-GP. Photo by Michael Gougis.
At the end of 2025, riders on the Aprilias were nearly unbeatable, taking three wins in four Grand Prix races–although, and someone has to say it, factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi had won only one race in 2025 before he rammed 2025 World Champion Marc Marquez in Indonesia and sidelined the Ducati rider with a shoulder injury that Marquez still struggles with to this day. With Marquez out for the rest of the 2025 season, Bezzecchi won two of the remaining four races, and Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez took his satellite-team RS-GP to a win in Australia.
Compared to the Honda RC213V seen at left, the 2026 Aprilia RS-GP has clearly taken streamlining and aerodynamics to another level. Note the extensive streamlining of the front wheel, which completely covers the fork slider; the swingarm spats; and the integrated front downwash ducting on the Aprilia. Also note that the Aprilia is no longer using the fork-mounted wings that appeared a couple of years ago. Photo by Michael Gougis.
That winning performance has continued in 2026. Bezzecchi was unbeaten in the opening three Grand Prix races and two Aprilias were on the podium in each event. Aprilia locked out the podium in France, with Jorge Martin winning over Bezzecchi and Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura. Bezzecchi won at Mugello, and Ogura won at Assen. Fernandez has been on the podium twice and won two Sprint races, and Martin has added two more Sprint race wins. Even when the factory riders have faltered, the satellite riders have been at the front, proving that the bike itself is fast.
Aprilia raised a stir with what rivals complained was rider-activated fairing ducting at the beginning of the season. The carbon fiber ducting along the inside of the fairing on Raul Fernandez’ bike connects the rubber grommet under the rider’s arm, just below the handlebar, to an inlet at the front of the machine. Photo by Michael Gougis.
One theory about how this ducting operates is that when the rider’s arm obstructs airflow coming out of the fairing-mounted rubber grommets, the air pressure inside this vent increases, altering the flow of air over the wings that produce downforce. The idea here is to reduce the drag associated with pushing the wings through the air. Aprilia riders can therefore have more downforce when needed and “trim out” the bike on long straights, where the need for maximum downforce is minimized and the drag created by the front wings is at its greatest. Other theories suggest that the ducts manage airflow over the rider when the rider is in a tucked-in position, or that they help cool the rider. The cooling theory is perhaps the most credible, in that one of the downsides of the RS-GP is that it has generated a lot of heat in the cockpit. Car racing designers learned long ago that aerodynamically efficient racecars without proper ventilation could cook their drivers. In past seasons, Aprilia’s brilliant aerodynamics did not not initially address rider overheating, and Aprilia riders have pulled out of a few races in super hot conditions because the operating temperatures behind the fairing left them incapable of riding well. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Here’s an indication of how fast the Aprilias are: Engineers from the formerly dominant Ducati factory are copying the aero appendages from Aprilia’s RS-GP and pasting them onto the Desmosedici. That move by Ducati–the company that ushered in the age of modern aerodynamic design in MotoGP–speaks volumes about the shift in status in pit lane. The innovator has become the emulator, but it is still foolish to write off the Ducati riders. Marc Marquez, while winning three of the last four Grand Prix races, is still not 100% physically fit; Alex Marquez is recovering from injury; and Francesco Bagnaia is still coming to terms with his Ducati.
Note that the Aprilia’s front wing is attached to the front fairing on a pair of struts descending from the fairing. This provides a few more inches of wing between the struts in relatively clean air, generating additional downforce. Photo by Michael Gougis.
But it is undeniable that Aprilia has found a combination of riders, machines and teams that has launched the brand toward the top of the race results on a consistent basis. Back in October 2024, I wrote, “Where Aprilia struggles is consistency. The team can be on another level compared to the competition one weekend and absolutely nowhere the next. And that’s why the company’s hiring of (Fabiano) Sterlacchini (as Aprilia’s MotoGP Technical Director) is a brilliant move.”
Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia’s racing operations, says that while the 2026 version of the machine may obviously have new aerodynamic parts, it is actually different in almost every way from the 2025 RS-GP. I interviewed Rivola on Monday after the 2026 MotoGP race at Circuit of The Americas, during an Aprilia Racers Days event, where he had spent the morning ripping around the track on a Tuono V4. When asked how the 2026 RS-GP has evolved, and whether its improvements have mainly come from electronic, chassis, engine, or aerodynamic development, Rivola said, “Aero is something that is very visible to you all, and it is quite a big change. But it (improvement) is from all of it.”
The wing structure behind the rider’s leg on the Aprilia has evolved from the two-element structure seen on the bike at the Valencia race in 2025 (upper image) to the three-element design with a shallower angle of attack seen at COTA in March 2026. The graphic seen on the new wing is a dig at Ducati, which reportedly tried to get a ban on the leg wings pioneered by Aprilia. Photos by Michael Gougis.
Aprilia was the first company to get the “fat-fairing” ground effects phenomenon to function properly, and the RS-GP has proven to have amazing grip and speed in long, high-speed corners, especially those with slick surfaces. But Rivola says past versions of the bike have struggled against the competition under heavy braking. The current version, Rivola says, is far more stable during the braking phase of corner entry. And, he adds, that is a function of constant refinement of the bike.
Rivola is quick to acknowledge the influence of Technical Director Sterlacchini, who arrived before the 2025 season. Sterlacchini came from KTM, but prior to that he had spent years working with Ducati and was deeply familiar with Ducati’s working methods. Designing a MotoGP machine is hard enough; optimizing it every race weekend is even more difficult, and Sterlacchini was there to watch Ducati’s Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna develop the processes that led Ducati to four straight MotoGP World Championships. But while acknowledging Sterlacchini’s value, Rivola says the entire team has stepped up its game. “I’m not a fan of the idea of the one-man show,” Rivola says. “Everyone is working harder, and everyone now believes we can do it,” he says.
Rivola also praised Bezzecchi’s contribution to the project. Bezzecchi was nowhere in the beginning stages of the 2025 season, but was incredibly rapid at the end. Rivola says Bezzecchi helped the team pinpoint areas for improvement. “With Marco getting the lead of the performance and the development of the bike, I think he broadcast the direction,” Rivola says.
Marco Bezzecchi, left, and Massimo Rivola during an Aprilia Racers Days event at COTA, the day after the 2026 MotoGP weekend. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Aprilia’s performance so far in 2026 also illustrates just how complicated MotoGP machines have become and how hard it is to unlock their full potential. In recent years, Aprilia has been let down by inconsistency and errors, and not just on the track. Professional team managers know how important it is to create a strategy for the entire weekend that produces the best possible result. COTA served as a good example of how far Aprilia has come. On Friday, Bezzecchi and Martin each spent the whole morning on a single set of medium-compound slicks, as did Ogura. The only other rider in the top 10 in that session to do so was Alex Marquez on the Gresini Ducati GP26. By lunch on Friday, Aprilia had more data than its competitors on how worn tires would perform late in a race, and that information served as the foundation for an advantage throughout the rest of the weekend. In the Grand Prix race, Bezzecchi only struggled during braking because his bike’s rear aero had been demolished in a collision with Pedro Acosta, and Martin’s rear tire only dropped at the very end of the race. Meanwhile, Bagnaia’s Ducati ate its rear tire and he plummeted in the final laps to finish 10th. “You cannot underestimate the value of strategy,” Rivola says.
From left: Second-place finisher Ai Ogura, race winner Marc Márquez and third-place finisher Raúl Fernández celebrate on the podium after Sunday's MotoGP Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring. Photo courtesy Mat Oxley
By Mat Oxley:
So, imagine this. It’s July. You’ve got nothing to do. The day’s a real scorcher, and all you want to do is just sit down in the shade, have a cool drink and, who knows, listen to a ninety minutes long podcast where two geezers discuss the potential benefits of strapping a nuclear reactor to a motorbike and other hypotheticals.
Well, whether you’re having a sunny holiday or are just getting your tan on in the mediterranean bliss of, eh, London…we’ve got just the thing for you!
Last week, we asked our awesome Patreons to send in their questions. Then, on Friday, Mat and Peter went to answer them. ‘Which ones?’, you might ask.
In which case we’d say: ‘All of them!’
Yes, they called us mad. Yes, they said it couldn’t be done. But here we are, with questions about Frankenstein bikes, superstitions about crashing, the feel of a perfect throttle and more. Oh, and stick around to learn something about cycling…
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!
2026 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution ran July 24-26 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Rich Hixson.
2026 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Presented by Turn 14 Distribution Highlights Greatest Parts of Vintage Motorcycling Community
AMA thanks attendees, partners and sponsors for their part in fostering another dynamic Vintage Motorcycle Days event.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) extends its gratitude to the tens of thousands of attendees and our partners and sponsors who helped make 2026 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution — which ran July 24-26 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio — a roaring success.
Owned and organized by the AMA and co-promoted by track owner Green-Savoree Racing Promotions, Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution is the summer’s premier motorcycle event. The event serves as the primary fundraiser for the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and its mission to preserve the history and heritage of American motorcycling.
“There is no event on the calendar quite like AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, as tens of thousands of enthusiasts gather at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, connected by our shared love of motorcycling,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “An event of this magnitude would be impossible to accomplish without the support of our partners, sponsors, volunteers, AMA staff, and supporters, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s event successful.”
This year, the AMA celebrated the 50th anniversary of AMA Superbike by including a number of iconic motorcycles from AMA Superbike lore. Several former members of Team Honda’s earliest AMA Superbike teams were also in attendance.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and three-time World Grand Prix champion Freddie Spencer served as the grand marshal for the 34th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. He was on-hand to greet fans, participate in daily in question-and-sessions, lead the Lap for History, and sign autographs.
“Freddie Spencer was the perfect Grand Marshal for this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days,” AMA Editorial Director Mitch Boehm said. “Freddie came through the road racing ranks during the 1970s and competed strongly in those early years of AMA Superbike competition, and with AMA Superbike being the theme of this year’s VMD event, we couldn’t have asked for more. Thanks also to Honda teammate Mike Baldwin for adding to the AMA Superbike celebration, along with a handful of other Team Honda riders and crew from the early 1980s.”
Several of the leading brands in the motorcycle industry also attended AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, and the AMA is grateful for the contributions of our sponsors and partners, who supported the event financially.
“We are extremely grateful for title sponsor, Permco, and presenting sponsor, Turn 14 Distribution, who have been steadfast supporters of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days for years,” AMA Business Development Manager Michael Kula said. “With Permco serving as title sponsor for the past four events and Turn 14 Distribution coming in for its second year as presenting sponsor, we can’t thank them enough for their dedication and devotion to the vintage riding community.”
Kula also expressed appreciation to all sponsors and vendors, including Permco, Turn 14 Distribution, Motorcycle Classics, Royal Enfield, Cardo, All Balls Racing, SSR Motorsports, Biltwell, Billet Motorsports, Kenda Tire, Spectro Performance Oils, BMW MOA, Classic British Motorcycle Club of Cincinnati, Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club, Trail Bikes, Winston Products, Mimi and Moto, Iron Pony, STACYC, Cometic Gasket/Klotz Lubricants, Mecum Auctions, Liquid Lab, Kabuto Helmets, Vance & Hines, Advanced Sleeve, TrauMoto, Honda Heritage, S&S Cycle, Awareness 22, Third Eye Design and Mize Mobile.
The AMA also thanks Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki and Royal Enfield for hosting demo rides for attendees this year.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days would not be possible without an excellent venue, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is the perfect site for all the exciting opportunities that the event offers its attendees.
“We have built a fantastic working relationship with the team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and the facility has become a versatile venue for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days each year,” AMA Chief Operating Officer James Holter said. “We appreciate Mid-Ohio’s efforts to help put on an outstanding event for our members. I’d like to personally thank security manager Paul Alterio and safety manager Brian Sipes for keeping our attendees safe.”
A key piece of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is the largest motorcycle swap meet in North America, which takes place on the Mid-Ohio grounds. For the third straight year, the swap meet sold out well before the event.
“The swap meet at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days has only grown over the past few years, and that is a product of the dedication that our attendees and members have for our swap meet,” AMA Director of Information Technology Shaun Holloway said. “Thank you to our loyal vendors, many of whom have been consistent presences at our swap meet for years, and all of those that made the trip to Mid-Ohio in search of parts, memorabilia or even a new bike.”
The backbone of AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is the large collection of AMA members that make the trip to Mid-Ohio for the weekend gathering of enthusiasts. Assisting these outstanding members is the AMA member services team, which works tirelessly throughout the weekend to provide excellent customer service and support to all attendees.
“Each year, we set out to make AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days a worthwhile experience for our members,” AMA Director of Marketing and Communications Joy Burgess said. “A major goal of this event is also to bring in new members, and our outstanding member services team helped process over 450 memberships this year. Thank you to all of our AMA members who make this an outstanding event each year.”
In addition to the members that attended AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the AMA is grateful to all the AMA volunteers, as well as AMA-chartered and partner organizations, that help the event run smoothly.
“It takes a great team to execute an event of this magnitude, and we are immensely grateful for the efforts of our volunteers — which included AMA members, as well as volunteers from the AMA-chartered Christian Motorcyclist Association (CMA), our partner Motorcycle Ohio, and the many bike show judges who assisted with the Motorcycle Classics AMA Hall of Fame Bike Show,” AMA Events Manager Makenzi Martin said. “AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days would not be what it is without our volunteers and dedicated AMA staff, and we cannot thank them enough for sacrificing their time to make this event a success.”
Vintage racing is at the heart of the activities at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, as thousands of racers from across the country competed in vintage motocross, trials, hare scrambles, flat track, road racing and pitbike racing during this year’s event.
“We run one of the most expansive vintage racing programs in the country at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, spanning off-road and on-road disciplines,” AMA Deputy Director of Racing Mike Burkeen said. “With this wide range of racing, we lean heavily on our staff, partner organizations and volunteers, who help keep our racing efforts run as smooth as possible.”
Burkeen thanked Baja M-X Incorporated, the Christian Motorcycle Association, Log Road M-X, Mandy Mastin and the Hare Scrambles Team, Trials Incorporated, America Superbike Racing Association, the Bagger Racing League, Baer Racing, eScore Electronic Event Scoring, Kevin Kelly, RaceLine Ministry, Acerbis, Ashland County Fairgrounds, MotoAmerica and the Roadracing World Action Fund.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is America’s largest celebration of vintage motorcycling and is among the most prominent single-weekend motorcycle events each summer. Stay engaged with AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days news, see photos from the event and prepare for AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days 2027 by visiting VintageMotorcycleDays.com/ .
More photos from VMD:
Ready for a fan lap on the track.Seen in the gigantic vending area.Vintage motocross.
A rider participates in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days road racing activities at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Riders line up on the front straight during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
More, from another press release issued by AMA:
AMA Congratulates 2026 AMA Vintage Grand Champions
Quinn Wentzel crowned AMA Vintage Grand Champion while Dennis Burnett earns AMA Senior Vintage Grand Championship.
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Vintage racing sits at the heart of the event schedule at Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution, which is held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, as thousands of racers compete for the AMA Vintage Grand Championship and AMA Senior Vintage Grand Championship during the event.
The AMA Vintage Grand Championship is decided by the combined point totals from motocross, hare scrambles and trials competition throughout the weekend. Capturing the AMA Vintage Grand Championship was Quinn Wentzel of Canfield, Ohio, while Dennis Burnett of Augusta, Kan., rode his way to the AMA Senior Vintage Grand Championship.
Both Wentzel and Burnett took home AMA Vintage Grand Champion honors for the second-consecutive year, displaying consistency and racing prowess during the weekend of competition.
Wentzel earned his fourth-straight AMA Vintage Grand Championship at 2026 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, his eighth overall — including additional championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Wentzel enjoyed podium finishes in all three disciplines, including victories in the Open Motocross class and Vintage Factory Expert in trials.
2026 AMA Vintage Grand Champion Quinn Wentzel. AMA photo.
“I enjoy the atmosphere; it’s just really cool to have all of those races going on in one place,” Wentzel said about racing at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. “I have a long background in hare scrambles, motocross and trials for the last 20 years, so it’s all of the three things I’m good at in one place.”
Burnett also claimed his second-consecutive championship thanks to podium finishes in all three disciplines, including a victory in the Vintage Old School Expert class in trials.
“I’ve been doing it for years. I’ve raced a lot of hare scrambles, a lot of motocross and grew up riding trials. I always like to do every discipline,” Burnett said. “There’s a lot of good competition.”
Corey Alexander (23) earned ARCH Racing's first MotoAmerica race win at Ridge Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
(Editorial Note: This TV show is airing exclusively on Samsung devices, which means you need a current-model Samsung TV or phone to watch it.)
HOOLIGANS: THE ARCH RACING PROJECT NOW AIRING
ARCH Racing is on a new screen
Samsung TV Plus has officially announced the premiere of Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project, a six-part original docuseries executive produced by and starring ARCH Motorcycle co-founders Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger. The series premiered on Sunday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET in the U.S. on Samsung TV Network, Samsung TV Plus’ flagship channel, with new episodes airing every Sunday through August 16.
Produced by V10 Entertainment, Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project takes viewers inside ARCH Racing’s entry into the high-stakes world of professional motorcycle racing. The series follows Reeves, Hollinger, and the ARCH Racing team as they bring the same craftsmanship, precision, and relentless drive behind ARCH Motorcycle into the MotoAmerica paddock and the Super Hooligan National Championship.
For ARCH, the project is more than a look behind the curtain. It is a story about building something from the ground up, competing against established teams, and pushing a new program forward through the challenges, pressure, and intensity of race weekends. From the garage to the starting grid, the series captures the people, preparation, setbacks, and determination that define life inside a professional race team.
The announcement also marks a major moment for Samsung TV Plus, as Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project becomes the platform’s first original docuseries under its Samsung TV Plus Exclusives banner. The series will be available subscription-free on supported Samsung devices.
Fans can also watch MotoAmerica coverage through the newly launched MotoAmericaTV channel on Samsung TV Plus, a 24/7 destination for North American motorcycle road racing featuring live event streams, full race replays, select practice and qualifying sessions, behind-the-scenes content, archival footage, and coverage from the 2026–2027 season.
Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project premiered Sunday, July 12 at 9 p.m. ET on Samsung TV Network.
More, from another press release issued by ARCH Racing:
ARCH Racing Claims Historic Victory at The Ridge
Corey Alexander and the #23 ARCH Racing crew after securing the brand’s first-ever MotoAmerica podium and victory. Photo by Klings Media/courtesy ARCH Racing.
ARCH Racing delivered a milestone weekend at The Ridge Motorsports Park, taking pole position with a new Super Hooligans class lap record, a Race 1 victory, and a second podium finish in Round 3 of the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan National Championship.
The weekend opened with changing Pacific Northwest conditions, as rain and a damp racing surface challenged the Super Hooligan field across early sessions. Corey Alexander immediately showed confidence aboard the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R, running near the front in wet conditions before putting together a standout performance in Q2. Alexander claimed pole position with a 1:44.449, marking a major qualifying breakthrough for ARCH Racing and the 2s-R platform. Teammate Jeremy McWilliams also advanced the program forward, qualifying 10th with a 1:48.169.
Race 1 brought one of the most significant moments yet for ARCH Racing. Starting from pole, Alexander launched the 2s-R into the lead and quickly established the bike as a front-running contender. McWilliams also made a strong start, moving into the podium fight early and giving ARCH two machines inside the lead group before a Lap 3 crash ended his race. McWilliams was able to exit the track under his own power, while Alexander regrouped after taking evasive action and rejoined the battle at the front.
From there, Alexander mounted a determined charge back into contention. In the closing laps, he worked his way into position and made a decisive move to take the lead, bringing the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R across the line for its first MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan victory. The win marked a landmark result for ARCH Racing and a defining step forward for the air-cooled American-built platform.
Corey Alexander
Q: 1st R1: 1st R2: 2nd
“This was a huge weekend for everyone involved with ARCH Racing,” said Corey Alexander. “To put the 2s-R on pole, win Race 1, and come back with another podium on Sunday shows how much progress this team has made. The conditions were tricky, the racing was intense, and nothing came easy, but the crew gave me a bike capable of fighting at the front. To deliver the first win for ARCH in this class is something we’re all incredibly proud of.”
Jeremy McWilliams
Q: 10th R1: DNF R2: 9th
“It was a bit of a wild weekend for me,” said Jeremy McWilliams. “Race 1 started well and we were right in the mix, but unfortunately it ended with a crash. The important thing is that I was okay, and the team did a great job getting us ready again for Sunday. To see Corey get the win and then back it up with another podium was brilliant for the whole ARCH group. The 2s-R keeps moving forward, and weekends like this show what the bike and team are capable of.”
Sunday’s Race 2 backed up Saturday’s breakthrough with another strong performance. Alexander again led early and fought inside a tight lead pack throughout the eight-lap race, ultimately finishing second and securing back-to-back podium results for the team. McWilliams rebounded from Saturday’s crash to finish ninth, adding valuable points, mileage, and feedback to close out the weekend.
For ARCH Racing, The Ridge represented more than a single result. It was a weekend that brought together qualifying speed, race-winning execution, resilience, and continued development of the ARCH Motorcycle 2s-R against one of the most competitive grids in the MotoAmerica paddock.
ARCH Racing extends its thanks to its partners, crew, guests, and fans for their continued support throughout the weekend at The Ridge Motorsports Park.
Levi Badie (right) will sub for his injured wife, Elisa Gendron Belen, in Twins Cup at Mid-Ohio this coming weekend.
Levi Badie to Substitute for Injured Elisa Gendron Belen at MotoAmerica Mid-Ohio Twins Cup Round
BGB Racing Announces Rider Change Following Weekend Racing Accident
BGB Racing has announced that Levi Badie will compete in the MotoAmerica SC-Project Twins Cup round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next weekend, replacing injured racer Elisa Gendron Belen.
Gendron Belen was competing in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days/ASRA races this past weekend to gain valuable track time ahead of the upcoming MotoAmerica event. During Friday’s opening practice, what initially appeared to be a routine low-side crash on a green track quickly turned into a serious incident when a following rider was unable to avoid her and struck her after the fall.
As a result of the accident, Gendron Belen suffered multiple fractures to her pelvis and sacrum. While her recovery timeline is still being evaluated, her injuries will unfortunately prevent her from competing at next weekend’s MotoAmerica round at Mid-Ohio.
Stepping into the BGB Racing entry is Levi Badie, Elisa’s husband, who has been enjoying a successful season aboard the Speed Farm Racing #8 Harley-Davidson Road Glide in the Bagger Racing League Pro Stock class. The Belgian rider has already earned multiple podium finishes in 2026, including a second-place finish (P2) during this past weekend’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days/ASRA event.
The entire BGB Racing and Speed Farm teams wish Elisa a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing Levi represent the team at Mid-Ohio while she begins the healing process.
Enjoy a track day during your stay—ride, learn, and push your skills on world-class circuits. Photo courtesy Leod Motorcycle Escapes.
WHEATON, Ill. —What happens when world-class motorcycle touring meets iconic MotoGP racetracks? On the latest episode of Driven to Ride, host Mark Long welcomes Cat McLeod, founder of Leod Escapes, for an inside look at creating unforgettable riding experiences across Europe and beyond.
McLeod’s journey into motorcycling began at age 11 on a horse ranch when AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gunnar Lindstrom invited him to trade the fence for a motorcycle. That moment sparked a lifelong passion that eventually led to an MBA, a successful career in motorcycle industry marketing and brand management with companies including Bel-Ray, BikeBandit, and LeoVince USA, and ultimately the creation of Leod Escapes.
Cat McLeod (third from right) with happy tour members and 2-time Superbike World Champion Troy Corser (center) at Catalunya several years ago. Photo courtesy Cat McLeod/Leod Escapes.
After discovering that many traditional motorcycle tours weren’t designed for experienced riders seeking a more engaging experience, McLeod launched Leod Escapes 14 years ago. Today, the company specializes in premium motorcycle adventures that combine breathtaking roads, regional culture, and three days of riding on legendary MotoGP circuits such as Mugello, Catalunya, Phillip Island, Sachsenring, Portimão, and Brno.
Cat McLeod. Photo courtesy Leod Escapes.
During the conversation, McLeod shares how an early tour taught valuable lessons, how he built an international network of instructors, mechanics, and partners, and why his team handles every logistical detail—from motorcycles and accommodations to luggage and support—so guests can focus entirely on the ride.
“Cat has built something that’s much more than a motorcycle tour,” said Mark Long, host of Driven to Ride. “He’s created an experience that challenges riders, immerses them in incredible destinations, and gives them the rare opportunity to ride some of the world’s most legendary racetracks. His story is a great example of turning passion into purpose.”
Listeners will also hear about the planning required to deliver seamless international riding experiences, the appeal of combining technical riding instruction with cultural exploration, and why so many riders return year after year.
Listen to Mark Long’s interview with Cat McLeod your favorite podcast platform. Beginning Wednesday, July 29, watch their full-length, unedited conversation on the “Driven to Ride Podcast” YouTube channel. Learn more at driventoridepodcast.com.
ABOUT DRIVEN TO RIDE:
“Driven to Ride” is an immersive exploration of the motorcycle and adventure lifestyle. Hosted by Mark Long, each episode showcases inspiring guests and notable figures in the motorcycle community who live and breathe the world of two wheels. With candid conversations and captivating storytelling, this podcast is required listening for anyone with a passion for the open road.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Connect with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts and share your thoughts about the podcast on social media using the hashtag #DrivenToRidePodcast. For updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more, follow the “Driven to Ride” podcast on:
Mark Long, the charismatic host of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, is an avid motorcycle enthusiast with a deep passion for sharing the stories that drive the motorcycle community.
Jager Stockill (68) leads Stefan Tanasic (15) in race one Ohvale 190 GP-2 class Canadian National FIM Mini action at Shannonville Motorsport Park; Stockill would have spark plug cap issues and retire, while Tanasic went on for his first Ohvale class success. Photo by Colin Fraser for Super Sonic Roadrace School
Tanasic and O’Brien Break Through.
First Time Ohvale Mini Winners at Shannonville National.
The Canadian National MOTOMini Series reached mid-season with round three at Shannonville’s Go-Kart “inner loop” July 24 and 25, and there were major changes among the front runners after a consistent early season.Both Championships leaders saw their winning streaks ended in dramatic circumstances.
In the GP2 category for Ohvale 190 racers, Jager Stockill had his four-race winning streak conclude after experiencing ignition problems in both races. Leading the big wheel opener mid-race, Stockill pulled into the pit exit and managed to restart his machine but had to stop twice more and was eventually listed as a Did Not Finish (DNG).His archrival, Stefan Tanasic, earned the win, ending his streak of runner-up placings with his first National success.
Eric Sergi scored a pair of second place finishes in the two races for the 190 Ohvale four-stroke singles, and in the second race he was pushed hard by Cohen Byberg, who netted a pair of thirds.
With two weekends of racing left to go and four remaining Nationals, Tanasic heads the ranking for the first time with 130 points, followed by Sergi at 104 and Stockill at100.Byberg is fourth at a total of 72 points.Stockill has represented Canada at the Valencia, Spain World Finals in the past two seasons in the 160 class and could still earn a spot for the 190 division this season.
In Qualifying, Stockill took pole with a lap at 46.95 seconds, Tanasic next up at 47.86.In the initial race, Stockill went slightly faster with a 46.79 while leading early, Tanasic also slightly faster in good conditions, getting down to 47.62 seconds.
Earlier in the program, run in conjunction with the RACE Moto Regional Series, Tanasic won Lightweight on a Snow City Kawasaki and Stockill worked up to second on a Super Sonic Roadrace School Yamaha R3, having set a new lap record in Qualifying.
Qualifying in the busy 160 Ohvale GP-0 category was hectic, and Mateen O’Brien set the pace on his purple machine, with a best lap of 50.28.Undefeated points leader Tommy Molnar was second on the grid at 50.36, with the front row completed by Austin Da with a top tour of 50.77, Row two was headed by pre-season favorite Martina Cardenas at 50.80.
A tight pack disputed the lead from the start, with Molnar mostly leading from O’Brien as Cardenas worked her way up from mediocre launch.O’Brien seemed to be preparing for a last lap assault, and sure enough he dive bombed Molnar for the lead entering the tight turn one complex at the start of the last lap.
Third year racer O’Brien’s margin of victory in his first career was a scant .15 seconds from Molnar, Cardenas third a further seven seconds back after getting the best of an aggressive dice for the final podium spot with fourth finisher Will Brown.
Quickest racer in the Ohvale 160 opener was front row starter Austin Da, who ran off track and had a big save on his way to place sixth.Da managed to set a lap time 49.11 while he paced the lead group late in the race.
O’Brien turned the second-best lap of the race with a lap at 49.60, Cardenas third best with a 49.63 and Molnar next up at 49.98.
Podium for the second Ohvale 160 GP-0 Canadian National race at Shannonville Motorsport Park, with first race winner and runner-up Mateen O’Brien, points leader and race winner Tommy Molnar and third overall Martina Cardenas. Photo by Colin Fraser for Super Sonic Roadrace School
In race two, another good battle emerged among the top four, with Molnar leading much of the time tailed by O’Brien, Cardenas, and Da.They finished in that order, with Molnar getting enough of an edge (margin of victory 1.4 seconds) to thwart the last lap ambitions of the pursuing mob.
Cardenas was third, just .01 of a second back from O’Brien, also setting the fastest race two lap at 48.71.Da set another good marker at 49.17, backing up his pace in the opener. Runner-up O’Brien turned the next best GP-0 lap time at 49.22, with winner Molnar fourth at 49.42.
In the standings, Molnar’s fifth win of the season solidifies his lead at 145 atop the table, with second overall Cardenas next up at 108. Third is Brown (4/6 at Shannonville) with 73 points.
Next National race for Canada’s top young racers is at Lombardy, north of Kingston, ON, September 4-5.The Championship will climax back at Shannonville September 25-26 for the Nelson International 50th celebration event, marking the anniversary of the opening of the venue on Thanksgiving weekend, 1976.This event will be televised on REV.
Mikey Lou Sanchez (55) at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy AC Racing Team.
American Mikey Lou Sanchez, riding his AC Racing Team Honda on the 2.74-mile (4.41 km) track, finished 10th in Moto4 European Cup Race 1 Sunday morning and 12th in Race 2 Sunday afternoon at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France.
Rossi Moor (92) at Magny-Cours, in France. Photo courtesy RM92 Racing.
Riding his Revesz Racing Kalex, American Rossi Attila Moor finished ninth in Moto2 European Championship Race 1 on Sunday morning at the 2.74-mile (4.41 km) Magny-Cours circuit in France.
Meanwhile, fellow American Max Toth finished 18th aboard his Cardoso Racing Kalex.
Max Toth (27) at Magny-Cours, in France. Photo courtesy Cardoso Racing Team.
Rossi Attila Moor, riding his Revesz Racing Kalex, finished 7th in Moto2 European Championship Race 2 on Sunday afternoon at Magny-Cours, France.
Meanwhile, Max Toth finished 17th on his Cardoso Racing Kalex.
Max Toth:“Great salvage today – 0.4 from the points. Kept chipping and found the right direction in setup today. Our place on the grid held us from fighting further up front, but I’m happy to have gained 9 positions in both races combined.”
More from a press release issued by RM92 Racing Team:
Rossi Attila Moor closes the weekend with his best qualifying result so far and a spectacular final lap at Magny-Cours.
Rossi Attila Moor delivered another encouraging performance at the MagnyCours round of the 2026 FIM MotoJunior Moto2 Championship.
Progress was evident already during Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions. The team kept improving the bike step by step, and with every run Rossi grew more confident. The work paid off in qualifying, where he secured his best grid position of the season: 9th place, earning a spot on the third row for Sunday’s races.
Race 1 turned into a tough battle, with Rossi finishing 9th. More importantly, the race provided valuable data that allowed the team to make further adjustments to the bike ahead of Race 2.
Those changes immediately proved effective.
In Race 2, Rossi showed stronger pace, greater confidence, and a more consistent performance. At the start of the final lap he was still running in 9th place, when one of the weekend’s most spectacular fights unfolded between him, Francesco Mongiardo, and Moto3 Grand Prix winner Dennis Foggia.
On the brakes into Turn 14, Rossi overtook both riders. The intense fight continued through the final corners, but he held his ground and crossed the finish line in 7th place after a determined and eyecatching last lap.
Rossi Attila Moor (92) and Enej Krsevan (64) at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy RM92 Racing Team.
Beyond the result itself, the weekend’s message was clear: continuous improvement, increasingly competitive race pace, and successful midweekend bike adjustments once again confirmed that Rossi Attila Moor — racing with the support of the Révész Racing Team — is steadily moving forward on his Road To MotoGP journey.
Rossi Attila Moor:“Overall, it was a very positive weekend. Every time we went out on track, we managed to take a step forward — and that’s exactly what we aimed for. The team did an amazing job throughout the weekend, especially between the two races, when the changes they made gave me a much better feeling on the bike. The finallap battle was really tough, but I enjoyed it a lot. Starting from 9th and finishing 7th shows that we’re heading in the right direction. There’s still work to do, but race by race we’re getting closer to our goals. Thank you to the whole team and to everyone who continues to support us.”
Haiden Deegan [#38] led the field to the holeshot in Moto 1, but went down shortly thereafter as Jett Lawrence [#1] seized control of the moto. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
WASHOUGAL, Wash. – The Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, made its final visit to the West Coast for Round 25 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, where the tricky forest setting of the Pacific Northwest’s Washougal MX Park challenged the world’s best racers. The FLY Racing Washougal National Presented by Peterson CAT also signified the series’ annual Military Appreciation Race, which added to the fanfare of the event with military inspired graphics, gear, and special ceremonies celebrating the men and women of the Armed Forces. The most ideal weather conditions of the season greeted the field, which led to another impactful afternoon of racing that saw Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96] add to his 450SMX Class points lead following his fifth win of the season. In the 250SMX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies [#37] made a resounding return to the top of the podium with a dominant 1-1 effort, moving back within striking distance in the title fight a week removed from his worst outing of the season.
Hunter Lawrence Secures Back-to-Back Victories with Washougal Triumph to Extend Pro Motocross Championship Lead
450SMX Class
Qualifying
The morning sessions served as another progressive step for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie Haiden Deegan [#38] as he sat atop the time sheets for the first time following a stellar lap of 2:08.223 in the first session that held through the session. He was followed by Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks [#36] who enjoyed his best-ever qualifying result with a 2:05.581. Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence [#1] rounded out the top three [2:08.702], with Hunter Lawrence in fourth [2:08.748]. The top four were separated by a mere half second.
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
Deegan carried the momentum into the first gate drop of the afternoon as he led the field to the holeshot, only to lose traction in the next corner and drop to the tail end of the field. That allowed Jett Lawrence to assume the lead with Hunter Lawrence in tow. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] started third.
As the top three quickly pulled away from the field through the opening five minutes, Deegan did well to make a quick recovery from his misfortune and found his way into the top 10.
As the moto reached its halfway point the Lawrences remained less than two seconds from one another, with Prado falling more than 10 seconds behind. Deegan, meanwhile, stormed all the way up to fourth place and looked to erase a 20 second deficit to the top three.
As the moto continued the gap between the Lawrences slowly grew, as Jett tightened his grip on the lead while the race clock wound down. Soon, Jett found himself more than five seconds ahead of Hunter and added to that advantage over the final laps.
Jett carried on to capture his seventh moto win of the season by 7.2 seconds over Hunter, with Prado a distant third. Deegan maintained his hold of fourth, improving 26 positions, while Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis [#14] rounded out the top five.
Jett [#1] and Hunter [#96] led the way to begin Moto 2, with Hunter taking the initial lead before giving way to Jett, who ultimately crashed to put Hunter back out front. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The Lawrence brothers led the field into the first turn to begin the final moto, with Jett able to grab the holeshot over Hunter, only for the elder sibling to take control of the top spot. Deegan slotted in behind them in third.
As Jett looked to pressure for the lead early, he lost balance off a jump and was forced to take evasive action off to the side of the track. As Hunter pulled away, Jett reentered the track just ahead of Deegan and kept the Yamaha rider behind him.
The top three sat within four seconds of one another through the first 10 minutes of the moto, which allowed them to open a double-digit margin over the rest of the field.
As the Lawrences mirrored one another’s lap times, it allowed them to pull away from Deegan. From there, the lead trio settled in, with Hunter able to move more than two seconds clear of Jett.
As the moto passed the halfway point, Jett dropped the hammer and quickly erased the deficit to Hunter. A battle for the lead unfolded as Jett hounded Hunter and soon wrestled the lead away with just over 10 minutes to go.
A short time later Jett gave up the lead and went down after losing traction on the face of a jump. That allowed Hunter to reclaim the top spot as Jett remounted just ahead of Deegan once again to initiate a short-lived battle for second.
Jett Lawrence put in a torrid charge in the closing laps to get within striking distance of Hunter on the final lap, but Hunter secured his ninth moto win of the season by 1.4 seconds. Deegan followed in third.
After a review of Jett Lawrence’s off-track incident at the beginning of the moto, race officials determined he accelerated on the side of the track, which is an infraction of the rulebook and resulted in a one position penalty. As a result, Deegan was credited with second with Jett relegated to third.
Overall
Hunter Lawrence’s 2-1 effort resulted in his fifth overall win of the season, with back-to-back victories heading into the season’s final break in action.
With the Moto 2 penalty, Jett Lawrence dropped from a tie with Hunter for the overall win to a runner-up effort and a loss of two points with 1-3 finishes.
Deegan enjoyed another consistent afternoon with his fifth podium finish of the season following 4-2 finishes. He has back-to-back podiums for the first time during his rookie campaign.
Hunter Lawrence extended his lead in the championship standings to 12 points over Jett with three races remaining. Deegan remains third, 69 points out of the lead.
Hunter Lawrence (96) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Team Honda HRC Progressive (2-1): “Today was much better than my previous experiences here at Washougal. What a day. That second moto was awesome battling with Jettson. Lawrence brothers 1-2, so a great way to send it off into the break.”
Jett Lawrence (1) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Team Honda HRC Progressive (1-3): “I got a little cross rutted [before the crash] and that caused me to lose traction. I felt good [riding], same as last weekend. I was able to get around Hunter but made a silly mistake. My riding is good, just need to stop making silly mistakes. Looking forward to this break.”
Haiden Deegan (38) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (4-2): “I’m in the battle [with the Lawrences]. It was good to follow Jett for a few laps. To get on the podium is awesome. I’m having fun out there and learning with the team and learning the bike. I can’t wait to keep battling.”
Cole Davies Makes Emphatic Return to the Top of 250SMX Class Podium
250SMX Class
Qualifying
Fresh off his first career win one week ago, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer [#13] put himself atop the charts in the first session of the morning with a time of 2:15.562 and it looked as if it may stand until the tail end of the final session when Davies laid down a time of 2:12.269 to move atop the overall classification by a few tenths. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] rounded out the top three [2:12.571].
Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The first moto of the day began with Davies out front with the holeshot over the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of DiFrancesco and Daxton Bennick [#58]. Beaumer and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen [#47], the hometown favorite and points leader, were two of many riders involved in a crash just after the holseshot line, which forced both to start deep in the 40-rider field.
The clear track allowed Davies to sprint out to a lead of more than three seconds just a couple laps in, as DiFrancesco settled into second and Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] moved up to third.
Further back, Beaumer and Kitchen worked their way through the field together, as both were able to break into the top 20 within the first 10 minutes of the moto. They continued their charge and moved within striking distance of the top 10 just past the halfway point of the moto.
As the moto entered its final 10 minutes Davies moved out more than 10 seconds clear of the field. Kitchen, meanwhile, continued his determined climb with a pass on Beaumer and a forward push that carried him into the top 10, with an eye on additional passes.
Davies cruised to his fifth moto win of the season with a wire-to-wire effort, crossing the finish line 17.1 seconds ahead of DiFrancesco, who secured the best moto result of his career. Hymas rounded out the top three, with Bennick in fourth and AEO Powersports KTM’s Carson Mumford [#71] in fifth. Kitchen clawed his way up to sixth, improving 22 positions.
Cole Davies [#37] grabbed the holeshot in Moto 1 and carried on to a wire-to-wire victory as Landen Gordon [#180] initiated a multi-rider incident to begin the moto. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]
The second and deciding moto started with DiFrancesco out front with the holeshot ahead of ClubMX Yamaha’s Hunter Yoder [#60] and Hymas, with Davies chasing from fourth. Kitchen started outside the top 10. The battle up front intensified on the opening lap as both Hymas and Davies got around Yoder and looked to pressure DiFrancesco for the lead.
Davies pushed the pace and was able to get around Hymas. He then closed in on DiFrancesco’s rear fender. The Yamaha rider bided his time and pulled the trigger on the pass to take the lead with more than 26 minutes left on the race clock. Kitchen, meanwhile, remained mired in 12th place.
As the moto reached the halfway mark, Davies managed a lead of nearly five seconds over DiFrancesco, while Hymas settled into third. Further back, Kitchen fought his way into the top 10 and looked to move as far forward as possible.
DiFrancesco looked to chip away at Davies’ lead inside the final five minutes and after briefly closing in, Davies responded to establish his biggest lead of the moto and end the threat.
The New Zealander never put a wheel wrong and capped off perhaps his most dominant outing of the season by a margin of 7.3 seconds over DiFrancesco. Hymas followed in third. Kitchen finished a few positions back in sixth.
Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] grabbed the holeshot to begin Moto 2, which he took advantage of to capture a career-best runner-up finish. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Overall
Davies’ second 1-1 effort of the summer netted him the third win of his career. It also brought him back into the thick of the title fight with the season’s stretch run looming.
DiFrancesco wrapped up the best performance of his career with a 2-2 performance to grab a runner-up finish.
After capturing his first podium result of the season last weekend, Hymas made back-to-back finishes in the top three following a 3-3 effort.
Mumford enjoyed a breakthrough afternoon of his own with 5-4 finishes that left him just off the podium in fourth, for the best finish of his career.
Kitchen weathered through a tough afternoon at his home track with a 6-6 effort that placed him fifth overall.
Davies’ dominant day helped him outscore Kitchen by 18 points and moved him within seven points of the Kawasaki rider in the championship standings with three races remaining. Beaumer, who finished sixth (8-5), is third, 25 points out of the lead.
Cole Davies (37) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
1st Place – Cole Davies | #37 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-1): “After last weekend I knew I had to step up my game. I had a good day today and made up a lot of points. I’m stoked. I feel like we took a big step in the right direction today. Had a fun day. It was good.”
Ryder DiFrancesco (34) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
2nd Place – Ryder DiFrancesco | #34 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (2-2): “It was a great weekend. I love coming up here. It’s close to home [in California] and has a place in my heart. Putting a good day together was my goal and I did that with a 2-2.”
Chance Hymas (29) at Washougal. Photo courtesy MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
3rd Place – Chance Hymas | #29 Honda HRC Progressive (3-3): “I just need to continue doing what I’m doing. I’ve really been enjoying these past few weekends, just getting back to [riding well]. It’s been a long road to get back here and hopefully we can keep knocking off these races, one by one.”
Post Race Press Conference | Round 8 | Washougal
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will observe a late-summer break before returning for the anticipated stretch run of each respective title fight over the final three races of the SMX regular season. The final third of the summer campaign will begin on Saturday, August 15, with the ELF Lubricants Unadilla National from the oldest and most storied venue in American motocross at Central New York’s Unadilla MX. The race will also welcome the return of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony and can be seen in its entirety 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:
Ai Ogura (79) has taken his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP to second in the Championship points. Photo by Michael Gougis.
FIRST PERSON/OPINION
By Michael Gougis
The signs have been there for several years now. On a good day, riders on Aprilia’s RS-GP have not only challenged the dominant Ducati Desmosedicis in MotoGP, but have walked away from them.
Marco Bezzecchi (72) took his factory-team Aprilia RS-GP to a fifth straight MotoGP Grand Prix race win with his victory at Circuit of The Americas. And when Bezzecchi and his factory teammate have struggled, the satellite Trackhouse Racing riders have continued to show the potential of this year’s RS-GP. Photo by Michael Gougis.
At the end of 2025, riders on the Aprilias were nearly unbeatable, taking three wins in four Grand Prix races–although, and someone has to say it, factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi had won only one race in 2025 before he rammed 2025 World Champion Marc Marquez in Indonesia and sidelined the Ducati rider with a shoulder injury that Marquez still struggles with to this day. With Marquez out for the rest of the 2025 season, Bezzecchi won two of the remaining four races, and Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez took his satellite-team RS-GP to a win in Australia.
Compared to the Honda RC213V seen at left, the 2026 Aprilia RS-GP has clearly taken streamlining and aerodynamics to another level. Note the extensive streamlining of the front wheel, which completely covers the fork slider; the swingarm spats; and the integrated front downwash ducting on the Aprilia. Also note that the Aprilia is no longer using the fork-mounted wings that appeared a couple of years ago. Photo by Michael Gougis.
That winning performance has continued in 2026. Bezzecchi was unbeaten in the opening three Grand Prix races and two Aprilias were on the podium in each event. Aprilia locked out the podium in France, with Jorge Martin winning over Bezzecchi and Trackhouse Racing’s Ai Ogura. Bezzecchi won at Mugello, and Ogura won at Assen. Fernandez has been on the podium twice and won two Sprint races, and Martin has added two more Sprint race wins. Even when the factory riders have faltered, the satellite riders have been at the front, proving that the bike itself is fast.
Aprilia raised a stir with what rivals complained was rider-activated fairing ducting at the beginning of the season. The carbon fiber ducting along the inside of the fairing on Raul Fernandez’ bike connects the rubber grommet under the rider’s arm, just below the handlebar, to an inlet at the front of the machine. Photo by Michael Gougis.
One theory about how this ducting operates is that when the rider’s arm obstructs airflow coming out of the fairing-mounted rubber grommets, the air pressure inside this vent increases, altering the flow of air over the wings that produce downforce. The idea here is to reduce the drag associated with pushing the wings through the air. Aprilia riders can therefore have more downforce when needed and “trim out” the bike on long straights, where the need for maximum downforce is minimized and the drag created by the front wings is at its greatest. Other theories suggest that the ducts manage airflow over the rider when the rider is in a tucked-in position, or that they help cool the rider. The cooling theory is perhaps the most credible, in that one of the downsides of the RS-GP is that it has generated a lot of heat in the cockpit. Car racing designers learned long ago that aerodynamically efficient racecars without proper ventilation could cook their drivers. In past seasons, Aprilia’s brilliant aerodynamics did not not initially address rider overheating, and Aprilia riders have pulled out of a few races in super hot conditions because the operating temperatures behind the fairing left them incapable of riding well. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Here’s an indication of how fast the Aprilias are: Engineers from the formerly dominant Ducati factory are copying the aero appendages from Aprilia’s RS-GP and pasting them onto the Desmosedici. That move by Ducati–the company that ushered in the age of modern aerodynamic design in MotoGP–speaks volumes about the shift in status in pit lane. The innovator has become the emulator, but it is still foolish to write off the Ducati riders. Marc Marquez, while winning three of the last four Grand Prix races, is still not 100% physically fit; Alex Marquez is recovering from injury; and Francesco Bagnaia is still coming to terms with his Ducati.
Note that the Aprilia’s front wing is attached to the front fairing on a pair of struts descending from the fairing. This provides a few more inches of wing between the struts in relatively clean air, generating additional downforce. Photo by Michael Gougis.
But it is undeniable that Aprilia has found a combination of riders, machines and teams that has launched the brand toward the top of the race results on a consistent basis. Back in October 2024, I wrote, “Where Aprilia struggles is consistency. The team can be on another level compared to the competition one weekend and absolutely nowhere the next. And that’s why the company’s hiring of (Fabiano) Sterlacchini (as Aprilia’s MotoGP Technical Director) is a brilliant move.”
Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia’s racing operations, says that while the 2026 version of the machine may obviously have new aerodynamic parts, it is actually different in almost every way from the 2025 RS-GP. I interviewed Rivola on Monday after the 2026 MotoGP race at Circuit of The Americas, during an Aprilia Racers Days event, where he had spent the morning ripping around the track on a Tuono V4. When asked how the 2026 RS-GP has evolved, and whether its improvements have mainly come from electronic, chassis, engine, or aerodynamic development, Rivola said, “Aero is something that is very visible to you all, and it is quite a big change. But it (improvement) is from all of it.”
The wing structure behind the rider’s leg on the Aprilia has evolved from the two-element structure seen on the bike at the Valencia race in 2025 (upper image) to the three-element design with a shallower angle of attack seen at COTA in March 2026. The graphic seen on the new wing is a dig at Ducati, which reportedly tried to get a ban on the leg wings pioneered by Aprilia. Photos by Michael Gougis.
Aprilia was the first company to get the “fat-fairing” ground effects phenomenon to function properly, and the RS-GP has proven to have amazing grip and speed in long, high-speed corners, especially those with slick surfaces. But Rivola says past versions of the bike have struggled against the competition under heavy braking. The current version, Rivola says, is far more stable during the braking phase of corner entry. And, he adds, that is a function of constant refinement of the bike.
Rivola is quick to acknowledge the influence of Technical Director Sterlacchini, who arrived before the 2025 season. Sterlacchini came from KTM, but prior to that he had spent years working with Ducati and was deeply familiar with Ducati’s working methods. Designing a MotoGP machine is hard enough; optimizing it every race weekend is even more difficult, and Sterlacchini was there to watch Ducati’s Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna develop the processes that led Ducati to four straight MotoGP World Championships. But while acknowledging Sterlacchini’s value, Rivola says the entire team has stepped up its game. “I’m not a fan of the idea of the one-man show,” Rivola says. “Everyone is working harder, and everyone now believes we can do it,” he says.
Rivola also praised Bezzecchi’s contribution to the project. Bezzecchi was nowhere in the beginning stages of the 2025 season, but was incredibly rapid at the end. Rivola says Bezzecchi helped the team pinpoint areas for improvement. “With Marco getting the lead of the performance and the development of the bike, I think he broadcast the direction,” Rivola says.
Marco Bezzecchi, left, and Massimo Rivola during an Aprilia Racers Days event at COTA, the day after the 2026 MotoGP weekend. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Aprilia’s performance so far in 2026 also illustrates just how complicated MotoGP machines have become and how hard it is to unlock their full potential. In recent years, Aprilia has been let down by inconsistency and errors, and not just on the track. Professional team managers know how important it is to create a strategy for the entire weekend that produces the best possible result. COTA served as a good example of how far Aprilia has come. On Friday, Bezzecchi and Martin each spent the whole morning on a single set of medium-compound slicks, as did Ogura. The only other rider in the top 10 in that session to do so was Alex Marquez on the Gresini Ducati GP26. By lunch on Friday, Aprilia had more data than its competitors on how worn tires would perform late in a race, and that information served as the foundation for an advantage throughout the rest of the weekend. In the Grand Prix race, Bezzecchi only struggled during braking because his bike’s rear aero had been demolished in a collision with Pedro Acosta, and Martin’s rear tire only dropped at the very end of the race. Meanwhile, Bagnaia’s Ducati ate its rear tire and he plummeted in the final laps to finish 10th. “You cannot underestimate the value of strategy,” Rivola says.
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