This week in US Powersports racing.
SDK Bullish On His BMW With Saturday Win In The Buckeye State
n one of the closest qualifying sessions in recent memory, Benjamin Smith claimed the pole position for Saturday’s Quad Lock Superbike Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where he piloted his Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law machine to a blistering 1:24.070 lap around the 2.4-mile circuit to secure the top spot, followed by 11 class riders that registered laps within the 1:24s.
Like much of the 2026 season, nothing was guaranteed and from the early stages Saturday’s race appeared to promise rain, and lap times suggested it could have been anyone’s race, as class leaders bounced between the front of the field to beyond the top 10 from Friday to Saturday.
When the lights went out, what unraveled was a race that featured three different leaders and razor-thin margins, and ended with Sean Dylan Kelly piloting his OrangeCat Racing BMW to a hard-fought third win, and ninth podium of the 2026 season.
The race began with a front row led by Smith, who had grabbed pole by a mere .005 of a second over SDK, and that qualifying intensity carried directly into the race as the lights went out. SDK grabbed the early advantage, leading the first two laps before pole-sitter Smith surged ahead on lap three. Smith held the lead through lap seven, fending off a charging pack that refused to let him escape.
The momentum shifted on lap eight when Bobby Fong, riding for Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing, took over at the front. Fong appeared to be the man to beat, setting the fastest lap of the race—a 1:24.770—while leading the field through the middle stages. However, SDK remained within striking distance, eventually reclaiming the lead on Lap 14 and holding firm until the checkered flag.
Fong secured second place, while his teammate JD Beach completed a strong day for the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing squad by finishing third. Smith, after leading early, eventually crossed the line in fourth, followed closely by his Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law teammate, Loris Baz, in fifth.
Further down the order, Mathew Scholtz (Strack Racing) took sixth, while Hayden Gillim (Real Steel Honda) and Richie Escalante (M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) finished seventh and eighth respectively. Jayson Uribe (OrangeCat Racing) and PJ Jacobsen (Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL) rounded out the top 10 in a field that saw high-paced action from start to finish.
SDK adds nine points to his championship lead (197) over Beach (177), as Scholtz falls further back (168) after today’s result. The three riders each have three wins this season as they enter Race 2 tomorrow at Mid-Ohio.
Superbike Cup – Lee Back To His Winning Ways
In the Superbike Cup, Andrew Lee took top honors with a 13th-place overall finish on his Real Steel Honda. Following Lee was Kaleb DeKeyrel, who secured second in the category and 15th overall aboard his Orange Cat Racing BMW in his 2026 Superbike Cup debut. Deion Campbell rounded out the Superbike Cup top three, finishing 16th overall on the BPR Racing Yamaha. Lee increased his lead to a commanding 87 points over Carl Soltisz (Super Carl Racing 57 Rider Development).
Quad Lock Superbike Race 1
- Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
- Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
- JD Beach (Yamaha)
- Benjamin Smith (Ducati)
- Loris Baz (Ducati)
- Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
- Hayden Gillim (Honda)
- Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
- Jayson Uribe (BMW)
- PJ Jacobsen (Ducati)
Superbike Cup
- Andrew Lee (Honda)
- Kaleb DeKeyrel (BMW)
- Deion Campbell (Yamaha)
The following quote is from Quad Lock Superbike Race 1 Winner Sean Dylan Kelly:
That’s obviously exactly what I wanted to do, especially after a day like yesterday. I felt so strong. I felt so comfortable on my BMW, straight out of the gate. First of all, thank you to my whole crew, Orange Cat Racing Team, BMW, Motorrad Motorsport. Thank you so much. You guys are giving me a beast of a bike. I was a little concerned today about the weather, to see what was going to come up, but I think we got a little bit lucky and ended up dry. We took a little bit of a gamble at the end with what tire to choose, but clearly we chose the right one. Beginning of the race was a little bit difficult with those guys in front having some really good pace in the 24s. I felt like I was going to have something at the end. That was nice. It was so good to get into the lead with a few laps to go. Every time I passed by I saw the gap was getting bigger. That’s a really good feeling. Really important day. Huge thank you to everybody. Thank you to all the fans. You guys are absolutely awesome. Thank you to 1-833-CJKNOWS, Red Crown, Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation, and last but not least, happy National Girlfriend Day.
The following quote is from Superbike Cup Race 1 Winner Andrew Lee:
It’s great to win in the backyard of American Honda. All the Honda fans and banners made it feel special! We are looking to improve the feeling on the bike more tomorrow and get closer to the Superbike guys. Keeping up the momentum and a great recovery from Laguna.
For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE
For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, CLICK HERE
Binder Denies Herrin At The Wire In Supersport, B.T.R. Names 2026 Champ, As KOTB, Twins, And Hooligans Wrap Race 1 Feature Class Action At Mid-Ohio
MotoAmerica racing resumed today at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as five feature classes took to the track for qualifying and Race 1 action. Rain in the area threatened for much of the day but largely held off at the circuit itself, setting up tight battles from the Supersport class through the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship — and a title-clinching performance in Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. (B.T.R.). Here’s how the day unfolded, class by class.
Supersport
The rain held off Saturday morning, giving Supersport riders a dry Q2 session to improve their lap time and Josh Herrin made the most of it, stealing pole position away from Friday’s fastest qualifier, Josh Hayes. Herrin took the top spot with Kayla Yaakov slotting into second ahead of Hayes, pushing the four-time Superbike champion back to third on the grid to round out the front row. Points leader Darryn Binder qualified fourth.
In Race 1 Herrin took the lead immediately from pole, and Binder moved up to second by Lap 2. At Lap 3, the pair had built a one-second gap over Hayes in third, with Yaakov running fourth early while nursing a stitched middle finger on her left hand.
On Lap 4, Binder passed Herrin, and the Supersport pole-sitter passed him back through the esses — but the jockeying for position allowed the four-time Superbike champion to close on the leaders and settle into a rhythm of low 1-minute-27-second lap times.
As the points leader led the pack into Turn 6, Herrin passed him on the inside, pushing Binder slightly off his line before the esses. That opened a brief opportunity for Hayes to pass for second, but Binder reclaimed the spot a few corners later, and the top three separated by about a second from one another. With three laps to go, Binder and Herrin pulled away again, leaving the veteran to settle for third.
On the final lap, Herrin led until Turn 6, Binder beat him to the inside under braking and took the lead for good. Herrin made one last attempt exiting the final corner, nearly drawing even, but the points leader held on for his sixth win of the season by just 0.05 seconds, extending his points advantage to 14 above Herrin. BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes rounded out the podium, 12.236 seconds behind the leader. Kayla Yaakov finished P4 and retains third in points, 93 marks adrift.
The following quote is from Supersport Race 1 Winner Darryn Binder:
I didn’t want to lose any more points. Had to try and put a move. I figured the only place I could do one was at the end of the straight. I hadn’t been close enough until that last lap. I finally got in the draft. But when I went for the brakes, I’m like, “Yes, I’m coming in hot. I was just trying to get it stopped as good as I could. Managed to get past and hold it until the end of the lap. Really happy. The pace was quite hot there from Josh. I didn’t quite expect it, to be honest. It was a good race. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Mission King Of The Baggers
The Bagger class completed Q2, setting the starting grid for the subsequent Bagger Challenge and Race 1. The front row was formed by J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian teammates Hayden Gillim, capturing the pole, and Troy Herfoss in second. Two-time and defending Bagger champion Kyle Wyman, of Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing, rounded out the front row.
In the Bagger Challenge, riders lined up for a two-lap sprint for a chance at $5,000 courtesy of series sponsor Mission Foods. Australian rider Herfoss took the win, followed by the defending champion in second and Gillim rounding out the challenge podium.
As Race 1 began, New York native Wyman jumped out to the early lead with Herfoss and Gillim in tow. The advantage was short-lived: just two laps in, while leading, the defending champion swapped into a tank-slapper exiting Turn 13, bringing out the red flag. The misfortune for the factory Harley-Davidson squad didn’t end there — on the ensuing sighting lap, Wyman’s teammate Bradley Smith also crashed his Factory H-D Road Glide, requiring a second red-flag stoppage to clear oil from the track and repair the airfence. Both riders posted a DNF in Race 1.
After a lengthy delay, Bagger riders returned to the grid for a third time, now for a five-lap sprint race. The Australian Herfoss jumped out to the early lead ahead of Gillim and the rest of the field. Gillim made quick work of his Indian stablemate, and the two broke away into their own race. Behind them, a three-way battle developed for the final podium spot between Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli, SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara and another J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian machine, with Rocco Landers at the controls.
By the end of the shortened race, Gillim had built a 3.3-second gap over Herfoss to take the Race 1 victory and extend his points lead to. Rispoli finished third after holding off a charging Landers in fourth, with O’Hara rounding out the top five.
The following quote is from Mission King Of The Baggers Race 1 Winner:
I needed a better start than what I got, but luckily had a really good run through turn one. I was able to do that last year. I got a run and I was like, I got to go for it. I didn’t know what it was going to be like. I didn’t know how hard it was going to be to pass him. I know at Laguna I had a tough time passing my teammate. So just really good. Really happy for myself and the team, the whole J&P Cycles, Motul Vance and Hines group is working really good. The Indian Challenger is on point right now. Just got to keep working. Troy is pushing me hard. It’s going to be a battle. That’s for sure.
Twins Cup
The “two-banger” class continued their first ever weekend at Mid-Ohio with Q2 and Race 1. After Q2, times were combined to set the final starting order, trimming the 44 total entries from Friday to the fastest 36. Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg’s lap-record time from Friday held up for the pole, with M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Mathew Chapin and Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane rounding out the front row.
Twins Cup Race 1 faced the greatest threat of rain all day. Even with a few sprinkles on camera lenses during the sighting lap and light rain falling in parts of the track, riders started the race on Dunlop slicks. As the field appeared to tiptoe around the course on the first lap — many riders seemingly limiting lean angle to feel out the grip level — M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bodie Paige felt confident enough to drop the hammer at the final corner, passing Vossberg and jumping out to a lead of more than four seconds by Lap 2. Behind him, a five-rider group fought for the final podium spots over the closing laps: Chapin, Vossberg, Karns/TST Industries Racing’s Isaac Woodworth and Drane picked up the pace as the track began to offer more grip.
The chase group closed a gap of more than six seconds on the leader, and by the final lap, Vossberg and Chapin had pulled within half a second of Paige — but ran out of time. Paige took the win over his teammate, with points leader Vossberg rounding out the podium.
The following quote is from Twins Cup Race 1 Winner Bodie Paige:
Yeah, it was a good race for sure. The first few laps I knew that it was going to be a little slick. It was just going to come down to who had the most confidence. I went on the out lap and I saw everyone was a little bit timid and I felt pretty good. The plan from the start was to get a good start and try and get out front, just be smooth and tick my laps off. I saw one lap I came across the line and it was like 8.9. I was like, I’ll take a little bit off. I didn’t really know how much to push the last few laps, so I just kind of went at a nice, comfortable pace. With five laps to go, it was like 6.6 seconds. So I just knew if I was a second or five-tenths faster every lap, or in the same kind of gap, I knew I had the win in. Came across the last lap and it was like 1.6 or 2.2. I was just like, now I just got to run it home. But other than that, it was a good race. First time me and Matt have been one and two in a race, so that’s pretty sick. Good weekend. Good first race for Team Hammer. Hopefully we can move it into tomorrow.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship
BPR Racing Yamaha teammates Bryce Kornbau and Andy DiBrino locked out the front row for the second straight round, separated by just seven-tenths of a second. Rodio Racing’s Gus Rodio completed the front row as the last rider to register a time in the 1-minute-28-second range.
In Race 1, the front-row trio immediately established themselves as the lead pack, with Kornbau out front, DiBrino in second and Rodio in third. The pair of Yamaha’s and the single Ducati rider built a two-second gap over the chasing pack within the first two laps. ARCH Motorcycle Racing’s Corey Alexander pursued the leaders from fourth, with a four-rider train challenging him for the position.
By the halfway point, Kornbau had set a new race lap record of 1:28.203 and consistently turned laps in the 1-minute-28-second range while the rest of the field ran in the minute-29s or slower. He led every lap to take the win by 1.4 seconds over his teammate, with Rodio rounding out the podium, 1.6 seconds behind the leader.
Kornbau and DiBrino are now tied atop the points standings with 143 points apiece. Rodio sits 10 points behind them in third.
The following quote is from Mission Super Hooligan National Championship Race 1 winner Bryce Kornbau:
I actually got a good start, but Gus just rolled through turn one so good and almost got around Andy and I both on the first lap. I knew my goal was to try to be in first by the second lap down the back straight. I felt like I had some pace with how the track was and where I was to be able to try to break away a little bit. That’s kind of exactly what we were able to do. I just got to thank my wife, Savannah, for supporting me, and then all the BPR racing team for coming out here. Hats off to Andy for getting second. Now we’re tied again in the championship for the second time. It’s going to be a good one with him, I’m sure. Just super excited how everything went. Obviously the bikes are working super good, one and two, three races in a row now. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race.
Jasmine Noelle took the Race 1 victory in Build.Train.Race. action at Mid-Ohio, clinching the 2026 class championship in the process. The 24-year-old polesitter withstood a race-long challenge from Brianna Cutler, who trailed her for the entire eight-lap race. Cutler briefly took the lead in the closing laps after a mistake from the points leader, but with two laps remaining, Noelle worked her way back past Cutler with a smooth move for the lead at Turn 6 and held on to win by 0.7 seconds.
The win gives the New Mexico native a 39-point lead over Tati Paze in the championship standings — Paze finished fourth in Race 1 — with only one race remaining in the season. Brianna Everitt rounded out the podium, crossing the line six seconds behind the leader.
With a maximum of 25 points available in Sunday’s finale, that cushion cements Jasmine Noelle as the 2026 Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race champion.
The following quote is from Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race Race 1 Winner and newly crowned 2026 champion Jasmine Noelle:
Thank you so much. Thank you guys so much. All the support has been overwhelming. I just love this program. I think everybody that has been a part of this, our mechanics, have been great. You’ve got Rybo, we’ve got Alex, Butch, Freddy. They’ve all taken such good care of us. There’s so much love around here and from this crowd. I thank everybody. Thank you so much to our sponsors. Dunlop. Oh, my gosh. Those tires caught just when I needed them. I’m really thankful. We had Arai and Accossato. We’ve got some awesome players that have been a part of this season. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you everybody so much.
For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE.
For information on how to watch MotoAmerica, CLICK HERE.
Scholtz First to Four In Abbreviated Quad Lock Superbike Sunday
Mathew Scholtz piloted his Strack Racing Yamaha to a hard-fought victory on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, emerging triumphant in a dramatic MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike Race 2, securing his fourth win of the 2026 season. Halted twice by red flags, Scholtz crossed the line a mere 0.177 seconds ahead of OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong securing third place as the race was called.
The afternoon was defined by high-stakes drama from the outset. Pole-sitter Benjamin Smith saw his hopes of a first victory evaporate on the opening lap. Smith suffered a significant crash that sent his Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law motorcycle across the track, creating a hazardous situation that forced an immediate red flag and a full restart.
Following the cleanup, the field was reset for an abbreviated race distance. The restart showed Saturday’s Race 1 winner SDK take advantage of the leading grid position, following Smith’s crash, while a familiar field with Fong and Scholtz giving chase, as M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante found himself in fourth.
One of the most notable storylines of the race involved PJ Jacobsen (Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL), who made a charge that would see him setting an unmatched pace and a position as high as third. Jacobsen crossed the finish line with the fastest lap of the race (1:25.009) before the rider crashed out, causing the action to be interrupted a second time as it drew a red flag.
With nine laps completed at the time, official rules forced an early end, where results were awarded based on the standings at the time of stoppage. Under these conditions, Scholtz secured the win over SDK in second, while Fong was awarded third, the position Jacobsen was currently in, after the Ducati rider’s position received its appropriate time adjustment from the Race Stewards. Jacobsen dropped to 17th in the final classification.
Loris Baz, who topped the Sunday morning warm-up session with a time of 1:25.362, brought his Warhorse HSBK Ducati home in fourth place. He was followed by Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen, who rounded out the top five. Jayson Uribe (OrangeCat Racing) and Brandon Paasch (M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Several top contenders faced a difficult Sunday, with Richie Escalante and Hayden Gillim both failing to finish (DNF) after starting from the front two rows of the grid but crashing out in the duration of the second race restart. Despite the chaotic nature of the day, the battle at the front remained fierce, with the top four riders separated by less than two seconds at the final tally.
With three rounds remaining, which include two triple-headers on the 2026 calendar, a maximum of 150 points remains available in the tightly contested Quad Lock Superbike and Superbike Cup championships as they head to Virginia International Raceway.
Superbike Cup – Real Deal with Real Steel Honda
In the Superbike Cup, Andrew Lee delivered a standout performance, finishing 10th overall to claim the top spot on the Cup podium. Riding his Real Steel Honda, Lee navigated the abbreviated race distance to cross the line ahead of the Cup collective, in a championship that continues to add points to his already favorable lead.
Kaleb De Keyrel followed closely to secure second in the Cup class and 11th overall on his OrangeCat Racing BMW’s debut weekend, while Deion Campbell rounded out the category podium with a 12th-place overall finish aboard his BPR Racing Yamaha.
Quad Lock Superbike Race 2 Results
1. Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
2. Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
3. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
4. Loris Baz (Ducati)
5. Cameron Petersen (Ducati)
6. Jayson Uribe (BMW)
7. Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
8. JD Beach (Yamaha)
9. Ashton Yates (Honda)
10. Andrew Lee (Honda – Superbike Cup)
Superbike Cup
1. Andrew Lee (Honda)
2. Kaleb DeKeyrel (BMW)
3. Deion Campbell (Yamaha )
The following quote is from Quad Lock Superbike Race 2 Winner Mathew Scholtz:
“Obviously, I want to win. I did get lucky there. I definitely felt like the front was really starting to drop off on me, but sometimes it works for you, and it definitely did today. Yesterday’s race was terrible for us. We kind of dropped off early on. So, we took a gamble today. Completely changed the bike upside-down, different way the software works. It definitely paid off. Those first couple laps behind Bobby and Sean, I definitely figured a few things out. The goal was once I got out to the front, just to make myself as wide as I possibly can. I was definitely ready for that fight. Thankful to be up here. Thank you to the Strack Racing Team. We pulled that one out of the bag. Thank you.”
The following quote is from Superbike Cup Race 2 Winner Andrew Lee:
“We went 1-1 this weekend. Really happy with the end results. We tried a lot on the bike this weekend and it was productive to collect the data. VIR next, another great opportunity to keep the learning and progress going!”
For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE
For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series, CLICK HERE
Champions Rise At Mid-Ohio: Gillim Extends Baggers Lead As MotoAmerica Closes Out The Weekend
Sunday’s Feature Class program at the Permco Superbikes at Mid-Ohio event gave MotoAmerica fans a spectacular show: a heartstopping finish in Supersport, a stablemate showdown that sealed a Mission King Of The Baggers sweep, a razor-thin margin of victory in Twins Cup, a new track record in Mission Super Hooligan National Championship racing and a championship-finale in Build.Train.Race. With the season winding toward its final rounds, five different points battles tightened on the 2.4-mile road course.
Supersport
Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati’s Darryn Binder completed a Mid-Ohio double victory over championship rival Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila’s Josh Herrin in a shortened Supersport Race 2.
On the opening lap, Liberty Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle and Ducati Pittsburgh/Mosites Motorsports’ Ryder Davis collided in Turn 1 and tumbled through the gravel. With riders and machines left in unsafe positions, race control halted the session to clear debris and escort competitors off the circuit. As a result of the stoppage, race distance was trimmed to 16 laps.
After the restart, Josh Herrin jumped out to the early lead before teammate Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov swept past to lead the opening lap of the 16-lap contest. Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati’s Darryn Binder and BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes rounded out a fast-forming lead group, 1.2 seconds clear of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott in fifth.
On lap two, Yaakov slipped from first to fourth after a bobble in the Keyhole. Binder, who had worked past Herrin in P2 just before, inherited the lead and began to pull away with Californian’s Ducati in tow.
Herrin answered with a decisive pass back on the 28-year-old South African but ran wide at the exit of Turn 6, handing the position right back. The pair briefly broke away from Hayes and Yaakov, though the group had regrouped into a tight foursome by the race’s midpoint.
Herrin again passed Binder at Turn 6 with four laps to go, with Hayes still glued to the front group.
With two laps remaining, Binder made his move at the favored Turn 6 under heavy braking and rode a defensive final lap, covering every inside line. Out of the final corner, Herrin launched a thrilling attempt around the outside but came up 0.039 of a second short.
Yaakov worked past Hayes on the final lap to claim the last podium spot — her eighth podium of the season.
Binder now leads Herrin by 19 points in the championship standings and holds a 102-point advantage over Yaakov in third with three rounds and 150 points remaining.
The following quote is from Supersport Race 2 Winner Darryn Binder:
Today was quite different compared to yesterday. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the red flag at the beginning and stopping and starting again, but the grip just wasn’t quite there. Every time I got a bit of clean air, I just didn’t feel as good as yesterday. Just kept playing the game. At the end, I had to come up with something to try and stay in the lead. Managed to make it happen and get the double this weekend. Super, super happy and I can’t thank all the Celtic Economy Lube HSBK. Thank you guys so much for everything this weekend. Looking forward to the next one.
Mission King Of The Baggers
J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian rider Hayden Gillim capped a weekend sweep in King Of The Baggers competition at Mid-Ohio, charging from P6 to win Race 2 by 0.25 of a second over teammate Troy Herfoss. Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith completed the podium in third.
Gillim, who started from pole, slipped to sixth after a poor start.Fellow Indian rider Herfoss jumped to the early lead, looking to capitalize on Gillim’s hiccup. Harley-Davidson teammates Wyman and Smith slotted into second and third, with SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara and Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli rounding out the top five.
By lap three of the nine-lap contest, Gillim had worked his way past Rispoli and O’Hara to sit just behind Smith in third. He then charged past both Harley-Davidson riders to close in on leader Herfoss with four laps to go.
The Aussie tried to hold off the Kentucky native at his home track, but Gillim’s charge could not be denied. The points leader took the lead in Turn 1 with three laps to go and held on to the finish, extending his championship lead to 23 points over Herfoss. Smith holds third, 54 points behind the leader.
With two rounds and 100 points remaining this season, any rider trailing the leader by 99 points or fewer retains a mathematical shot at the title, though it would take significant luck. The championship battle looks set to come down to the Indian stablemates in the closing rounds.
The following quote is from Mission King Of The Baggers Race 2 Winner Hayden Gillim:
I’m sitting here talking about needing to get a good start. I don’t know. But that was tough. Luckily I could kind of put this thing where I wanted those first few laps and I was able to make all my passes over there in the keyhole. Just really, really happy with this. Troy rode an awesome race. He deserved this one. After my crash in superbike, I was riding a little angry and was able to make it happen. Once I got in front though, I was kind of shot. I knew Troy was going to be coming at me. Just so happy for the J&P Cycles Motul Vance and Hines Indian team. This is good.
Twins Cup
Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg and championship rival Mathew Chapin (M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) thrilled the Mid-Ohio crowd with a close, one-on-one battle to the line in Twins Cup Race 2. The pair traded the lead twice before Vossberg came out on top at the line by just 0.25 seconds.
Vossberg led the opening six laps with Chapin in tow before the two swapped positions in Turn 6. The duo pulled 4.5 seconds clear of a three-way fight for the final podium spot involving Chapin’s teammate Bodie Paige, Sam Drane and Isaac Woodworth.
Vossberg studied the leader’s lines before retaking the position with a clean pass at the end of the back straightaway with three laps to go. Paige briefly retook the lead from Vossberg at the same corner one lap later. The two began the final lap nose-to-tail with Chapin in front, before points leader Vossberg made another clean pass at Turn 6, withstanding a challenge from Paige to take the win at the line.
The podium was capped off by Chapin’s teammate, Bodie Paige while Vossberg extended his points advantage to 63 over Chapin in P2, and 70 over Paige in P3 with two rounds remaining.
The following quote is from Twins Cup Race 2 Winner Hank Vossberg:
That race was wild. I’m just happy it was dry out today. Could finally put our pace in. I knew Matthew would stick on me right in the race. He was pushing me the whole time. Yesterday I didn’t get the draft move that I wanted to and tried to make sure I capitalized on that today. Can’t give it up to the team enough for giving me such an amazing 2026 Aprilia RS 660. Thank you to Famous Style Racing and Containers 411.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship
BPR Racing Yamaha continued its dominance of the Mission Super Hooligan class at Mid-Ohio, as the top two finishers from Saturday’s Race 1 swapped positions in Race 2. Andy DiBrino took the win over boss and teammate Bryce Kornbau, with Rodio Racing’s Gus Rodio — third in points — completing the podium.
DiBrino, starting second on the grid, grabbed the early lead with Kornbau right behind, Saddlemen Race Development’s Jake Lewis in third and Corey Alexander, aboard ARCH Motorcycle Racing’s bespoke 2s-R machine, in fourth. Rodio opened the race in fifth.
As the Yamahas broke away to a lead of more than five seconds, Kornbau moved past his employee DiBrino into P1 while the trailing riders jockeyed for the final podium spot, with Rodio coming out on top. Alexander brought it home in fourth for the ARCH Motorcycle Racing team, with Saddlemen Race Development’s James Rispoli making a late charge to pass teammate Lewis for fifth.
Kornbau held the lead until the final lap, when DiBrino lined up a pass in the esses and carried it to the line for the win by 0.216 of a second over his teammate. Though he settled for second, Kornbau smashed his own lap and race records set a day earlier, establishing a new outright Hooligan track record of 1:28.072. Rodio held on for third, 5.5 seconds behind the leaders.
DiBrino now leads the points chase by five over Kornbau in second and by 19 over Rodio in third. With one round and two points-paying races remaining in the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, only the top three riders remain mathematically eligible for the title — defending champion James Rispoli sits fourth, 53 points behind with just 50 points left to award.
The following quote is from Mission Super Hooligan National Championship Race 2 Winner Andy DiBrino:
Man, this is insane. I feel like I’ve been dreaming ever since the Ridge and I just don’t want to wake up. It’s unreal. I just got to give everything, I owe everything to Bryce. I can’t believe he’s so generous to everybody. He helps out so many people. A year ago I thought I was done. I was just having a hard time doing my own program. He gave me an opportunity and I’m just taking the most of it. I’ve got such a good group of people around me and people encouraging me and believing in me. I’m just so thankful. That felt unreal. I’m speechless.
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race.
The final race of the 2026 Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. season saw Bryanna Everitt lead the field into Turn 1, with Brianna Cutler following in second and newly crowned class champion Jasmine Noelle in third.
Everitt built a small gap in the opening laps as a three-rider battle developed behind her for the final podium spot, with Brazil’s Tati Paze working past champion Noelle for third. The trio closed on Everitt but could not catch the Columbia, South Carolina, native, who pulled away to win by 0.7 of a second and close out the 2026 season.
Behind her, the battle for the podium escalated. Paze temporarily dropped to fourth during the final laps but launched a late-race comeback. She charged past both Cutler and the reigning champion to reclaim second place, ultimately demoting Cutler to third and pushing Noelle down to fourth.
The following quote is from Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. Race 2 Winner Brianna Everitt:
I had no idea what was happening behind me. After I botched my start yesterday, I was on a mission today. I’m still pinching myself. Once I got ahead after the start, I put my head down. I’m like, clean laps. The last laps with my BTR career have to be the best laps of my life. I had no idea who was behind me, how far they were. I acted as if they were on my tail. I’m so happy to wrap up my BTR career this way. Finally getting my checkered flag win, not with the red flag assist. Thank you, Build Train Race. Thank you, Royal Enfield. Thank you to all of our sponsors. Arai, Alpinestars, Dymag wheels, everyone that makes this possible. It’s been an amazing two years.
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PAIGE AND CHAPIN LEAD THE WAY FOR M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI AT MID-OHIO
With their young chargers leading the way, Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer reeled in a 1-2 finish and another double podium as the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship continued at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Race Highlights:
- M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
- Twins Cup
- Bodie Paige was rewarded for his bravery with a Saturday race win.
- Matthew Chapin racked up a pair of close runner-up finishes.
- Superbike
- Brandon Paasch picked his way up to seventh on Sunday.
- Richie Escalante qualified fourth but crashed out of podium contention.
- Supersport
- Tyler Scott had a promising weekend go south after getting taken out in Race 1.
- Twins Cup
Bodie Paige led an M4 ECSTAR Suzuki 1-2 finish with a commanding Twins Cup victory at Mid-Ohio.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Twins Cup duo of Bodie Paige and Matthew Chapin were back in action aboard their Suzuki GSX-8R racebikes following a summer break in the schedule for the Twins Cup class and immediately reasserted themselves at the front.
Fortune once again favored the bold, as young Australian Paige decided to push the issue early in Saturday’s race while the rest of the field tiptoed around in light rain. Paige stormed into the lead at the end of the first lap and opened up nearly nine seconds of padding at one point. While teammate Chapin led a hungry pack in closing the gap, Paige held them off to secure the victory. He’d back that up with a fighting third on Sunday.
After claiming his win, Paige said, “The first few laps I knew that it was going to be a little slick. It was just going to come down to who had the most confidence. I went on the out lap, and I saw everyone was a little bit timid and I felt pretty good. The plan from the start was to get a good start and try to get out front, just be smooth and tick my laps off… It’s the first time Matt and I have been one and two in a race, so that’s pretty sick. A good weekend for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.”
Matthew Chapin battled at the front in both Twins Cup races, earning back-to-back runner-up finishes.
Chapin put in another huge effort on Sunday, going back and forth at the front in an attempt to secure the team a second win on the weekend. It wasn’t to be, however, as he came up just 0.250 seconds short a day after missing out on victory by just over a half second. Still, Chapin was upbeat about his twin runner-up performance on the GSX-8R.
“I’m stoked on that race,” he said on Sunday. “We were pushing each other the whole time. We did some ‘29s, and I didn’t know I had that in me, but I guess I did. That was probably the most fun race I’ve had all season even though I didn’t come out on top. Of course, I want to beat everybody – I want to win every weekend. That’s the goal, and that’s what we’ll look to do at the next one, and we’ll see how it pans out. I want to give a huge thanks to my M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team and everybody here supporting me.”
Brandon Paasch continued his progress aboard the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R with a seventh-place finish at Mid-Ohio.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike pilot Brandon Paasch steadily improved throughout the weekend. After qualifying 12th, he picked up a position on Saturday to finish 11th aboard his GSX-R1000R. Sunday was considerably better still, as he was credited with seventh position while in the midst of a forward climb when the race was red flagged and ultimately called complete.
“We didn’t have the outright pace to run up front but we stayed consistently improving,” Paasch said. “We made progress with setup this round, especially the electronics, and I think it was a big step. On Sunday, we were able to stay in sight of the front, but it was a little frustrating knowing we couldn’t do much about it to close the gap right now. We’re not that far off. We know exactly what is next, and that is getting the chassis dialed for me so we can start taking off the couple of tenths we need to close the gap.”
Richie Escalante showcased front-running pace aboard the Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R before a Sunday crash ended his podium bid.
Superbike teammate Richie Escalante flashed podium potential but was unable to capitalize. The Mexican qualified in fourth position before finishing Saturday’s race eighth. Sunday’s rematch was trending more in his favor, as he ran third in the early going and remained firmly in the battle for the box before suffering a low-side crash that took him out of the contest.
Escalante said, “We finished Mid-Ohio, and it was a good weekend in many ways. The results were not what we wanted, but we had a good practice and qualifying. Our setup on the bike felt really competitive, and we were able to earn fast lap times. The top ten is very tight, and we were able to qualify fourth. On Sunday, we decided to go with the harder front tire at the last minute. We had used the other tire all weekend, so that may have been a factor in the crash. We have to keep working and translate the speed into podium results again.”
Tyler Scott fought near the front before contact and mechanical issues denied him the results his pace deserved.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Supersport ace Tyler Scott suffered through a second consecutive weekend in which his strong pace aboard the next-generation GSX-R750 went unrewarded in terms of race results. Scott worked his way up to fourth on Saturday but crashed after being contacted from behind. He was forced to retire despite riding his heavily damaged machine back to the pits. Sunday proved another frustrating affair. He ran as high as fifth early but tumbled down the order to finish an uncharacteristic 12th due to a mechanical issue.
Scott will now look to return to his more typical form and add to the tally of six podiums he’s already reeled in this season. He said, “I thought we had a really good race pace on Saturday. I did not get a good start, but I had made up two spots and was going forward when I got taken out in a crash. It tore up the bike and made for a lot of work for the team. For Sunday, I felt pretty good again, but we had a power delivery issue and that hindered our performance.”
The MotoAmerica season will resume in less than two weeks at Virginia International Raceway from August 14-16 in Alton, Virginia.For more Road racing news please visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.
Mathew Scholtz Returns to the Top at Mid-Ohio
After a disappointing weekend at Laguna Seca and a challenging start to Mid-Ohio, Strack Racing Yamaha’s Mathew Scholtz rebounded on Sunday, returning to the top step of the podium in a drama-filled Race 2. The back-to-back Supersport Champion’s fourth win aboard his YZF-R1 also put him back into the thick of the title fight with eight races remaining in the 2026 season.
Also making trips to the podium in the premier class were Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong and JD Beach. Fong took home a second- and third-place finish, while teammate JD Beach rounded out the Race 1 podium in third and salvaged points after an off-track excursion in a shortened Race 2, keeping his title hopes alive with an eighth-place finish.
In the Super Hooligan Championship, BPR Yamaha Racing’s Bryce Kornbau and Andy DiBrino continued to lead the way aboard their MT-09s. The duo split wins on the weekend and left the penultimate round of the championship separated by five points. Their teammate Josh Hayes also continued to carry momentum to the East Coast, returning to the podium in Supersport Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
MotoAmerica Superbike
From the start, the times were tight in MotoAmerica Superbike at the 2.4-mile circuit in Lexington, Ohio, with the top 11 all within .797 of a second in qualifying. Limited track time due to technical issues left the South African on the back foot, qualifying ninth and starting both races from the third row.
In Race 1, he got a good start into the top five and was locked in a multi-rider battle. He maintained fifth for the first six laps, but dropped back to seventh around the halfway mark. Scholtz continued to push, and with five laps to go, regained sixth to salvage points.
“I came into Mid-Ohio knowing it was a little more difficult right off the bat, considering it was my first time on the Superbike here,” said Scholtz. “I do enjoy the layout, though. It’s a high-grip track, and those are always fun to ride.
“The first session started off well, but we suffered a few electrical gremlins and didn’t get as much track time as we would’ve liked. We knew our outright pace was pretty decent – we managed to do a 1:24 in qualifying – but the field was stacked so tightly for a one-lap pace. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try the harder tire, so we went into Race 1 on the softer compound. It started to go away pretty early, and I spent most of the race struggling around sixth and seventh. In the end, we brought it home in sixth and collected some valuable points.”
Between races, the Strack Racing Yamaha team went to work and made some changes for Sunday that paid off. Race 2 delivered plenty of drama. Rain sprinkled the grid during the pre-race ceremonies, threatening mixed conditions, before a first-lap crash brought out the red flag.
After the restart, Scholtz got another great start from the third row of the grid, moving into the top five. He quickly worked his way into second in the opening laps before charging to the front on Lap 5, first passing Fong and then his title rival, Sean Dylan Kelly. Under pressure, Scholtz held them off until another crash brought out the red flag. The race was declared complete, with Scholtz’s fourth win of the season moving him back to second in the standings, 24 points behind the leader.
“Going into Sunday, we knew we had to do something drastic, so we turned the bike upside down, and we could see in warm-up that the pace was much better – not just for a few laps, but over the full race distance,” said Scholtz. “The race started with a red flag, but I managed to work my way to the front and get behind Bobby and Sean (Dylan Kelly). I learned a little bit from them, got to the front, and decided the best thing for me was to make myself as wide as possible and try to hold them off.
“Fortunately for us, the red flag came out before the front tire started to wear too much. Sometimes luck goes against you, and sometimes it’s on your side. Today, we had a bit of luck on our side. Not to say we couldn’t have been in the fight anyway, but a win is a win. We’ll take the 25 points, keep the championship fight alive, and look ahead to VIR. It’s always been a strong track for me, and I’m looking forward to trying to claw some points back while continuing to develop the motorbike.”
After a tough couple of rounds, Fong bounced back in Mid-Ohio. With some adjustments to the setup that made the Northern California native more comfortable, he was third in qualifying and got two great starts from the front row of the grid. In Race 1, he was third after the start and briefly held the runner-up spot on that first lap. With multiple riders in that lead group, Fong made his way back to second on Lap 3 as the top three started to build a gap on the rest of the competition. Then, just before the halfway mark, he made the pass on Benjamin Smith for the lead, but Sean Dylan Kelly remained right on his heels. Fong held the points leader at bay, but ultimately was shuffled back to the runner-up spot, where he would finish.
Fong got another great start to the twice-started Race 2, slotting into the runner-up spot where he rode before getting passed by fellow Yamaha rider Scholtz on Lap 4. He got shuffled back another spot a couple of laps later, but would regain third after a rider ahead crashed and brought out the red flag, with Fong securing his sixth podium finish of the season. The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider heads to the next round fourth in the standings and 55 points from the top spot.
“I’m happy to get two podiums this weekend,” said Fong. “We found something on the bike that I’m a lot more comfortable with. We are hungry for some wins, and I’m looking forward to VIR in two weeks, where I had two strong finishes last season.”
Coming off of a great weekend at Laguna Seca where he brought home a Superbike sweep, Beach was looking to keep the momentum rolling at Mid-Ohio. Although Beach was just half a second off pole, the Kentucky rider was 10th in qualifying, putting him on the fourth row of the grid.
Beach got a good start to Race 1, slotting in behind Scholtz in sixth. Locked in a multi-rider battle for the top five, the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing rider made a pair of passes before the halfway mark to move into fourth. Although the top three had built a sizeable gap, Beach put his head down and reeled in Benjamin Smith, making the pass for third with five laps remaining. In the end, there was not enough time to advance further, and he settled for his sixth podium finish of the season.
In Race 2, he got another good start amidst the chaos of multiple riders in the lead group and was sixth on the opening lap. Beach set about making another charge to the front, moving to fifth on the next lap. He went to make the pass for fourth on Lap 5, but would end up off track and rejoining in 15th. Undeterred, Beach made good time, working his way back into the top 10 by the halfway mark and then to ninth before the red flag ended his forward progress, ultimately scoring eighth. Beach leaves Ohio third in the standings, and 32 points from the leader as the championship heats up with three rounds remaining, two of which are tripleheaders.
“The weekend didn’t go as smoothly as Laguna did,” said Beach. “I made a small mistake in qualifying that cost us a lot. The times were so close, so it put me starting 10th. In Race 1, I had to fight through the pack, but the R1 was working so well it made my job easier. We were able to string good laps together and fight up to a podium position.
“I had the same game plan for Race 2. I was marching my way forward and tried to make a pass around the outside going into Turn 6. I put myself in a bad position and just got run off the track. It was just a racing incident. I got the bike back on track and just tried to salvage as many points as I could.”
Super Hooligan
In the support classes, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau and Andy DiBrino carried the momentum from the West Coast rounds to Mid-Ohio, once again splitting wins in the Super Hooligan Championship. Team owner Kornbau led the initial charge, topping the timesheets and setting a new lap record for the class at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After passing his teammate on the second lap, he rode away to secure his second win in the class and tie DiBrino for the points lead.
“Mid-Ohio was a great weekend for the whole BPR team,” said Kornbau. “I got pole position and a new track record in Super Hooligans for Mid-Ohio. Then in Race 1, I was able to break away and maintain a gap in the field and take the win, while Andy finished second. In Race 2, I led the whole race until the last lap, setting another new track record. Andy made a late brake pass on me at the end of the back straight, and took the lead on the last lap, ultimately taking the victory.”
DiBrino answered back on Sunday, reclaiming the championship lead after another BPR Racing Yamaha 1-2 finish. It started out as a repeat of Race 1 with the rider from the Pacific Northwest grabbing the holeshot and then being passed by Kornbau on Lap 2, but in the end DiBrino would take home his third win of the season.
“I’m proud to go 2-1 on the weekend for the third round in a row,” said DiBrino. “We have the bike absolutely dialed, and we didn’t change anything from Laguna Seca. I have a five-point lead going into the Super Hooligan finale at the Circuit of the Americas, and I’m looking to finish this dream season with Yamaha on top.”
MotoAmerica Supersport
In Supersport, BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes returned to the podium in Race 1 aboard his YZF-R9. The multi-time AMA champ battled up front in the lead group and ran second for a lap before dropping back to third, where he would finish. In Race 2, Hayes once again battled for the podium and was holding down third before being passed on the final lap, finishing fourth.
Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis continued to build confidence at Round 7 of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. The 20-year-old got a good start to Race 1. As the race developed, Davis found himself in an intense three-rider battle for the top five. On Lap 11, he made the pass for fourth and then kept cool under pressure to hold off challengers and cross the line fourth. In the end, he scored ninth after Race Direction assessed a five-second penalty for contact made with Tyler Scott during the pass. In Race 2, Davis was sixth after the start, making the pass for fifth in the opening laps and riding on to finish there.
Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle earned another top-10 finish in Supersport, crossing the line eighth in Race 1. Unfortunately, it was a tough Race 2 for the South African, which saw his race end early with a late-race crash.
MotoAmerica Twins Cup
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane had a strong weekend aboard his YZF-R7 in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship. Fresh off earning his second Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award of 2026, Drane added his name to the short list of riders to win the honor in both flat track and road racing. With a bit of rain before the start of Race 1, Drane was third in the tricky mixed conditions. He then made his way to the runner-up spot on Lap 3, and led a four-rider group. On the following lap, he was shuffled back to fifth, and then further back to seventh before the halfway mark. The young Australian continued to fight in the multi-rider battle and finished fifth. In Race 2, Drane was fourth after the start but ultimately dropped back to fifth in the final laps, where he would finish to earn a pair of top-five results.
MotoAmerica racing resumes in two weeks at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, on Aug. 14–16. Seventy-five points will be on the line in the Superbike class, while the championship battles continue in Supersport, Twins Cup, and Talent Cup.
The Super Hooligan Championship concludes Sept. 11–13 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
