A spectacular season of motorcycle road racing concludes in the wet at NJMP
The 2026 MotoAmerica season brought another year of thrilling American motorcycle road racing, with eight national championship classes producing their own storylines, title fights and standout performances. The season was particularly significant because MotoAmerica celebrated the 50th anniversary of Superbike racing in America, and the premier Quad Lock Superbike Championship went down to the final race of the year at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Several championships were settled before the weekend finale, while others required every available point before champions could be crowned.
Bobby Fong leading the field during a wet race 3 at NJMP. Photo by MotoAmerica/Brian J. Nelson.
Quad Lock Superbike — Bobby Fong: The premier-class championship produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2026 season. Sean Dylan Kelly carried a 26-point advantage over Bobby Fong into the final round at NJMP, but Fong responded by winning both Saturday races and reducing the deficit to just two points. A rain-soaked Sunday finale then determined the championship, with Fong ultimately emerging as the 2026 Quad Lock Superbike Champion for Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. Fong finished the season with 316 points, 11 ahead of Kelly, after a year in which Yamaha, BMW, Ducati and several of the country’s top riders battled for supremacy.
Superbike Cup — Andrew Lee: Real Steel Honda’s Andrew Lee captured the 2026 Superbike Cup Championship, adding another title to an already impressive MotoAmerica résumé. Lee clinched the championship at Circuit of The Americas in September after taking the class victory in Race 1, then went on to sweep the weekend’s Superbike Cup races. The championship was Lee’s fourth MotoAmerica title, following his Stock 1000 championships in 2018, 2019 and 2025. He finished the 2026 Superbike Cup season with 441 points, well clear of Carl Soltisz and Danilo Lewis.
Darryn Binder (53) leading the cagey veteran Josh Herrin (2) for the win and Supersport Championship. Photo by MotoAmerica/Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport — Darryn Binder: Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati rider Darryn Binder established himself as the dominant force in Supersport during 2026. Binder clinched the championship at COTA with a round still remaining, doing so after scoring his 10th victory and 13th podium of the season. His Ducati Panigale V2 proved exceptionally competitive throughout the campaign, and Binder’s championship battle with fellow Ducati rider Josh Herrin became one of the season’s recurring storylines. Binder finished with 406 points, 78 ahead of Herrin, and capped his championship year with another victory in the wet at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Talent Cup — Nathan Gouker: At just 15 years old, Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker captured the 2026 Talent Cup championship in his rookie season. Gouker put together an impressive campaign that included nine victories and 13 podium finishes, eventually finishing 43 points ahead of Kensei Matsudaira in the final standings. The championship was officially decided when the final Talent Cup race at NJMP was cancelled because of heavy rain and deteriorating track conditions, leaving Gouker’s points advantage intact. His performance made him one of the season’s most notable young prospects and demonstrated the Talent Cup’s role in developing the next generation of American road racers.
Hayden Gillim leading the KOTB pack during a wet and wild weekend at NJMP. Photo by MotoAmerica/Brian J. Nelson.
Mission King Of The Baggers — Hayden Gillim: Hayden Gillim claimed his second Mission King Of The Baggers championship in 2026, continuing his remarkable success in one of motorcycle racing’s most unusual and increasingly competitive categories. Gillim built a substantial points advantage during the season and clinched the championship at Circuit of The Americas with a runner-up finish. Riding against heavily developed Harley-Davidson and Indian machinery, Gillim finished the season with 287 points, 57 ahead of Bradley Smith and 59 ahead of Troy Herfoss. The title further cemented Gillim’s status as one of the leading riders in the rapidly expanding bagger-racing discipline.
Twins Cup — Hank Vossberg: Hank Vossberg, riding for Robem Engineering, became the 2026 Twins Cup Champion after an impressive season-long run aboard his lightweight twin-cylinder machine. The 16-year-old had clinched the championship at Virginia International Raceway by winning Race 1, his seventh victory of the season, while maintaining his remarkable streak of podium finishes. Vossberg’s consistency was particularly important in a class that featured several championship contenders, including Sam Drane, Bodie Paige and Matthew Chapin. The season finale at New Jersey was ultimately cancelled because of rain, but Vossberg’s championship had already been secured weeks earlier.
Isaac Woodworth (27) took the final Twins Cup victory of the season in Saturday’s race 1 ahead of Nathan Gouker (19) and class champ Hank Vossberg (31). Photo by MotoAmerica/Brian J. Nelson.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship — Bryce Kornbau: Bryce emerged as the 2026 Mission Super Hooligan National Champion after a season-long battle that came down to the final rounds. Riding for BPR Racing Yamaha, Kornbau secured the championship at COTA after defeating his own teammate in a last-lap battle. He finished the year with 213 points, just five ahead of Andy DiBrino, making it one of the closest title fights among MotoAmerica’s major classes. Kornbau’s championship also highlighted the increasingly serious competition in Super Hooligan racing, where large-displacement street-based motorcycles have become capable of spectacularly fast lap times on America’s road courses.
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. — Jasmine Noelle: The 2026 “Build.Train.Race.” Championship belonged to Jasmine Noelle, who secured the title at Mid-Ohio after winning race 1. Noelle rode a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 prepared through the series’ unique program, in which the competitors build and develop their own race-specification machines. Her championship campaign was marked by remarkable consistency: she did not miss a podium during the season and ultimately finished with 168 points, 32 ahead of Tati Paze. Noelle’s title capped the sixth consecutive year of the all-female Royal Enfield racing program and added another compelling chapter to MotoAmerica’s efforts to develop new racers.
What a fantastic season of racing! For more info and season highlights, check out MotoAmerica here:
*Top featured photo: Bobby Fong celebrating his hard-fought win and title battle. Photo by MotoAmerica/Brian J. Nelson.
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