AUSTIN, Texas — Round eight of the 2026 MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike Championship is coming to Circuit of The Americas.
Four riders are separated by just 38 points, and a total of 125 points remain up for grabs. With the last two rounds in sight, time is running out to close the gap to the leaders and riders will feel the pressure in the Texas heat.
COTA stands as one of the most physically and technically demanding venues on the entire MotoAmerica calendar. The 3.41-mile, 20-turn counterclockwise circuit tests premier Superbike racers and machinery with fast esses, heavy braking zones, and a signature 130-foot elevation climb to Turn 1.
While the long back straight provides critical drafting and passing opportunities into Turn 12, the Texas heat forecasted over the weekend will push competitors to their absolute limits, placing a maximum premium on a riders mental and physical endurance.
OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly leads the premier class into Austin, Texas, piloting his high-performance BMW M 1000 RR with an even 250 points. The 24-year-old Floridian has captured 12 podium finishes in 15 races, translating to a staggering 80% podium to this point in the season.
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz is just 17 points behind the leader, Kelly. The South African’s Yamaha YZF-R1 is notoriously solid in the technical sections of the Austin circuit but lacks the outright power and top end speed of the European machines for the 0.6 mile COTA backstretch. The South African will need to lean on his notorious corner speed and maximize edge grip in the technical sections to keep touch with the the draft down the endless back straight.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing teammates JD Beach and Bobby Fong sit third and fourth in the standings, respectively, with Beach trailing championship leader Sean Dylan Kelly by 31 points and Fong just 38 marks adrift. The duo remains within striking distance of the front and brings a strong track record to the Lone Star State. While Fong secured double-podium success aboard his Yamaha Superbike last year, Beach swept both races in the Stock 1000 class. Both riders have the outright pace to contend for victories and will be fighting for a return to the box in Texas.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen sits 105 points behind the leader in fifth. The 31-year-old South African knows he will need to put it all on the line to keep himself alive in the championship chase.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante is sixth with 106 points, however the Mexican-native will miss the remainder of the season to heal from injuries sustained in a crash at the previous round. In his place, and making his Quad Lock Superbike class debut will be the team’s 20-year-old Supersport class rider, Tyler Scott. Scott will focus solely on the Superbike class this weekend as the team has another rider lined up for their Supersport machine in Texas.
The top 10 is finished off by Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen in eighth, Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch ninth and Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law’s Loris Baz in tenth.
While the championship fight takes center stage, COTA will also mark the return of a very familiar name to the Quad Lock Superbike grid. Six-time and defending Superbike champion Cameron Beaubier returns to the Warhorse HSBK Ducati Flo4Law team after missing five rounds due to a shoulder injury suffered at Road America.
The move pushes Frenchman Loris Baz out of his fill-in duties after his recent win in Race 3 at VIRginia International Raceway. Beaubier aims to quickly regain his race pace; given his history of running up front at the Texas circuit, he could easily play the role of spoiler in the lead group.
