STEAM CORNERS, Ohio — In 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.
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.
Beau Binder held off Josh Herrin to claim the Supersport main event.
