LEXINGTON, OH (Aug. 1, 2026) – 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, 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 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
1. Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
2. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
3. JD Beach (Yamaha)
4. Benjamin Smith (Ducati)
5. Loris Baz (Ducati)
6. Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha)
7. Hayden Gillim (Honda)
8. Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
9. Jayson Uribe (BMW)
10. PJ Jacobsen (Ducati)
Superbike Cup
1. Andrew Lee (Honda)
2. Kaleb DeKeyrel (BMW)
3. 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.”
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