OrangeCat Racing Secures Its Third Superbike Podium of the Season at Barber
Sean Dylan Kelly turned a difficult start into a Superbike podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park, with teammate Jayson Uribe having an up-and-down weekend in Alabama
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Paul Carruthers for OrangeCat Racing | May 19, 2025
Sean Dylan Kelly secures third place at Barber Motorsports Park in Superbike race two, putting the BMW M 1000 RR straight onto the podium. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The second round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, held at the picturesque Barber Motorsports Park, started strongly for OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, with the Floridian leading both Superbike sessions on Friday on his BMW M 1000 RR.
On Saturday morning, however, things changed with Kelly having a big crash in the final qualifying session that left him with an injured hand. Kelly managed to fight through the discomfort to finish seventh in Saturday’s race one. On Sunday, birthday boy Kelly rebounded to finish the weekend on a high with a third-place finish, and his third podium of the season.
Kelly’s teammate Jayson Uribe had a difficult weekend that saw the Californian finishing a fighting twelfth and sixteenth in the two races after off-track excursions in both.
With three podiums in four races, Kelly holds on to second in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Despite his difficult weekend, Uribe is tenth in the title chase.
The weekend started on a high for Kelly as his 1:23.372 in Free Practice 1 put him atop the leaderboard. On Friday afternoon, Kelly went even quicker in Superbike Q1, with his 1:22.908 leading the pack going into the eventful Saturday morning qualifying session. Despite the crash, Kelly still ended up fifth-fastest and would start both races from the second row of the grid. Uribe ended the 15-minute Superbike qualifying session tenth.
The first of two Superbike races on the 2.380-mile Barber Motorsports Park road course was red-flagged after a crash deflated a section of Air Fence. By this point in the race, Uribe was already having issues after contact with another rider led to an off-track excursion. He would eventually finish twelfth.
Kelly was sixth for the first two laps of the restarted eight-lap race before losing a spot on the third lap. From there, Kelly rode to a seventh-place finish.
Sunday was a much better day for Kelly and his BMW as he moved forward from seventh on the opening lap to sixth on lap three, fifth on lap five, fourth on lap six, and third on lap eight. He would hold onto the final podium spot throughout the completion of the 20-lap race.
Uribe’s race two ended with a sixteenth place finish.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal
“Our Superbike program went through some adversity this weekend. It was a bummer, because Friday was extremely positive for both bikes. SDK was top of the board and Jayson was happy with the feel of the BMW. We came into Saturday with some confidence, maybe too much. The team did a great job getting SDK back on the podium in race 2. Jayson and SDK have some injuries going into Road America, but the week off should help get them back to 100 percent. SDK has the pace to compete for another podium and Jayson just needs to catch a break. I am proud of the team and how they handled the adversity. We have an incredible group and with the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport and alpha Racing, we are looking forward to the next event.”
Jayson Uribe – No. 36
“We had a roller coaster of a weekend at Barber! I felt comfortable right off the bat on Friday, being able to flirt with the top five consistently throughout the weekend. We made a positive step in bike setup, which allowed me to push more than I have previously and feel more at home on the Superbike. In both races, I started strong but got tangled up in other riders’ issues. In Race 1, I was rammed off track in the early laps and had to play catch-up the rest of the race. Race 2 was the same story — a good start and fighting for the top five until I was hit by another rider, taking us both down.
We got unlucky. The speed was there, the starts were good — just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Huge shoutout to the OrangeCat crew for giving me a package I could fight with! It felt good to be in the lead pack. It’s where we belong!”
Sean Dylan Kelly – No. 40
“It was great to start off the weekend topping both Friday sessions and feeling really confident on the bike. Saturday turned out to be a bit tougher after a heavy crash in qualifying left me pretty banged up, but I’m thankful to have walked away from it. We regrouped well for Sunday’s race 2, and despite still dealing with some pain, I pushed as hard as I could and was happy to finish on the podium with a P3. Huge thank you to my whole team for all the effort they put in throughout the weekend, especially after working hard to get the bike repaired and ready to go again after the crash. I’m already focused on Road America and excited to come back there at 100%.”
For full results of the opening round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The third round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, May 29-31.
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About OrangeCat Racing
OrangeCat Racing is a professional motorcycle racing team based in Chicago, competing at the national level in MotoAmerica. OrangeCat Racing thrives on competition, on challenging itself, and on learning and growing together. The team is dedicated to expanding the reach of motorcycle racing, sharing the experience of it, and creating an environment where riders can fully focus on their craft.
For 2026, OrangeCat Racing is competing for MotoAmerica’s Superbike class as a BMW Motorrad Motorsport official team. They’re also competing in the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan class aboard the electric Lightfighter motorcycle. For more information about OrangeCat Racing, visit www.orangecatracing.com.
OrangeCat Racing’s promotional and technical partners for the 2026 MotoAmerica season include BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Lightfighter, Motoworks Chicago, Ohlins USA, Farasis, and alpha Racing.
Sean Dylan Kelly #40 battles for position in Charlotte’s Web. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
Jayson Uribe #36 sets up to enter Charlotte’s Web. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson