OrangeCat Racing Marks the Lightfighter’s First MotoAmerica Podium Finish at Barber Motorsports Park
Josh Herrin raced the Lightfighter V3-RH to second place on Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, putting the all-electric Lightfighter on the podium for the first time at MotoAmerica
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Paul Carruthers for OrangeCat Racing | May 19, 2025
Josh Herrin power wheelies out of a corner at Barber Motorsports Park.
Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Josh Herrin of OrangeCat Racing rode the Lightfighter electric bike to fourth place on Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park. On Sunday, he did even better, leading the Super Hooligan race for three of the eight laps before finishing second place in what was the MotoAmerica racing debut for the electric bike.
On a motorcycle beginning its development journey, Herrin and his teammate Kaleb De Keyrel progressed throughout the weekend on the Lightfighter, with Herrin finishing fourth and second in the two races with De Keyrel eleventh and eighth.
Starting from his position on the front row after qualifying third-fastest, Herrin was in the mix on both Saturday and Sunday. It was Sunday, however, that showed just what the Lightfighter is capable of. In Saturday’s race, Herrin was fourth with a best lap time of 1:28.217. On Sunday, he was second with a best lap of 1:27.519.
Herrin finished almost three seconds clear of last year’s Super Hooligan National Champion James Rispoli.
On Saturday, Herrin completed the first lap in fifth place before pushing himself and the Lightfighter into the battle for third. With three laps to go, Herrin looked to have a realistic chance of a podium finish as he circulated in third place. A lap later, he lost the spot and would race to fourth.
De Keyrel started fifteenth, but pushed ahead and battled his way to eleventh in the eight-lap race. Along with Herrin, De Keyrel topped the speed trap in the race.
Herrin wasted no time in racing to the lead on Sunday, settling in for a race-long battle at the front. Herrin led laps two through four and chased race winner Gus Rodio to the finish with those two well clear of the chasing pack.
De Keyrel showed big improvements, as well, finishing eighth a day after his eleventh place finish. He also set fastest trap speed in Sunday’s race with a recorded speed of 142.5 mph.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal
“The Super Hooligan races were awesome! I get nervous when we race in this class with the Lightfighter, because it is such a new package. What an incredible performance by Josh to get the first MotoAmerica podium for Lightfighter. Both bikes get better every time they hit the track. It is such a cool project to be a part of and I am very happy for everyone involved. The amount of work that OrangeCat Racing, Lightfighter, and alpha Racing put into these bikes since Daytona is impressive. I can't wait to get to the Ridge.”
Brian Wismann – CEO and Co-founder, Lightfighter
“Coming into the weekend we had high hopes of redemption after the heartbreak of Daytona but never expected to find ourselves landing a maiden podium. We're out to show that an EV powertrain can race competitively with its gas-burning brethren, and I think we've achieved that this weekend. We're looking forward to continuing our development at The Ridge next month.”
Kaleb De Keyrel – No. 51
“Overall, it was a great weekend: we got better every time we hit the track. My crew, Alex and David, worked extremely hard to give me the best possible set up and they nailed it for race 2. The bike felt amazing and I could put it exactly where I wanted. Josh was able to show the true potential of the bike and that it’s a frontrunner in the class. I’m looking forward to growing and improving in the races to come!”
For full results of the second round of the 2026 Mission Super Hooligan Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The third round of the Mission Super Hooligan Championship will be held at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 26-28.
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About Lightfighter
Lightfighter is an American motorcycle company focused on developing high-performance electric motorcycles for racing and advanced track riding. By combining cutting-edge electric propulsion technology with race-proven chassis engineering, Lightfighter is redefining performance on two wheels.
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.
Josh Herrin #2 leads for three laps in race two of Super Hooligans. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
Kaleb De Keyrel #51 fires out of Museum Corner. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson