Back-to-Back Podiums and Points Lead For Kelly, Two Top 10s For Uribe At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly Finishes Third In Both Two Superbike Thrillers In Monterey, Jayson Uribe Nabs Two Top 10s
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Paul Carruthers for OrangeCat Racing | July 13, 2026
Sean Dylan Kelly celebrates a hard-fought third-place finish in Sunday's MotoAmerica Superbike race. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
MONTEREY, California - OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly put his BMW M 1000 RR on the podium in both Superbike races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with his two third-place finishes vaulting him into the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship points lead in the process.
With his two third-place finishes on the Monterey Peninsula, Kelly now sits atop the championship by 11 points over new runner-up JD Beach, the rider who came away with a two-race Superbike sweep at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Kelly’s two-podium weekend in California gives him eight podiums in 10 races, including his two victories. He has amassed 172 points to Beach’s 161, with Mathew Scholtz slipping to third with 158 points.
Kelly’s teammate Jayson Uribe had his best weekend of the year with hard-fought sixth- and eighth-place finishes on his BMW M 1000 RR in the two races after turning in a career-best Superbike qualifying effort on Saturday morning. Uribe’s solid weekend moved him to eighth in the championship points standings after five rounds and 10 races.
Uribe’s weekend started out on the right foot with the Californian coming into Laguna Seca after finding a sweet spot in the handling of his BMW. The result? A career-best fourth in qualifying and a spot on the inside of the second row. Kelly, meanwhile, also started the race from the second row after he qualified sixth on Saturday morning.
Saturday’s race one had the two teammates circulating together for the first four laps in a battle for fifth. Kelly would hold the spot for 11 of the 20 laps before passing Loris Baz to move into fourth. Kelly wasn’t done yet, however, as he dove up the inside of Mathew Scholz in the last corner on the last lap to nab third place and a trip to the podium.
Uribe circulated in seventh place for 11 laps before passing Bobby Fong to move into sixth, a spot he held for the remaining four laps after fighting for fifth with Baz.
Sunday was again a good day for the OrangeCat Racing duo. Kelly did his normal march through the field, ending lap one in fifth place, moving to fourth a lap later, and staying there for 14 laps. Then came a final push with Kelly passing PJ Jacobsen with six laps to go to take over third place, a spot he would claim for the second straight day.
Uribe was sixth on lap one but lost two positions as the race wore on to ultimately finish eighth, ending the weekend with two solid top-ten finishes. Uribe’s solid weekend moved him from 12th to eighth in the championship standings.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal
“Overall, it was a strong and productive weekend for our Superbike program. Sean didn’t have the qualifying performance we were looking for, starting sixth, but he responded with two excellent rides to finish third in both races. He leaves Laguna Seca with the championship points lead, so it was a very valuable weekend from that standpoint. JD Beach’s victory showed that he will be a serious championship contender, and while we’re pleased with the points Sean earned, we’re also disappointed that we weren’t able to challenge for the win.
Jayson had his best weekend of the season. He qualified fourth, just one-tenth of a second off pole, and finished sixth in Race 1. Unfortunately, contact with another competitor in Race 2 injured his left arm and limited him physically, but he fought through it to finish eighth. The entire team worked extremely well together throughout the weekend, and I’m very proud of the effort everyone put into our Superbike program.”
Jayson Uribe – No. 36
“Overall, it was a weekend full of positives from my side. We made a lot of progress towards the front-runners when it came to lap times, and I was very happy with how hard the team worked. Our abilities for all-out pace are getting better each weekend, but I will be the first to say I was disappointed in my finishes, especially in race two. But at the end of the day, I’m happy to be moving forward, and my sights are set on Mid-Ohio. Thanks again to the OrangeCat team for this weekend.”
Sean Dylan Kelly – No. 40
“We had a tough but really positive weekend. I was competitive both days here at Laguna Seca. I think we only lacked a little bit in qualifying, but we still managed to fight for podiums and finish on the box both Saturday and Sunday. I made a step forward from race one to two, and I’m happy about that. We need to find a little bit more pace in hot conditions, but I’m very happy to be leading the championship and coming home with two podiums. Thank you to the OrangeCat team for all the hard work they do.”
For full results of the fifth round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The sixth round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, July 31-August 2.
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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) and Jayson Uribe (#36) navigate the iconic Corkscrew while battling in a tightly contested Superbike field. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
Sean Dylan Kelly #40 and Jayson Uribe #36 battle to stay ahead of Mathew Scholtz #11. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson