Kelly’s Come-from-Behind Thriller Ends with a Superbike Victory at Ridge Motorsports Park
OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly Bounces Back to Win Superbike Race Two as Jayson Uribe Finishes Third-straight Top-10 in Race One at Ridge Motorsports Park
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Paul Carruthers for OrangeCat Racing | June 30, 2026
Sean Dylan Kelly celebrates his win in Sunday’s Superbike race. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
SHELTON, Washington - OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly’s weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park didn’t have an ideal start with a couple of crashes and a seventh-place finish in race one on Saturday. But everything changed in Sunday’s race two with Kelly charging ahead from as far back as eighth to score a thrilling last-lap victory on his BMW M 1000 RR.
The win, his second of the year and third-career Superbike victory, moved Kelly to within five points of the championship points lead with his last-lap, turn-13 pass coming on the current points leader, Mathew Scholtz.
Kelly completed lap one in fourth place, but he started to slip down the order. He was sixth on lap two, eighth on lap three, seventh on lap four – but then the charge to the front started. Kelly spent four laps in fifth place, jumped to fourth on lap 11, third on lap 12, and second on lap 13. And he led on the only lap that mattered – the last one.
Kelly’s teammate Jayson Uribe had a rough finish to race two. Uribe started from the back row of the grid and charged all the way up to ninth on lap 12, only to suffer a technical problem that knocked him out of the race.
While Sunday ended strong, Saturday was a difficult day for the OrangeCat team, but it was also a day that showed the resilience of both its riders and crew.
Kelly’s issues started on Friday with a highside in practice that left him battered and bruised. Still, the Floridian managed to put his BMW on the second row for Saturday’s race one after qualifying fourth.
The drama, however, wasn’t over for the 22-year-old as he crashed on the sighting lap on a soaking wet track as rain lashed down on Ridge Motorsports Park. Still, Kelly was ready to battle at the start of race one. He completed the first lap in ninth, worked his way up to eighth, and finally finished seventh, earning nine valuable championship points.
Uribe’s Saturday went from bad to good as the Californian bounced back from starting last to finish one spot behind his teammate in eighth in race one. Uribe completed lap one in 17th, but continued to fight for the full 14 laps. It was Uribe’s third-straight top-10 finish.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal
“This was one of those weekends that really tested the entire team. We had a lot to overcome, with Jayson starting from the back, three crashes between Sean and Jayson, and a tremendous amount of work for the crew. Everyone did an excellent job staying focused and getting the bikes ready, and I’m really proud of the effort from the whole team.
Sean showed a lot of resilience after his crash in practice and then again on the sighting lap before race one. To still finish seventh on Saturday was a strong recovery, but what he did on Sunday was truly special. After dropping from fourth back to eighth, he charged through the field and made an incredible last-lap pass for the win. It was the best race I have ever seen Sean ride.
Jayson also showed great determination all weekend. In race one, he came from last to finish eighth, which was an impressive ride. In race two, he again started from the back and worked his way into the top ten before we unfortunately had an engine issue that ended his race. That was disappointing, because he deserved a strong result, as his pace and effort were outstanding.
Overall, it was a challenging weekend with some big highs and lows, but the team never gave up. Sean’s win on Sunday was an incredible reward for everyone’s hard work.”
Jayson Uribe – No. 36
“My approach this weekend was different than most race weekends. My crew and I already knew that we’d be starting from the back of the grid regardless of qualifying, so we focused much more on bike development rather than all-out speed. I think we accomplished exactly that, trying different settings and adapting to the ever-changing conditions of the PNW. We had a good ride from P20 to P8 in a wet race one, closing a three-second gap on the very last lap and making the pass in the last corner.
We continued developing the bike on Sunday and had an even stronger showing for race two, right up until we had a mechanical failure with a handful of laps to go. I’m gutted to lose out on a decent finish, especially when we worked so hard to come from dead last to get there. But it’s racing and sometimes these things happen. I can’t thank the OrangeCat Racing team enough for believing in me and supporting me through a tricky weekend! I’m looking forward to a fresh start at Laguna.”
Sean Dylan Kelly – No. 40
“What an incredible way to finish a tough weekend. We started with a crash on Friday, and the conditions were difficult for everyone with a lot of mixed weather. Saturday, I showed speed in the dry but come race time we were wet again. It was a difficult race, so had to focus on bringing it home and gathering some points.
Sunday’s dry race two was what I believe is the best race of my career so far. It didn’t start smooth, almost running into the back of a rider and losing multiple positions in the first few laps. I was back in eighth at one point, but started making passes, got into a groove, felt the best I ever have with my BMW – ultimately making a pass for the lead on the last lap. This is our second win of the season, and I’m really grateful to be fighting up front. Thank you to the OrangeCat Racing team, BMW Motorrad Motorsport, and the supporters for making this all possible. Looking forward to Laguna Seca in a couple of weeks.”
For full results of the fourth round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The fifth round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, July 10-12.
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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 finishes ahead of the pack in Superbike race two on Sunday. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
Jayson Uribe #36 battles with Ben Smith #78. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson