OrangeCat Racing’s Kelly Takes Superbike Championship Points Lead after Top Podium Finish; Two Top Tens for Uribe
Sean Dylan Kelly had a weekend to remember at Road America, earning his second career MotoAmerica Superbike victory to take the top spot in the Superbike Championship rankings
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Paul Carruthers for OrangeCat Racing | May 31, 2026
Sean Dylan Kelly leads the Superbike class in race two through a turn at Road America. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly had the best weekend of his MotoAmerica Superbike career as he turned an ultra-close second-place finish in Saturday’s race one into a second career Superbike victory in Sunday’s race two at Road America. Kelly’s 2-1 tally puts him, and his BMW M 1000 RR, atop the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship after three of nine rounds.
Kelly’s teammate Jayson Uribe battled from start to finish across seventh through ninth positions in both races, eventually ending with a consistent weekend: he left with two eighth-place finishes in both races in Wisconsin.
Kelly was fast from the get-go on the ultra-fast four-mile Road America circuit, ending FP1 and the first timed practice session on Friday in second before slipping to fourth in the 15-minute qualifying session Saturday. Uribe would start both races from row three after qualifying ninth.
Saturday’s race one featured a six-rider battle at the front with Kelly in the lead when it was interrupted by a red flag after a crash from defending class champion Cameron Beaubier. The race restarted as a five-lap dash with Kelly in pole position.
Kelly battled to the bitter end on Saturday for those five laps, coming up just .099 of a second from victory. Still, the second-place finish was the Floridian’s fourth podium finish of the season. Uribe was a fighting eighth.
Kelly started race two on Sunday in third, but wasted little time in moving to second in the five-rider battle for the lead. On the fourth of the 12-lap race, Kelly took over at the front, and he would lead the remaining eight laps despite unrelenting pressure, taking victory by .381 of a second.
Uribe showed consistent improvement over the course of the weekend as his best lap on Sunday was nearly two seconds faster than his Friday best. Uribe finished in eighth again, well clear of ninth place. Overall, the Californian had a solid bounce-back after a string of bad luck at Barber.
With his victory in race two, Kelly took over the Superbike Championship points lead by a single point, 106-105, with the series returning to action at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 26-28.
Jeff Connors – Team Principal
"We're leaving Road America with a lot of positives. SDK put together two excellent rides, finishing second in race one after an incredible battle with Cam Petersen and taking the win in race two. Those results reflect the hard work of everyone on the team. Jayson Uribe finished eighth in both races; he continued to gather valuable points and data throughout the weekend. We're focused on building on this success and staying in the fight as the season continues."
Jayson Uribe – No. 36
“What a weekend! Going from a Friday full of mechanical trouble to a Saturday qualifying that was shortened by red flags, it’s been difficult to predict how the sessions were going to go. We got P8 in both races, which I think is a decent step in the right direction. We fought for the top six in both races, with race two being much more intense than race one. We made some positive changes to the bike and unlocked new potential that I think we’ve been missing. I couldn’t be here without the support of the entire OrangeCat Racing family – everyone put in the work when times were hard and gave me a package to fight with. I’m confident moving into the next race weekend that we’ll be up in the fight once more.”
Sean Dylan Kelly – No. 40
“What an incredible weekend. I felt competitive since the start and felt better every time out. Qualifying wasn’t the smoothest, but we were still in a good place to fight upfront in the races. Race one on Saturday was an amazing battle, and I really enjoyed being able to make that many passes on the superbike – we just fell short on the last lap fighting for the win.
Sunday’s race two was a smooth start. I got into the lead about halfway through the race and focused hard on not making mistakes. So pumped on our first win of the season! We’re also now leading the championship. So thankful to have the team I have behind me to make this all possible. Now it’s time to keep focused and keep this momentum going into The Ridge.”
For full results of the third round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, click Saturday (race one) and Sunday (race two).
The fourth round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship will be held at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, June 26-28.
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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 celebrates his win in Superbike race two. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
Jayson Uribe #36 battles with Richie Escalante #54 and Hayden Gillim #69. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson