Mathew Scholtz won the abbreviated MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike Race 2 Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The race was called early after multiple stoppages, and Scholtz was declared the winner according to official MotoAmerica red-flag rules, becoming the first rider to reach four wins in the 2026 season.
The race was halted twice due to incidents on the track, leading to an early conclusion after nine laps, according to the official MotoAmerica red-flag rules. At the time of the second stoppage, Mathew Scholtz was leading aboard his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 and was declared the winner based on the running order at the red flag, MotoAmerica officials said. Scholtz finished just 0.177 seconds ahead of Sean Dylan Kelly, who rode for OrangeCat Racing on a BMW, with Bobby Fong completing the podium on another Yamaha.
Scholtz’s fourth Superbike win of the 2026 season and his narrow margin over Kelly.
The final classification reflected the shortened race distance, with Loris Baz on a Ducati placing fourth, followed by Cameron Petersen (Ducati) and Jayson Uribe (BMW) in fifth and sixth, respectively. The top ten was rounded out by Brandon Paasch (Suzuki), JD Beach (Yamaha), Ashton Yates (Honda), and Andrew Lee, who competed in the Superbike Cup category on a Honda, MotoAmerica’s race report showed. Notably, PJ Jacobsen, initially competitive on a Ducati, was demoted to 17th place after Race Direction applied a time adjustment following the red-flag procedures.
Scholtz acknowledged in post-race comments that the red-flag scenario “worked out” in his favor, noting that his front tire was beginning to “drop off” and that the early stoppage likely prevented further tire degradation. He described the victory as “hard-fought” and credited the physical and strategic efforts required during the abbreviated contest, according to statements released by MotoAmerica. The official race broadcast confirmed the result, highlighting
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course event marked the start of the second half of the MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike season, with the top three riders separated by only 14 points entering the weekend, sources confirmed. Prior to the race, Scholtz and JD Beach were tied with three wins each, while Kelly led the championship standings. Scholtz’s victory on Sunday elevated him as the first rider in 2026 to reach four wins, solidifying his position as the season’s winningest competitor to date, according to MotoAmerica’s official statistics.
Race 1 at Mid-Ohio, held Saturday, had seen Sean Dylan Kelly take the win over Bobby Fong and JD Beach, establishing a competitive dynamic that carried into the Sunday race. The alternating victories between Kelly and Scholtz at Mid-Ohio continued a pattern observed in earlier rounds such as The Ridge Motorsports Park, where the championship contenders exchanged wins. Scholtz entered Mid-Ohio holding a five-point lead over Kelly following the previous round, with 145 points to Kelly’s 140, records show.
The shortened Race 2 at Mid-Ohio was marked by multiple interruptions, with officials deciding to call the contest after the second red flag in accordance with MotoAmerica regulations. This procedure entails that if a race is stopped after a specified number of laps, the results are taken from the running order at the time of the red flag rather than restarting the race. The application of these rules ensured Scholtz’s victory and the final podium placements without a full-distance run.
Scholtz’s win at Mid-Ohio was his ninth career Superbike victory, underscoring his experience and success in the premier class, MotoAmerica coverage noted. Earlier in the 2026 season, at Barber Motorsports Park, Scholtz secured a dominant win by approximately four seconds over Cameron Beaubier, contributing to his points advantage and momentum in the championship race. The Mid-Ohio round’s results further tightened the title fight among Scholtz, Kelly, and Beach as the series progressed.
Officials and commentators consistently recognized the competitiveness of the Mid-Ohio weekend, with the Quad Lock Superbike championship battle intensifying as the season advanced. The combination of Kelly’s Race 1 win and Scholtz’s Race 2 victory maintained the rivalry that has defined much of the 2026 season, according to MotoAmerica’s mid-season preview and race analyses. The championship standings and point differentials remained close, setting the stage for continued competition in upcoming rounds.
