MotoAmerica’s Momentum Surges: Record Crowds, Star Power and a Clear Path to the World Stage
MotoAmerica is closing out one of its strongest seasons yet and heading into 2026 with record momentum, expanded manufacturer support and a clear development ladder aimed straight at MotoGP. That was the message from MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland, speaking during Race Industry Week.
Aksland, who has helped steer the series since taking it over in 2015, described a championship that has grown steadily into a true national platform for professional motorcycle road racing in the United States.
“Every year it gets a little bit better,” Aksland said. “We’re getting fans back at the racetrack, our TV footprint is growing, and our social media is really off the charts.”
MotoAmerica’s digital reach now approaches 5 million followers across platforms, and the series’ YouTube channel has already earned the coveted 100,000-subscriber silver plaque and is closing in on the gold milestone at one million.
Record Crowds and a Classic Championship Fight
On the ground, MotoAmerica’s 2025 season was defined by both record attendance and tight championship battles.
- The series delivered the largest-ever attended motorcycle race at Road America, a benchmark many in the paddock long associated with the “heyday” of American Superbike.
- The season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park featured a triple-header Superbike weekend, with three riders in contention for the title going into the final round.
- The drama culminated in Cameron Beaubier clinching his sixth Superbike championship, further cementing his status as one of the most successful riders in American road racing history.
Despite Beaubier’s ultimate triumph, Aksland emphasized that 2025 was far from a one-rider show.
“Bobby Fong won a lot of races, we had several different winners, and five manufacturers were in the hunt week in and week out,” he noted. “The level of competition at the front is extremely high.”
That parity and intensity are now feeding directly into a resurgent Superbike class for 2026, with new and returning teams committing full factory-spec efforts. Among the notable entries:
- Graham Rahal fielding PJ Jacobsen on a Superbike.
- Strack Racing elevating Matthew Scholtz into the premier class.
- Orange Cat, fresh off a Stock 1000 championship, stepping up into Superbike competition.
“Next year is really going to be an excellent season for us,” Aksland said.
Daytona 200 Reimagined as a Championship Centerpiece
MotoAmerica’s 2026 campaign will again open at one of the most iconic venues in motorsport: Daytona International Speedway, March 5–7, headlined by the Daytona 200.
In a major strategic move, MotoAmerica is turning the 200 back into a national championship points-paying round for the first time since 2014.
“We’re working closely with Frank Kelleher and the Speedway team to bring back the full prestige of the 200,” Aksland explained. “We’re adding incentives for teams and riders, and we’re seeing strong international interest again.”
Among the expected entrants:
- A World Endurance Championship team preparing multiple entries.
- Inquiries and likely entries from Australia, the UK, and other international paddocks.
The goal is to position the Daytona 200 as to MotoAmerica what the Daytona 500 is to NASCAR—a globally recognized, season-opening showcase bringing the best American riders together with top international talent.
The Daytona weekend will also feature a diverse on-track program, including:
- Mission King of the Baggers
- Twins Cup
- Super Hooligans
King of the Baggers and the Rise of the V-Twin Show
If one class embodies MotoAmerica’s willingness to innovate and tap into new audiences, it’s King of the Baggers.
What began as a curiosity—full-dress V-twin touring motorcycles on a road course—has evolved into a factory-backed, six-figure race-bike category featuring a full-blown rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle.
- Championships have traded hands between Harley and Indian year to year.
- For 2026, Indian’s program will be run by Terry Vance, bringing one of the most respected names in motorcycle drag racing and road racing into the paddock with a three-rider effort.
- The bikes themselves are now highly developed, extremely fast machines often touching ~190 mph on the banking, yet still visually recognizable to fans rolling up on their own baggers.
“Five years ago, if you told us we’d see this many baggers at a road race, we would have laughed,” Aksland admitted. “Now our parade laps are 95% baggers, and that community is discovering Superbike racing at the same time.”
The Super Hooligans class adds another layer of personality and brand storytelling, including the ongoing effort by Arch Motorcycle, co-founded by Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger. Their 2025 season in MotoAmerica has been documented for a forthcoming docu-series, following the team’s evolution from a boutique custom/bespoke builder into full-fledged racers.
Building a Road to MotoGP: The Talent Cup
One of the biggest strategic achievements of recent years has been the launch of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, officially part of the Road to MotoGP.
- The series uses a Kramer prototype chassis powered by a KTM 350 engine, providing a Moto3-style platform.
- Riders can enter from age 14, giving young American talent meaningful track time on true GP-style machinery.
- Through a partnership with Dorna, MotoAmerica can send up to five riders each year to the Red Bull Rookies Cup tryouts in Europe.
In 2025, several riders attended those trials, gaining invaluable experience even though none advanced to the final Rookies grid—yet.
“The kids saw firsthand what the Spanish riders are doing and what it takes to move up,” Aksland said. “We’ve now put that pathway in place—from Junior Cup to Talent Cup to MotoAmerica’s upper classes and potentially into MotoGP.”
Manufacturers are already aligning with the program:
- Yamaha supporting a team.
- Honda backing two riders.
- Ducati involved through the Rahal team.
- Kenny Roberts himself back in the paddock, running riders in the program.
One standout example is Alessandro DiMario, 2025 Talent Cup champion, who is graduating into the Rahal Ducati SuperSport effort.
Young Talent, Deep Manufacturer Bench
Across the paddock, MotoAmerica’s roster is noticeably younger and more diverse, with multiple riders poised to challenge for titles in Superbike and Supersport.
Names to watch, according to Aksland, include:
- Ben Smith – A former KTM RC 390 Cup and Junior Cup champion, now Beaubier’s teammate on a factory-spec Ducati Superbike.
- Sean Dylan Kelly – Back from Moto2 with renewed pace and confidence, expected to be on front-running machinery in 2026.
- Kayla Yakov – Racing for the Rahal Ducati squad in Supersport, already a podium threat and expected to contend for the championship.
- Blake Davis – Continuing his rise through Supersport.
- Alessandro DiMario – Talent Cup champion stepping into the pro ranks with big expectations.
On the OEM and supplier front, the paddock has transformed since 2015. What started with only a handful of full-sized transporters has grown into 20-plus tractor-trailers, with more on the way for 2026.
The manufacturer presence now spans:
- Superbike / Supersport: BMW, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Ducati
- V-Twin and Hooligan platforms: Harley-Davidson, Indian, Arch Motorcycle, Royal Enfield (via Freddie Spencer’s “Build. Train. Race.” program)
- Emerging technologies: An electric manufacturer joining forces with Orange Cat for a new program.
“Our weekends are turning into full motorcycle festivals,” Aksland said. “From Superbikes to baggers to vintage and electric, it’s all there in one place—and manufacturers love that mix.”
A True National Championship – And the Growing Pains That Come With It
MotoAmerica’s 2026 schedule once again covers key markets from Daytona to Washington State, with stops at many of North America’s premier circuits:
- Daytona International Speedway
- Circuit of The Americas
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- Road America
- Mid-Ohio
- VIRginia International Raceway
- And more
Returning to VIR in 2025 produced a 30% increase in attendance over previous years, while the New Jersey finale saw crowds so large that parking inside the facility reached capacity and fans had to be shuttled in from outside.
Those are, as Aksland puts it, “good problems”—but real ones. The series is now:
- Reassessing how many classes can run at a single event.
- Managing paddock capacity, even at major permanent circuits.
- Fine-tuning which classes appear at which venues to balance logistics and exposure.
“We’re at the point where we’ve actually outgrown a few paddocks,” he said. “It’s a challenge—but it’s the kind of challenge you want to have. It means the hard work is paying off.”
With record attendance, surging digital reach, renewed international interest in the Daytona 200, a serious development pipeline via the Talent Cup, and a manufacturer-rich paddock that now reflects the full spectrum of modern motorcycling, MotoAmerica enters 2026 as one of the fastest-growing properties in global two-wheel racing.
And if Aksland’s comments are any indication, the series is just getting started.
