IRVINE, Calif. — MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorbike highway racing sequence, is ready to return to the excessive banks of Daytona Worldwide Speedway from March 5-7.
Headlined by the 84th operating of the Daytona 200, the race weekend serves as a launchpad that celebrates 50 years of Superbike racing.
A landmark celebration of U.S. highway racing heritage takes place because the world’s premier Supersport opponents vie for their very own place within the AMA and MotoAmerica historical past books. Becoming a member of the Supersport headliners are Mission King Of The Baggers, Twins Cup, and the Mission Tremendous Hooligan Nationwide Championship, collectively forming a high-octane drop of the inexperienced flag.
Josh Herrin celebrated his third consecutive Daytona 200 win in 2025 and is on the lookout for a report fourth-straight win this yr.
The 84th version of the Daytona 200 will function the opening spherical for the 2026 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. The change means the Daytona 200 will now pay crucial Supersport factors for the primary time since 2014.
Supersport machines may even be restricted to a 15.5L (4.09 U.S. Gal) gasoline tank capability, which quantities to a 4L (1.05 U.S. Gal.) lower from earlier years and represents a substantial gasoline mileage problem for every machine.
Daytona has traditionally been a “two-stop-race” the place a pit crew will refuel the motorbike and set up contemporary tires all in beneath 25 seconds, twice in 57 laps. This decreased gasoline capability means groups should now plan a 3rd pit cease for gasoline, which calls for perfection from the technicians on pit lane.
With a report $250,000 purse, the monetary stakes on the “World Heart of Racing” match its status, headlined by a $50,000 winner’s prize and a $100,000 whole podium payout.
Including to the motivation, MotoAmerica’s Official Tire Provider Dunlop—winners of 33 of the previous 43 Daytona 200s—will cowl the tire prices for the sector’s top-finishing worldwide rider.
This important payout potential has drawn a worldwide area of 49 elite Supersport riders representing seven totally different producers. The grid showcases world-class expertise from 4 continents and 7 nations—together with a powerful contingent from the Americas, Europe, Australia, and South Africa—prepared for a 57-lap showdown on the excessive banks.
Josh Herrin is taking part in a sport of numbers at Daytona this yr. Herrin’s quantity two machine returns to the Supersport class for the third time in his profession as he rolls his Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2 into Daytona eyeing an historic fourth-consecutive Daytona 200 victory. A win this yr would mark Herrin’s fifth profession victory on the occasion and equal legends Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel for many Daytona 200 wins.
Rahal Ducati Moto has two extra threats of their pit field, as properly. The roster options Superbike standout P.J. Jacobsen and 18-year-old phenom Kayla Yaakov, a candidate to grow to be the first- feminine winner of the race.
Final yr’s second- and third-place finishers, Richie Escalante and Tyler Scott return with the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Staff for the Daytona 200 on their Suzuki GSX-R750s. Whereas Scott will stay within the Supersport class for your complete season, Escalante will return to the Superbike class following his look within the Daytona 200. After previous disappointments at Daytona, each riders are on the lookout for redemption.
4-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes storms into the raceone month shy of his 51st birthday. Whereas Hayes stays a stone-cold risk—as evidenced by his legendary profession and 89th profession victory at Barber Motorsports Park in 2025—a spot stays in his large trophy cupboard for the Daytona 200 trophy. He campaigns a 2026 BPR Racing Yamaha YZF-R9 alongside Daytona 200 rookie Brenden Ketelsen.
The Supersport class sees a big inflow of younger riders this yr, headlined by 2025 Twins Cup and Expertise Champion Alessandro Di Mario making his debut with Rahal Ducati Moto on a Ducati Panigale V2. The 17-year-old will make his Daytona 200 debut and will grow to be the primary rider to win the race in his first attempt since Joey Pascarella in 2012.
Additionally becoming a member of the Supersport ranks is MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher on the MV Agusta F3 RR, who will set a historic milestone. At simply 16 years and 9 days outdated on race day, she is poised to make historical past because the youngest competitor ever to race within the Daytona 200.
Nineteen-year-old Blake Davis piloted his Yamaha YZF-R9 to a few wins in Supersport final season, together with a dominant WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca spherical. Whereas this isn’t Blake’s first Daytona 200, it marks the inaugural journey to Daytona for the brand new Supersport machine from the tuning fork model and the Strack Racing crew, who’ve skilled the pressures of “The 200” earlier than.
Underscoring the worldwide status of the occasion is an inflow of elite world expertise. Most noteworthy is former MotoGP star Darryn Binder, who makes his high-profile MotoAmerica Supersport debut with final yr’s Daytona 200-winning workforce Celtic/Financial system Tire + Lube/Warhorse HSBK Ducati.
Different worldwide challengers embody final yr’s fourth-place finisher and Isle of Man TT legend Peter Hickman who will marketing campaign a factory-supported PHR Efficiency Triumph effort together with his compatriot and teammate Davey Todd in his first try on the 200.
Including to the worldwide roster is the extraordinarily versatile British highway racer and 2018 IRRC Superbike Champion Danny Webb on a Staff Traditional Suzuki GSX-R750.
