The season finale of the MotoAmerica Superbike series turned into an unforgettable showdown at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). A fierce nor’easter battered the 2.25-mile circuit, forcing organizers to compress three races into two days and trim each race to fifteen laps. Amid the chaos, Yamaha’s Attack Performance Progressive squad produced a textbook performance: rider Bobby Fong} seized two victories, locked the championship, and contributed to a record-breaking weekend for the Japanese marque.
Championship math and schedule overhaul
Going into the finale, Fong trailed the points leader by 26 points with a total of 75 points still up for grabs across three races. The forecast called for high winds, heavy rain, and rapidly shifting track conditions – a classic nor’easter scenario that threatened to upend the title fight. MotoAmerica responded by using Friday’s qualifying sessions to set the grids for all categories, moving Superbike Race 2 to Saturday and advancing Race 3 to Sunday’s opening slot. Both Superbike races were shortened from the usual twenty laps to fifteen, a decision that added urgency to every overtaking maneuver.
Race 1 and Race 2: rain-laden duels
Qualifying placed Fong on the front row in second place, with teammate JD Beach and Mathew Scholtz lined up behind him. The first race erupted into a three-start melee as rain poured in bursts, leaving standing water on the racing line. Each restart saw Fong claim the lead, demonstrating his composure on a slipping surface. Beach, after a promising launch, suffered a high-side that relegated him to eighteenth before he recovered to finish eighth. Scholtz briefly seized the holeshot on the second restart but slipped back to sixth.
Race 2, declared wet despite a drying track, demanded a delicate balance between rain tyres and decreasing moisture. Fong again shot off the line, quickly moving into second and then taking the lead on the opening lap. Beach settled into second, Scholtz third, and the trio of Yamaha riders began a chess-like exchange with championship leader Sean Dylan Kelly. Mid-race, Kelly overtook Fong, only for the Californian to retake the lead a lap later. Scholtz surged to the front with four laps remaining, but Fong reclaimed the top spot before the checkered flag. The results – Fong first, Beach second, Scholtz third, Kelly fourth – gave Fong a 24-point swing on the leader and left the title battle hanging on a razor-thin margin.
Race 3 drama and the championship seal
Sunday’s final race arrived under a brief lull in the storm; the rain eased before 2 p.m., allowing the grid to line up. Fong captured the holeshot again, with Beach and Scholtz following suit. Early on, the title contender on the outside, Kelly, crashed out, effectively removing the biggest threat to Fong’s championship hopes. The Californian then adopted a measured pace, focusing on preserving his machine rather than extending his lead. He ultimately crossed the line in fourth place, enough to clinch the championship by an 11-point margin. The victory marked Fong’s sixth win and twelfth podium of the campaign.
In the same race, Scholtz delivered a masterclass for the Strack Racing Yamaha team. Starting third, he chased Fong closely, overtaking on lap 4 and pulling away to record his fifth season victory, a win that secured third
Yamaha’s historic haul and the support-class highlights
The weekend cemented Yamaha’s dominance in AMA Superbike history. Fong’s title gave the brand its 15th MotoAmerica Superbike crown – the most ever – and the two race wins pushed Yamaha’s cumulative series victories to 218 tying and then surpassing the all-time record. The manufacturer also earned the MotoAmerica Manufacturer of the Year award for the season, reflecting strong performances across all classes.
In the Supersport category, veteran Josh Hayes added a 91st career AMA road-racing win, taking the holeshot and leading from start to finish in Race 1 aboard a BPR Racing Yamaha YZF-R9. The wet conditions suited Hayes, who remarked that winning in the rain felt “special” despite added pressure. He later suffered a crash in Race 2 but managed to finish fourth in the championship.
Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Czech rider Karel Hanika made an impressive debut, climbing from a deep grid position to claim a podium in Race 2 – his first MotoAmerica Supersport podium in just his second race on a Yamaha YZF-R9. He praised the team’s preparation for mixed conditions and expressed confidence heading into the next season.
Yamaha’s riders – from Fong’s championship breakthrough to Scholtz’s class-leading win and Hayes’s veteran triumph – showcased the depth of the brand’s talent pool, while the rain-soaked battles kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very last lap.
