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Cup, IMSA, MotoGP, WSBK and MotoAmerica Wrap-ups

Jul 13
6 min read

Blaney Wins at Atlanta, Inter Europol takes IMSA Mosport Race, Iker Lecuona Gets 1st WSBK Victory, Marquez and JD Beach Double Up in MotoGP and MotoAmerica.


NASCAR


Ryan Blaney earned an overtime triumph in Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, after leading 171 laps of 263 to secure his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2026 season.

The Team Penske star surged back in front on the final circuit with an assist from Christopher Bell (Toyota), ultimately edging the Joe Gibbs Racing driver by a mere 0.068 seconds. Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports Chevy), who held the point at the white flag, settled for third following a frantic three-wide dash to the line, while Ty Gibbs and Erik Jones rounded out the top five. Bubba Wallace finished among the lead pack but dropped to the tail of the results after a penalty for a yellow-line violation on the final restart.

Blaney's performance represented the most dominant showing at a drafting venue (aka restrictor plate track, or super speedway) since 1964, while also marking Ford's 750th premier-class win and the driver for their last six trips to victory lane.

The event was interrupted by a weather delay exceeding three hours after Lap 108, though Blaney quickly reasserted his authority once the race restarted. Shane van Gisbergen secured a career-best oval result in sixth, followed by Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, and Chris Buescher.

Denny Hamlin maintains his grasp on the championship lead with six events remaining before the postseason, though Blaney’s maximum points haul moves him into striking distance for the regular-season crown.


Next: Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, July 18-19

IMSA


Inter Europol Competition captured LMP2 honors in the IMSA Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as Tom Dillmann and Jeremy Clarke converted pole position into a crucial victory to tighten the championship battle.

The No. 43 ORECA 07-Gibson led most of the 2-hour, 40-minute race before Dillmann reclaimed the lead from championship leader Alex Quinn following the final caution. Quinn had inherited the top spot through pit strategy with teammate George Kurtz, but traffic allowed Dillmann to execute the winning pass at Turn 2 with 75 minutes remaining. A late splash of fuel did not cost the team, as Dillmann finished nearly 10 seconds ahead of Quinn. AO Racing’s Dane Cameron and PJ Hyett rallied from ninth to third.

In GTD Pro, Vasser Sullivan Racing earned its second consecutive victory as Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat drove the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 to victory. Barnicoat took the lead shortly after the final restart and pulled away, while AO Racing’s Porsche duo of Nick Tandy and Harry King finished second ahead of championship leaders Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen in the Paul Miller Racing BMW.

Winward Racing claimed GTD honors as Philip Ellis and Russell Ward guided their Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO to victory over the Vasser Sullivan Lexus of Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen. Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher completed the podium after a hard-fought race.


Next: Motul Endurance Grand Prix at Road America, July 30-Aug 2

MotoGP


Marc Marquez strengthened his MotoGP title bid with a commanding victory in Saturday’s German Grand Prix Sprint at Sachsenring, leading every lap from pole despite relentless pressure from younger brother Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

After setting a new lap record to secure his ninth Sachsenring pole, Marc Marquez converted the advantage into the holeshot and controlled the 15-lap race. Alex Marquez stayed within striking distance throughout but never found a way past, while Di Giannantonio briefly dropped to fourth before reclaiming third and mounting a late charge that fell just short, completing a Ducati sweep of the podium.

Ai Ogura finished a solid fourth for Trackhouse Aprilia ahead of teammate Raul Fernandez and championship leader Jorge Martin, who extended his points lead over absent Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who fractured his collarbone in a qualifying crash. Francesco Bagnaia recovered from 11th on the grid to finish seventh, followed by Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha), who claimed the final championship point in ninth.


Marc Marquez further ignited his championship aspirations with a dominant performance in Sunday’s German Grand Prix at Sachsenring, leading from lights-to-flag to secure his third win of the year and an incredible 10th premier-class victory at the track.

Following recent triumphs in Hungary and Czechia, Marquez has dramatically slashed a 102-point gap to sit just 18 points adrift of the title lead. The Ducati star led all 30 laps, ultimately finishing 1.996 seconds clear of Trackhouse Aprilia’s Ai Ogura.

Alex Marquez tracked his brother for the first eight laps before a costly crash from second place promoted Raul Fernandez. Ogura eventually found a way past his teammate with six laps to go to claim the runner-up spot, as Fernandez held on for the final podium position.

Pedro Acosta fought through the field from eighth to finish fourth. Jorge Martin fended off a late attack from Francesco Bagnaia to take fifth, preserving a 14-point cushion over Ogura in the standings. Fabio Quartararo secured seventh for Yamaha, followed by Luca Marini, Enea Bastianini, and Brad Binder.

Marco Bezzecchi slipped to fourth in the title race, now 22 points behind leader Martin, with four weeks to recover from successful surgery on his clavicle before the season resumes end of August.


Next: Michelin Grand Prix of Aragon at Aragon, Aug 28-30

WSBK


Iker Lecuona ended Nicolo Bulega’s remarkable 25-race winning streak with a dramatic victory in Race 1 of the Prosecco DOC UK Round, earning his first career MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship win.

Lecuona grabbed the holeshot at Donington Park and immediately came under pressure from his Aruba.it Racing Ducati teammate. Bulega launched several attacks throughout the race, but Lecuona repeatedly reclaimed the lead with determined defensive riding.

The championship leader finally edged ahead on the penultimate lap, only for Lecuona to respond with a bold pass at the Melbourne Hairpin. Bulega mounted one final challenge on the last lap, but Lecuona closed the door and held firm through the final corners to win by less than two-tenths of a second.

The victory also ended Lecuona’s frustrating streak of 20 consecutive podium finishes without reaching the top step. While Bulega’s historic run came to an end, he finished second to maintain his championship lead after one of the season’s most memorable duels.


Nicolo Bulega returned to victory in Race 2 by leading every lap of Race 2 to secure his 43rd MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship victory, tying Noriyuki Haga for sixth on the all-time wins list. The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider also helped Ducati clinch the 2026 Manufacturers’ Championship after just eight rounds.

Starting from pole, Bulega held off an early challenge from Yari Montella before steadily pulling away to victory. Behind him, Iker Lecuona produced one of the rides of the race, charging from 10th on the grid to second, passing Sam Lowes and Alex Lowes before overtaking Montella on Lap 16 to secure a runnerup finish with Montella third.

Axel Bassani climbed to fourth after passing Alex Lowes in the closing laps, while Lowes finished fifth ahead of Garrett Gerloff and Sam Lowes. Lorenzo Baldassarri claimed eighth after a late pass on Xavi Vierge, with Alvaro Bautista rounding out the top 10. Remy Gardner advanced from 21st on the grid to finish 13th, while Danilo Petrucci claimed the final championship point in 15th.


Next: Acerbis French Round at Magny-Cours, Sept 4-6

MotoAmerica Superbikes


JD Beach delivered a dominant performance in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike Race 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, leading all 20 laps to earn a commanding victory for Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing.

Beach started second but quickly took control after passing Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen exiting Turn 11 on the opening lap. Once in front, he steadily pulled away to win by 3.564 seconds over Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen, who recovered after starting from pole.

Jacobsen held second for 16 laps before crashing at Turn 5, setting up a dramatic battle for the final podium position. OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly made a last-corner pass on championship leader Mathew Scholtz to claim third, with Scholtz finishing just 0.2 seconds behind after charging from eighth on the grid. Scholtz retained the championship lead by two points heading into Sunday’s race.

Loris Baz completed the top five, followed by Jayson Uribe, Bobby Fong, Benjamin Smith, Richie Escalante and Hayden Gillim.


JD Beach completed a perfect weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, leading every lap of Sunday’s MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike Race 2 to sweep the weekend for Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing.

Starting second on the grid, Beach seized the lead before the end of the opening lap and steadily built a comfortable advantage. He crossed the finish line 3.437 seconds ahead of Ducati rider Cameron Petersen to earn his fifth career Superbike victory and second straight win at Laguna Seca.

Petersen recovered after slipping to third on the opening lap behind Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen. The Wrench Motorcycles rider passed Jacobsen on Lap 7 and held second to the finish.

OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW) mounted another late-race charge, overtaking Jacobsen on Lap 15 to secure his second consecutive third-place finish. Jacobsen settled for fourth, while Beach’s teammate Bobby Fong completed the top five.

The championship battle shifted dramatically when points leader Mathew Scholtz retired after 11 laps while running seventh. Entering the race with a two-point advantage, Scholtz’s DNF reshuffled the title fight at the halfway point of the season.
Loris Baz, Benjamin Smith, Jayson Uribe, Hayden Gillim and Brandon Paasch completed the top 10.


Next: Mid-Ohio, July 31-Aug 2













 
 
 

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