NASCAR, MotoGP, WSBK and MotoAmerica Race Wrap-ups

Denny Hamlin won Sunday's NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway and collected the event’s $1 million prize. Starting from the pole position, Hamlin drove his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to victory after passing teammate Chase Briscoe with 29 laps remaining in the 200-lap final segment of the non-points exhibition event.

The race marked the first time the All-Star Race was held at Dover’s famed “Monster Mile,” and the concrete one-mile oval produced a dramatic afternoon filled with cautions and heavy attrition. Two separate nine-car crashes during the opening 75-lap stage eliminated or damaged several top contenders, including former All-Star winners Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney.

Toyota teams controlled much of the action throughout the event. Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, both driving for the 23XI Racing organization co-owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, captured the first two race stages before the final segment became a duel between Hamlin and Briscoe. Together, the pair led all but 36 laps of the closing stage, with Briscoe earning a career-best All-Star Race finish in second.

Erik Jones delivered one of his strongest performances of the season by finishing third for Legacy Motor Club, while Austin Dillon finished fourth (and first Chevy) for Richard Childress Racing. Rookie Connor Zilisch impressed fans with a fifth-place finish for Trackhouse Racing after recovering from a costly pit-road penalty midway through the race.

Austin Cindric (first Ford), William Byron, Michael McDowell, Alex Bowman, and Brad Keselowski completed the top 10. Hamlin’s victory was the second All-Star Race win of his career and made him just the third driver in NASCAR history to win the event at multiple tracks.

Next race: May 22-24, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

MotoGP

The MotoGP weekend in Barcelona started with the Saturday sprint race, which ended with Alex Marquez (Ducati) narrowly defeating Pedro Acosta by just 0.041 seconds in the closest Tissot Sprint finish ever recorded. Riding for BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP, Marquez survived relentless pressure from the Red Bull KTM rider over the final laps to secure an emotional home victory.

Acosta grabbed the holeshot at the start, while an early crash involving Brad Binder and Joan Mir immediately shuffled the field. The race intensified when Jorge Martin crashed out on Lap 3 after already enduring several falls during the weekend. Marquez eventually seized the lead from Acosta and spent the closing laps desperately defending as Acosta closed rapidly.

Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the podium in third, less than half a second behind the leaders, while Raul Fernandez faded late after briefly challenging for victory. Johann Zarco finished fifth, and Francesco Bagnaia recovered from 13th on the grid to sixth.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Di Giannantonio earned his first win since 2023, delivering Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team a dramatic win after multiple crashes, red flags, and late-race position changes reshaped the order.

The race initially featured a fierce battle among Acosta, Alex Marquez, Raul Fernandez, and Martin before disaster struck on Lap 12. Acosta suffered a mechanical issue on the straight, leaving Marquez with nowhere to go. The resulting collision launched Marquez into a violent crash and scattered debris across the circuit, forcing a red flag. Fernandez, Di Giannantonio, and Johann Zarco were also caught in the incident but were able to restart.

After a second red flag caused by another first-corner crash, the final 13-lap sprint to the finish saw Di Giannantonio steadily climb into contention. He passed Joan Mir for second before overtaking Acosta for the lead with three laps remaining. Acosta then crashed on the final lap after contact with Ai Ogura, ending his podium hopes.

Mir initially finished second but received a post-race tire-pressure penalty, promoting Bagnaia to third behind Di Giannantonio and rookie Fermin Aldeguer. Marco Bezzecchi recovered to fourth, while Fabio Quartararo rounded out the top five after one of the season’s most chaotic MotoGP weekends.

Next race: May 29-31, Brembo Grand Prix of Italy at Mugello

World Superbike

The 2026 World Superbike Championship weekend at Autodrom Most delivered intense battles, breakout performances, and dramatic setbacks as the Czech Round produced some of the season’s most entertaining racing so far.

At the front, Nicolo Bulega continued his dominant campaign for Aruba.it Racing - Ducati by sweeping all three races and extending his remarkable winning streak to 19 consecutive victories. Teammate Iker Lecuona pushed Bulega harder than anyone has in recent weeks but alas, close but no cigar.

Lecuona spent much of Race 1 battling past Yari Montella before closing rapidly on Bulega in the closing laps. The two factory Ducati riders traded aggressive moves during a thrilling late-race fight, with Lecuona briefly taking the lead before Bulega regained control to secure another victory. Despite another strong weekend, Lecuona now has 14 career WorldSBK podiums without a win, tying the all-time record previously held by Davide Giuliano.

Montella continued his breakout 2026 season with another outstanding performance for Barni Spark Racing Team. The Italian rider finished third in both races, giving him four consecutive podium finishes dating back to the previous round and further establishing himself as a consistent contender near the front of the field.

One of the weekend’s most entertaining storylines came from the fierce battle between Garrett Gerloff and Alberto Surra. The pair fought wheel-to-wheel for much of Sunday’s race, with Surra defending aggressively around the challenging Most circuit while Gerloff repeatedly searched for a way through. Gerloff eventually prevailed, capping his best weekend yet with the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team after scoring 28 points and a best finish of fourth.

The weekend also featured disappointment for several riders. Sam Lowes suffered crashes in both Race 1 and the Superpole Race, while Danilo Petrucci endured a heavy opening-lap crash in race 1 that left him with a fractured coccyx. BMW substitute rider Michael van der Mark at least provided a positive note by returning to score points during a difficult weekend for the manufacturer.

Next race: May 29-31 at MotorLand Aragón

MotoAmerica Superbikes

The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Barber Motorsports Park saw Strack Racing's Mathew Scholtz dominate both races aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1 to strengthen his hold on the championship lead.

In Saturday’s opening race, Scholtz started from the front row and immediately showed his speed before an early red flag as a result of polesitter Cameron Beaubier's off reset the field. On the restart, the South African once again launched perfectly and controlled the shortened race from the front, ultimately winning by more than four seconds. Six-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion Beaubier looked capable of challenging Scholtz aboard his Warhorse HSBK Ducati Ducati Panigale V4 R, but a poor restart dropped him deep in the pack. He fought his way back to second but ran out of time to mount a late challenge.

The battle for the final podium position became one of the highlights of race one. JD Beach edged teammate Bobby Fong at the finish to secure third for Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. Richie Escalante delivered his best finish of the season in fifth aboard the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, while Hayden Gillim stayed in podium contention throughout the race before finishing sixth for Real Steel Honda.

Sunday’s race two also belonged entirely to Scholtz. He passed PJ Jacobsen on the opening lap and immediately pulled away from the field, leading every lap and winning by more than six seconds to earn the first Superbike double victory of his career. Cameron Beaubier crashed early, pitted for repairs, and was able to rejoin the race and finish P17.

Beach continued his strong weekend with another podium in second and Sean Dylan Kelly rebounded impressively from a violent qualifying crash and a difficult Saturday to finish third aboard his BMW M 1000 RR.

Escalante again charged through the field to finish fourth, while Fong placed sixth. Gillim’s weekend ended on a disappointing note after mechanical problems forced him to retire from race two.

Next race: May 29-31 at Road America