May & June 2026 - First Points, Top Tens, and Taming the European Circuits!

Welcome back, everyone! If you thought the action was cooling down, think again. The throttle is completely pinned.

People often ask what type of training actually goes into competing at the World Championship level, and the answer is constant versatility. Before kicking off an insane six-week sprint across Europe, my Stateside prep was intense. I hopped on the flat track bike and threw down some serious dirt sessions with Sean Dylan Kelly to sharpen my reflexes, balance, and throttle control.

I followed that up with two killer MBO rides with my best friend Avery Dreher to push my cardio and endurance to the absolute limit. That mix of cross-training was the exact preparation I needed to tackle three wildly different European tracks, battle through adversity, and make some actual history along the way. Buckle up, because this leg of the season was an absolute rollercoaster!

Before hitting the Czech Republic, I arrived in Barcelona for a brutal but perfect day of training on the minis at Karting Vendrell with the RIDERS FORMATION crew. 

Autodrom Most: Breaking Through in the Czech Republic

By Wednesday, I was reunited with the team in Prague. Seeing the city and the mountains—complete with a literal castle in the background—was a surreal reminder of how grateful I am for this journey.

But Autodrom Most is no joke. It was instantly the most technical track of the year, filled with hard braking zones and tricky sectors.

• Friday's Strategic Adjustments: We spent the session focused on dialing in the front-end feel. During Superpole, we identified a few areas for setup refinement, and our timing with the draft group didn’t quite align, which placed us in P26 for qualifying. It was a demanding day that really tested our adaptability, but I collaborated closely with my crew. We broke down the data, reset our strategy, and channeled all our energy into climbing the grid for Saturday's race.

• Saturday's Surge: In Race 1, I got a ridiculous launch, passing nine guys on lap one! I fought hard and finished P16, just one spot shy of the points. The improvement from Friday was massive.

• Sunday's Sweet Reward: For Race 2, I had this gut feeling it was going to be our day. The lights went out, I skyrocketed from P26 to P16 on lap one, and kept my head down. I crossed the line in P12, scoring my first-ever World Championship points! The team and I were ecstatic. Hard work was paying off in real-time.

Riding high from Most, I flew to Manchester, UK, for a week of training and recharging with my amazing friend George Bowes and his family. Training continued on the mountain bikes and countless steps site seeing new cities. I flew back to Barcelona for another RF training session and then we took the van down to Aragon. 

Aragon: Making American History in Spain

Having ridden Aragon two years ago on a BMW S1000, I knew the layout, which gave me a massive confidence boost. The vibes were immaculate. I took a solo bicycle lap around the track on Thursday evening, and I just knew a special weekend was brewing.

• Friday Fire: Straight out of the gates, the bike felt incredible. We finished morning practice just 1.2 seconds off P1! In qualifying, I played it smart, waited for the right group to draft, and qualified P18—just one second off pole. It was our most competitive Friday yet.

• Saturday Heartbreak: I rocketed to P14 off the start, firmly in the points. Unfortunately, a red flag on lap five forced a restart. After the restart, the rear wheel was spinning wildly, and overheating issues left me a sitting duck. I finished P17, but clocked the 9th fastest lap. The pace was there.

• Sunday Glory: Starting P18 again, I survived turn-one contact and settled into the battle for P8. I spent the entire race applying pressure and making aggressive passes. On the final lap, I executed a crucial pass in the last corner to cross the line in P10!

We became the first Americans to finish in the top 10 in a World Sportbike Championship race. The drive back to Barcelona was pure joy. This team is becoming family, and that result was validation for every drop of sweat we’ve poured into this season.

Due to 90-day visa rules, I had to bounce back to the UK, which meant another epic detour. George and I hit a track day at Snetterton (massive shoutout to Jay Dexter for lending me his CBR600!), keeping my reflexes sharp before heading to Italy.

Misano: The Ultimate Testing Ground

Arriving at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is like walking into a motorsport cathedral. Seeing the VR46 banners and the Simoncelli statues was a fever dream. And tackling the legendary Curvone corner—flat out in 6th gear, tucked in, bouncing off the rev limiter—was genuinely the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced on two wheels.

But as magical as the track was, the racing was a brutal learning curve.

• Rising to the Challenge: With several teams coming into the weekend with recent testing days, so our approach was to take this opportunity to fast-track our own learning process right out of the gate. We dedicated our sessions to exploring and refining the front-end setup, utilizing every single lap to gather vital data and make continuous adjustments. It was a highly productive exercise in adaptability as we continue building toward that ultimate, locked-in confidence we established at Aragon.

• Maximizing Track Time: We utilized Saturday’s race to explore the absolute limits of our setup, specifically focusing on fine-tuning our engine brake mapping to optimize deceleration and corner entry. Recognizing the need for refinement, we made the strategic decision to shift our approach, embracing every single lap as an invaluable, high-speed data acquisition session. The information and telemetry we extracted on the track were absolute gold, empowering the crew to make bold, calculated adjustments that put us in a much stronger, more competitive position for Sunday.

• Mastering the Conditions: Sunday morning’s warm-up proved that our strategic changes were exactly what we needed. I shaved a massive 0.8 seconds off my lap time, significantly closing the gap to the front pack and showcasing our true pace. As the afternoon race kicked off, track temperatures skyrocketed, introducing a dynamic new element to our setup and tire strategy. Instead of backing down, we pushed the absolute limits of our grip. The evolving conditions required a highly adaptable riding style, which allowed me to tap directly into my recent dirt track training. I spent the race expertly steering with the rear wheel, backing the bike into corners, and maximizing our corner exit speeds despite the slick surface. It was a thrilling exercise in bike control and an incredible learning experience that leaves our team with a wealth of valuable, high-temperature setup data for the remainder of the season.

It was our most difficult weekend, but it’s the one where I learned the most about myself and the bike. We never gave up, we kept making improvements, and we took our lumps like a team.

Homeward Bound & The Summer Grind

Now, I’m headed back to the States for a two-month summer break. But let me be crystal clear: the preparation does not stop. I am not here to plateau. I’m here to learn, adapt, and climb the ranks. Misano didn't break my spirit; it gave me the exact motivation I need to train harder than ever over these next eight weeks.

I have to send a massive thank you to my Mom, my Dad, and Coach Torres for keeping my head in the game when things got tough. And to my incredible Pons Motorsports team—you guys are absolute legends.

I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed, but I’m already hungry for the next round. Thank you all so much for the unwavering support. I hope I’m making you proud. The best is yet to come! 🏁