Yamaha BLU CRU Riders Celebrate Championship and Wins at COTA
Bryce Kornbau seals the Super Hooligan title with a COTA sweep, Harrison Voight and Josh Hayes score a double podium in Supersport, and Sam Drane earns his first Talent Cup victory of the season / Sep 16, 2026 /
It was a successful weekend for Yamaha BLU CRU riders in the MotoAmerica support classes at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau capped off a strong season with a pair of wins to secure the Super Hooligan National Championship over his teammate Andy DiBrino. In Supersport, Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Harrison Voight impressed in his MotoAmerica debut, finishing runner-up in Race 2 ahead of BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes. Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane also had a standout weekend, earning his first MotoAmerica Talent Cup victory of the season and a runner-up finish.
Bryce Kornbau Wins 2026 Super Hooligan Championship at COTA
The stage was set for an exciting Super Hooligan season finale at COTA, with BPR Racing Yamaha teammates Andy DiBrino and Bryce Kornbau separated by five points in the championship coming into the weekend. In the end, team owner/racer Kornbau did what he needed to do to secure his second MotoAmerica title – win.
DiBrino led the first half of Race 1 aboard his Yamaha MT-09, with Kornbau taking over the top spot with three laps remaining. The teammates exchanged positions in the closing laps, but it was Kornbau who ultimately prevailed. With the victory, he drew even with DiBrino in the standings, setting up a winner-take-all showdown in the final race of the season.
In Race 2, DiBrino once again led from the start, and the BPR Racing Yamaha duo quickly rode away from the competition. It became a game of strategy between the teammates, with Kornbau staying on DiBrino’s heels and waiting for his opportunity. When DiBrino ran wide and off track late in the race, Kornbau took over the lead and rode on to complete the sweep and secure the 2026 Super Hooligan Championship.
“I did what I needed to do,” said Kornbau. “We won both races, and Andy didn’t make it easy. We’re on equal equipment, and he’s stronger than me in some areas, and I’m better than him in some areas. We just go at each other differently.
“Today, I had one goal, and that was to just sit behind him the whole race, not show anything, and try to make the move on that last lap. I didn’t know if it was going to work out, and it did. We went 1-2 in the championship in our first year. It’s good for our team, it’s good for our sponsors, and it just shows everybody what we can do. It’s very exciting.”
Although DiBrino came just shy of the championship, it was a strong season for the rider from Oregon, who overcame a difficult start to the year and took the title fight down to the final race.
“It’s been an amazing season,” said DiBrino. “Coming into this, I knew I would be a contender, but we had a rough start to the season, and it took my home round to turn things around. We’ve just been on a tear ever since. I’ve been growing throughout the season and learning, and this weekend we made some big steps.
“I got my first pole position, and I felt like I could set the pace. I was able to do so all weekend long, but Bryce is so smart, so crafty, and I knew I couldn’t beat him on pace alone. So it got to be a bit of a game of strategy there, and his expertise and experience came out on top. I’m grateful that I got to learn from him all season long and get this result.”
Kornbau ended the season with four victories and eight podium finishes aboard the Yamaha MT-09, while DiBrino scored three wins and eight podiums to complete a stellar 1-2 finish for BPR Racing Yamaha in the championship.
Harrison Voight and Josh Hayes Score MotoAmerica Supersport Double Podium at COTA
Making his MotoAmerica debut as a fill-in rider for the injured Dominic Doyle, Harrison Voight quickly got up to speed with the Liberty St. Yamaha Racing team, the Yamaha YZF-R9 and the challenging Circuit of the Americas. It was a strong debut for the newly crowned 2026 Australian Superbike Champion, who battled up front in both races and left Texas with a runner-up finish.
Voight led the way for the Yamaha BLU CRU riders in qualifying, earning fourth on the grid. He was fourth after the start of Race 1 and quickly made his way into the runner-up position, joining the championship leaders in the fight at the front. As the race wore on, it came down to Voight and Darryn Binder battling for the victory. The Australian stayed on his heels but unfortunately crashed out while fighting for the win on the final lap.
Voight reset for Race 2 and got another great start, moving into second early. It became a multi-rider battle for the final podium positions, with BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes also in the mix. Voight crossed the line third after being passed on the final lap, but following a post-race review, the rider ahead was disqualified, promoting Voight to second.
“It was a pretty great weekend racing at COTA for Liberty St. Yamaha Racing,” said Voight. “It was my first time ever seeing the track and riding the Yamaha R9. Friday was challenging as I was trying to get to grips with the circuit and bike. Afterwards, we were able to start being competitive from Saturday, qualifying fourth.
“Unfortunately, I crashed in Race 1 battling for the lead on the last lap, but I still had good confidence going into Sunday’s second race. I was happy to finish the weekend second and get a good result for the team, as they worked so hard for me all weekend. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to race this weekend, and I had a great time. I hope to be back sometime soon.”
Hayes also put together another solid weekend aboard the BPR Racing Yamaha YZF-R9. After qualifying fifth, the four-time AMA Superbike Champion battled inside the top five throughout the race and ultimately crossed the line fourth. In Race 2, Hayes was once again in the fight for the podium and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2. He ultimately earned third following the post-race penalty, and heads to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park just three points from third in the Supersport Championship.
“I was pretty pleased with my results at a track that has typically been difficult for me,” said Hayes. “It was great to have another Yamaha up front also, with Harrison riding so well, but my personal highlight was having the fastest race lap in Race 2. I think we’re in a good place going into New Jersey, which has traditionally been a good track for me, and my down-to-the-wire fight for third in the championship.”
Strack Racing Yamaha’s Blake Davis left Texas with a pair of solid results. After qualifying sixth to complete an all-Yamaha second row of the grid, the young Virginian battled for a top-five result early in Race 1 before dropping back to 11th. Davis put his head down and worked his way back through the field to finish sixth. He followed that up with a top-five result in Race 2 and heads to the season finale fifth in the championship.
Sam Drane Wins MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race 2 at COTA
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane enjoyed another strong weekend at COTA. The 15-year-old Australian qualified second and battled for the podium throughout Race 1, ultimately earning a runner-up finish.
Drane got another good start in Race 2 and was initially locked in a battle for second. After breaking free, he set his sights on race leader Nathan Gouker and closed the gap around the halfway mark. Drane took over the lead with three laps remaining, setting up a fight to the finish between the talented young riders. The duo exchanged positions in the closing laps, with Drane reclaiming the lead to earn his first MotoAmerica Talent Cup victory of the season.
“I definitely had a good weekend,” said Drane. “I started off okay with second, and then I really wanted to win Race 2. I went into it with a good mindset and just really put my head down. I got held up a little bit but ended up catching back up to Nathan, and it was a good race.”
With the 2-1 result, Drane maintains third in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship heading into the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, on September 25-27.