TST Industries Scores Stunning Overall Victory in Inaugural N2RA KYT Americas 6-Hours of VIR
Photos by Apex Pro Photo – Julian Correa on the TST Suzuki, Kensei Matsudaira on the Team Roberts Kramer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media, PA – August 2026 – TST Industries scored a stunning overall victory in the inaugural N2RA KYT Americas 6-Hours of VIR, defeating a field that included significantly more powerful machinery to claim both the Lightsport class and overall win at Virginia International Raceway. Riders Julian Correa, Justin Riley, and Levi Badie piloted the team’s Lightsport-spec Suzuki GSX-8R on Dunlop tires to victory, earning $7,000 in combined class and overall prize money.
Team Roberts added another memorable performance to the inaugural N2RA weekend, winning Saturday’s Alpha Omega 2-Hour Ultralight Endurance with 15-year-old Kensei Matsudaira completing the entire race solo aboard a Kramer APX-350.
Although N2 has been involved in endurance racing since 2017, the N2 Racing Association is completely new for 2026, with new rules, formats, staff, and a self-contained racing organization. The inaugural N2RA weekend at VIR brought all of those pieces together for three days of track time and racing.
“Overall, I couldn’t be happier with how our inaugural N2RA weekend turned out. We created N2RA to bring the same customer-first approach we’ve spent more than 12 years building in the track day community into motorcycle racing. We originally planned to launch in 2025, but we made the decision to wait until we knew we could deliver the experience we envisioned. When the opportunity at Virginia International Raceway became available for 2026, we knew we had the right venue to finally do it.”
“Our goal was simple: make it easy for racers to come race motorcycles. From registration and tech to the Endurance 30 format and procedures for changing conditions, we tried to think through the details that make a race weekend better for the customer. Sunday was the ultimate test. We had never run a six-hour endurance race, the schedule was extremely tight, and everything had to operate with pinpoint accuracy to deliver the full six hours we promised. We did it, with more than 200 laps of racing with only two red flags. That says a tremendous amount about the talent, discipline, and professionalism of the racers and teams who competed.”
“Was everything perfect? No, and we didn’t expect it to be. We came away with a lot of notes and tremendous feedback that will help us make N2RA even better. Most importantly, I want to thank every racer, team, and sponsor who trusted us before we had proven we could do this. Maybe the best indication of how I feel about the weekend is that planning for 2027 was already underway before my rig ever left the VIR paddock.”
— N2 COO John Farrell
Friday: N2 Track Day
The weekend began Friday, August 7, with a sold-out N2 Track Day racers’ practice. Four groups with limited rider counts provided competitors with substantial track time to learn the circuit, test setups, and prepare for the weekend’s racing.
Saturday: Endurance 30 and Alpha Omega 2-Hour
Saturday, August 8, opened with 30-minute practice sessions followed by 30-minute qualifying sessions for each class.
The afternoon introduced N2RA’s new Endurance 30 format: 30-minute-plus-one-lap mini-endurance races for Lightsport, Supersport, Ultralight, and Superbike competitors.
Team Estenson’s Sam Drane won the Lightsport Endurance 30 aboard a Yamaha YZF-R7, ahead of Kevin Olmedo and Chase Brown.
Julian Correa won the Supersport Endurance 30 aboard a Dunlop-shod Honda CBR600RR, followed by Tim Wilson and David Zaka.
Matt Spinak took the Superbike Endurance 30 victory aboard a Dunlop-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1, ahead of Ryan Manotti and Daniel Hughes.
Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira won the Ultralight Endurance 30 aboard a Kramer APX-350, ahead of Matt Patacca and Alex Ferreira.
Saturday’s featured race was the Alpha Omega 2-Hour Ultralight Endurance, which allowed competitors to race as teams or attempt the event solo.
Matsudaira chose the harder route.
The 15-year-old completed the race solo, stopping only for fuel and combining youthful endurance with impressive pace to take the victory in a race shortened by thunderstorms and lightning.
Matsudaira and Team Roberts finished ahead of Robem Engineering’s Hank Vossberg and Seth Dahmer aboard an Aprilia RS 457, with Matt Patacca and Mark Morrow finishing third aboard a Mark Morrow Roadracing School Dunlop-shod Kawasaki Ninja 400.
Sunday: KYT Americas 6-Hours of VIR
The feature event of the weekend was Sunday’s KYT Americas 6-Hours of VIR. Six hours of endurance racing brings heat, humidity, changing weather, crashes, mechanical problems, pit stops, rider changes, fuel strategy, and countless opportunities for mistakes. Outright speed alone rarely wins an endurance race. Consistency, preparation, teamwork, and minimizing mistakes ultimately decide the result.
TST Industries delivered all four.
With consistent pace, efficient pit stops, a talented lineup of young riders, and remarkably little drama, TST Industries kept its Lightsport-spec Suzuki GSX-8R in contention throughout the six-hour race.
When the checkered flag fell, the smaller Lightsport machine had beaten 24 other teams, including competitors aboard significantly more powerful Supersport and Superbike machinery.
TST Industries claimed the Lightsport victory and overall win, earning $4,000 for the class victory plus the $3,000 Overall Winner Bonus.
Supersport-class 3 Marines Racing finished second overall with riders Sloan West, Nathan Gauker, David Zaka, and John Hvizdak. TR2 Racing, with Emerson Amaya, Dan Kaepernik, and Kevin Olmedo, completed the overall podium in third.
Twenty-five teams competed across four classes: Superbike, Supersport, Lightsport, and the Relay Exhibition Class.
KYT Americas 6-Hours of VIR Results
“What an incredible way to kick off our inaugural 6-Hours of VIR race event. From the moment the bikes hit the track, the talent, speed, and determination of our riders and teams were on full display, delivering the kind of close, competitive racing that makes this sport so exciting.”
“We’re extremely grateful to our sponsors and partners for believing in our vision and helping bring this event to life. KYT Americas and Alpha Omega generously stepped up as title sponsors of our two main endurance races. Kustom Cockpits, Pit Lane Moto, Yamaha Champions Riding School, and Rick Hammett contributed cash purse and bonus awards, while Yamaha Motor USA, Bridgestone, Hindle, Woodcraft, and Pirelli provided contingency support.”
“These contributions put money and products directly into the hands of racers while helping us continue to grow endurance racing in America. We can’t wait to start working on what comes next.”
“I also want to recognize our staff and volunteers, whose energy and hard work behind the scenes kept everything running smoothly, both on and off the track. We are so fortunate to have such dedicated and supportive individuals.”
— N2 CEO Jim Curtis
N2RA Sponsors
N2RA is proudly sponsored by: KYT Americas, Alpha Omega, Yamaha Motor USA, Bridgestone, Kustom Cockpits, Pit Lane Moto, Woodcraft Technologies, Hindle Exhaust, Pirelli, and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
ABOUT N2: RIDE. LEARN. RACE.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured track days and advanced rider-training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School methodology.
In 2017, N2 helped revive motorcycle endurance racing in America with the creation of the N2 National Endurance Series, the foundation for today’s N2 Racing Association.
The N2/BobbleHeadMoto Race Team has also won two national championships in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing series with rider Blake Davis.
N2 is a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through its racing efforts and the support of its large and dedicated member base.
For more information: www.n2td.org
N2 Track Days, LLC
101 E. Baltimore Pike #1758
Media, PA 19063
Photos by Apex Pro Photo – Julian Correa on the TST Suzuki, Kensei Matsudaira on the Team Roberts Kramer