Old Bridge Township’s Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, celebrated a major milestone October 1-4 with the 50th annual Race of Champions presented by Kawasaki. Five decades of racing under continuous ownership is an extraordinary achievement, and the 2026 edition added another memorable chapter to one of Northeast motocross’s most enduring traditions.
Story by Scott Lukaitis
With amateur competition on Friday and Saturday and Pro Expert and special-event races on Sunday, the weekend delivered plenty of great racing. Kawasaki and the local Kawasaki dealers were once again the event’s presenting sponsor, a tradition dating back to the early ’80s. Support from dealers and manufacturers like this keeps local motocross alive. More than 1100 racers from 18 different states made the journey to Raceway Park to compete.
The amateur portion took place on Friday and Saturday. Top amateur winners included Caden Rybasack, James Lonabaugh, Chris Hunter, Nathan Tucker, Kameron Buckman, Lilly Spellman, Forrest McPherson, and Owen Weiss, each with double-class overall wins. Additionally, Maverick Terwilliger pulled the hat trick with three overall wins.
Sunday’s spotlight turned to the Pro Expert classes (250 and Open) and special intermission races for amateur and minibike riders, and rain fell all afternoon, making for treacherous conditions that emphasized a good start and keeping your goggles clean.
The first Open A moto saw Ricci Randanella get out front early and try to open a gap on the field. Bryton Carroll and Phil Nicoletti kept Randanella in sight while battling it out themselves. As the rain intensified and the track grew slippery, the gaps among the three racers grew and shrank throughout the moto. At the finish, Randanella took the win, followed by Carroll and Nicoletti, setting the stage for moto two. Moto two again saw Randanella and Carroll get out front early. This time, Nicoletti was caught up in an early crash and had to fight his way through the pack to finish on the overall podium. Randanella and Carroll battled up front, with Carroll taking the lead, while Nicoletti used his years of Northeast mud-riding experience to charge through the field. Carroll held off a late charge from Randanella to take the moto and overall win. Randanella finished second in the moto and overall, while Nicoletti came back to fifth in the moto to claim the final overall podium spot.
In 250 A action, 2025 Ironman Classic winner Trinnytie Batchelor grabbed the holeshot and rode to a convincing wire-to-wire win. Gavin Betts finished second, with Michael Gurda, Cory Carsten and Ty Wozney rounding out the top five. The second moto was quite different. Batchelor crashed during the second Open A moto, ending his day and opening the battle for the 250 A overall. Randanella sat out the first 250 A moto to focus on the Open A class, but after two strong motos, he lined up for the afternoon’s final race. A holeshot and a wire-to-wire win made that decision worthwhile. Although he wasn’t in contention for the overall, the moto win was a good way to finish his day. With Batchelor and Randanella each missing a moto score, consistency paid off. Gavin Betts used 2-2 finishes to claim the overall win. Carsten’s 4-3 finishes earned him second overall, while Gurda’s 3-6 scores secured the final podium spot.
Between the motos, the crowd enjoyed a series of special intermission races, long a part of the Race of Champions weekend. In 2026, the prestigious Ironman Classic, sponsored by Motorcycle Mall of Monmouth, went to Hudson Vagele. Other highlights included Kameron Buckman taking the win in the 65cc Kessler Cup, sponsored by Crossroads Powersports; 2024 and 2025 Kessler Cup winner Forrest McPherson winning the 85cc Top Gun Mini Cycle Shootout, sponsored by Montgomeryville Cycle Center; Liam Doebly winning the Pags Powersports Fast 50s; Jayson Labouef winning the 125cc All-Stars moto; and Phil Nicoletti being named the inaugural King of the Vets, sponsored by Mt Holly Powersports.CN
2026 Race of Champions Results
OPEN A (Top 3)
- Bryton Carroll (Yam)
- Ricci Randanella (Kaw)
- Phillip Nicoletti (Hus)
250A (Top 3)
- Gavin Betts (Yam)
- Cory Carsten (Suz)
- Michael Gurda Jr (Tri)
