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On the Podium with Kayla Yaakov

Greetings, Barber VIP Superfan!

Greetings to you, one of our Barber Motorsports VIP Superfans, and thank you! Another great weekend is in the books, and along with all the fun and excitement of the event, we all got to enjoy two young, rising stars who are both incredibly talented, but in two completely different arenas.

The first star is Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov, who has been on an absolute tear since the opening round at Daytona. From the moment the 2026 season began, Kayla and her Ducati Panigale V2 have been notching podium results, pole positions, and setting new lap records in the ultracompetitive Supersport class.

Her historic podium finish in the Daytona 200 was just the start, then she made history again with her first career pole position at Road Atlanta, and she didn’t stop there. This past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, Kayla delivered another statement performance by setting a Supersport lap record — a remarkable achievement for any rider, let alone an 18yearold young lady who is quickly becoming one of the paddock’s most exciting talents.

Kayla backed up her qualifying speed with two outstanding rides, finishing third on Saturday and second on Sunday, showcasing both her racecraft and composure under pressure. Her consistency, determination, and undeniable speed have made her a fast favorite among fans and insiders alike.

With her breakout performances and rising-star momentum, we’re proud to feature Kayla Yaakov on the cover of this issue.

Guest Speakers: Sean Bice, Mathew Scholtz, Andrew Lee, Ben Gloddy, Hank Vossberg, Ben Spies (Grand Marshal), Doug Chandler, Colton Shafer, James Rispoli, Greg White, Mike Pelletier, Tony Romo, Jason Kingham, Larry Meyers and Michael Martin

Our second featured talent is the sensational London Koi, a gifted 12yearold from Birmingham, Alabama. For the past three years, London has become a cherished part of our event, opening race weekends with her powerful rendition of the National Anthem and also delivering captivating performances for the VIP Superfans.

London’s voice carries a rare blend of purity, confidence, and emotional depth — the kind that makes people stop midconversation just to listen. Her presence lights up the room, and her performances have become a tradition our guests look forward to year after year.

As we look ahead to Road America, we can’t wait to watch her continue her incredible rise to the top. And, as for London, we expect to see her name someday topping the Billboard charts.

Two young talents, each shining in their own arenas and inspiring everyone who has the privilege to watch them grow.

In closing, thank you to all our VIP Superfans and also our racers for making Barber Motorsports Park one of the top spots on the tour. Enjoy our VIP Superfan E-Magazine, and I look forward to seeing you at another race soon.

Best

Regards, Ron “Slicer” Heben

VIP Suite

Saturday, May 16 - VIP Suite

On the Startline of the Superbike Race

VIP All Access Superbike Podium

VIP All Access

THE YAMAHA 70 TH ANNIVERSARY SUPERSPORT EDITIONS

Celebrate seven decades of motorsports excellence with the 2026 Yamaha 70th Anniversary Supersport Editions. Aerodynamic, next-generation R-Series design combined with throwback white and red speed block livery, gold Yamaha Tuning Fork emblems and special Anniversary Edition badging. Standout style to commemorate the 1955 birth of Yamaha Motor Company.

Ben Spies:

By Sean Bice

Grand Marshal Greatness Forged In Fire

Historical greatness is measured not only by accomplishments, but also by timing. Since the NBA is in playoff mode, let’s use that as an example. Julius Irving was, at one point in time, the greatest basketball player anyone had every seen. Then, along came Michael Jordan. Then, LeBron James. Imagine, for a moment, if Dr. J, MJ, and King James all played basketball during the same era. How would the greatness of those three superstars be ranked? Who among those three would be “the greatest”?

King Kenny Roberts and Freddie Spencer. Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz. Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. Each of those pairings of motorcycle legends were essentially born at either the right time, or the wrong time, depending on how you look at it.

If you subscribe to the theory that “iron sharpens iron,” then Mladin and Spies achieved greatness because of each other. Or, possibly, in spite of each other.

Texan Ben Spies not only raced during the same era as Mat Mladin, but the pair were teammates on the same Yoshimura Suzuki squad. Mladin won seven AMA Superbike Championships. But, amidst that dominance, Ben Spies won three AMA Superbike Championships.

How many championships might Spies have won if he’d been born at a different time? If Australian Mladin hadn’t decided to make his bones in America? If Spies hadn’t decided to move up to World Superbike and MotoGP?

Mladin and Spies are a little bit like Roberts and Spencer. Kenny and Mat were brash, cocky, and outspoken. Freddie and Ben were quiet, introspective, and socially awkward.

Mat Mladin called his upstart young teammate Ben Spies a “mama’s boy.” What did Spies do? He had “Mama’s Boy” put across the backside of his leathers.

When they raced, Mladin and Spies didn’t get along. But their dislike for each other helped drive each of them to greatness. At the same time.

How in the world did Ben Spies win three AMA Superbike Championships with Mat Mladin not only his rival but also his teammate?

That’s what historic greatness is. Overcoming adversity, rising to the challenge, and succeeding against the odds.

Ben Spies was born with natural talent. As a child, he loved racing motorcycles. When you love something, you’re usually good at it. And, when you’re good at something, you also usually love doing it. Spies

already had that in his arsenal before he turned pro.

Then, he jumped into a fiery crucible and was forged into a world-class motorcycle road racer. He won four straight Superbike championships: three in America and one on the world stage. His 2009 WorldSBK Championship is still almost too incredible to comprehend. He switched from his tried-and-true Suzuki GSX-R1000 in America to a Yamaha YZF-R1 overseas and immediately proceeded to earn pole positions, win races, and clinch a world title in his first try.

Historic greatness. That’s what Ben Spies represents. And it’s also why he is being honored as Grand Marshal this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park for MotoAmerica’s ongoing celebration of “50 Years Of Superbike Racing.”

Congratulations, Ben.

Generosity Embodied For Gloddy By VIP Superfans

The MotoAmerica VIP Superfans did it again! Not only did we have a big turnout of generous people who purchased premium-priced tickets for the VIP Superfan Experience at Barber Motorsports Park, but their generosity manifested itself even more in the Privateer Support Program.

A fundraising effort within the VIP Superfan Experience, the program collects money from the sale of custom-embroidered hats that display MotoAmerica and VIP Superfan logos, as well as Privateer Support Program lettering.

The Mission Super Hooligan National Championship was the featured class at Barber and, in honor of “50 Years Of Superbike Racing” Grand Marshal Ben Spies, whose signature competition number in AMA Superbike racing was “11,” we decided to pick the rider who was 11th in Super Hooligan final qualifying

That rider was Rodio Racing’s Ben Gloddy. The New Hampshirite, who formerly competed in, and won many races, in Junior Cup and Twins Cup, took a hiatus from MotoAmerica after he suffered serious injuries in a crash during Twins Cup race one at Daytona International Speedway in 2023. Gloddy made his return to

MotoAmerica competition at Barber Motorsports Park as Gus Rodio’s teammate and with both riders aboard Ducati Streetfighter V2s.

Gloddy was invited to the VIP Superfans suite on the second floor of the main paddock building at Barber where he was presented with a check for $1,720. Over and above the money that Gloddy received, VP Racing donated a five-gallon container of MotoAmerica-spec race fuel.

“I want to thank all the MotoAmerica VIP Superfans for their support at Barber this past weekend,” Gloddy said. “It was an amazing surprise for me after race two on Sunday! I am very grateful to be back racing in MotoAmerica again, and it’s shaping up to be a great year. The money and fuel will be a huge help to me and my race program.”

Incidentally, Gloddy finished 12th in Saturday’s race one and 11th in Sunday’s race two.

Thank you to the VIP Superfans and VP Racing. We’re excited to get to Road America next week to find out who the next rider is who will benefit from the MotoAmerica VIP Superfan Privateer Support Program.

By Sean Bice

Gloddy (center) holds the big check he received thanks to the generosity of the VIP Superfans who bought commemorative hats with the proceeds going to the very appreciative rider from the Granite State.