16-year old motorcycle racer Xarly Mendez de Oleo from the Dominican Republic made history in Hungary at the Balaton Park on Sunday, 3 May 2026 when in a photo finish ending he bested Italy’s Angelo Mottola. Mendez in a dramatic Race 2 crossed the line just 0.022 seconds in the lead to clinch the title. On the day before, he had finished second in Race 1 (behind Brazil’s Aymon Bocanegra). Mendez now leads the championship standings by four points.
Xarly Mendez said: “It was a difficult race, I tried to break the group but that did not work! In the last lap, I managed to get the win, but it was not easy with such a big battle. I’d like to thank my team and all of my family.”
The victory at Balaton Park is considered a watershed moment for Dominican motorsports. While the country has a strong tradition in baseball and track and field, this win places the Dominican Republic on the map in high-level international circuit racing. Since this series runs alongside the World Superbike (WorldSBK) championship, Mendez achieved this feat on a global stage with scouts and factory teams watching.
The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup is a primary “feeder” series. The overall winner of the season typically earns a supported spot in the Supersport 300 World Championship the following year. This race was the essential first step toward a career in the higher tiers of motorcycle racing (WorldSBK or eventually MotoGP).
Xarly Mendez is the definition of a rising star. He races for the DPR Team and has quickly become the Dominican Republic’s most promising prospect in circuit motorcycle racing.
As reported, Mendez didn’t just appear on the scene; he has been building toward this for years. He started racing when four on minibikes in Santo Domingo. His family moved to Spain so he could pursue a career as a motorcycle racer. He first proved his innate talent in the competitive Spanish Moto 5 Championship (finishing third overall). He rose through the Spanish regional and national ranks, eventually competing in the Moto 5 category of the Cuna de Campeones (Cradle of Champions) and the ESBK (Spanish Superbike Championship).
By 2024, he had made a name for himself by taking pole position in the R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale in Estoril. This performance earned him a spot in the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup, where he now races for the DPR (De Oleo Professional Racing) Team, a family-run operation.
In 2025 he joined the World Cup mid-season (at Donington Park) and impressed the paddock by charging from the back of the grid into the top ten. He finished the year 10th overall despite missing the early rounds.
Before the 2026 season even began, Mendez signaled he was a title favorite by topping the official pre-season test at the Cremona Circuit in Italy. His ability to go fast immediately on different tracks has marked him as a “natural.”
Mendez is currently the only Dominican rider competing at this level of international road racing. Yamaha Racing has highlighted him as a key figure in their “From the Dominican Republic to the World Stage” initiative, essentially making him the face of Caribbean motorsports.
Because the winner of this series typically receives a supported move into the World Supersport 300 class, Mendez is on a direct path to becoming a full-time professional in the World Superbike paddock.
Read more in Spanish:
Hungary race win
Yamaha Racing
Worlds BK
5 May 2026