The outrageous King Of The Baggers series had its season-opening double-header at Daytona International Speedway, March 8-9, with speeds topping 185 mph on the 3.5-mile roadracing circuit!
Harley-Davidson riders started the season strong, with 2021 champ Kyle Wyman scoring a pair of victories aboard his Road Glide. The Harley party was spoiled by Indian Motorcycle’s new factory racer Troy Herfoss, who earned two runner-up finishes on his Indian Challenger. Wyman’s Screamin’ Eagle teammate James Rispoli carded a pair of third-place finishes.
Herfoss, a three-time Australian Superbike champion, astonished the paddock by nabbing pole position in his first ride on the KOTB Indian during his first time ever at Daytona Speedway. Former champions Kyle Wyman and Indian’s Tyler O’Hara had clutch problems before Friday’s Challenge race, with Wyman unable to take the start. The Indian crew quickly swapped O’Hara’s clutch, and the 2022 KOTB champ went on to take the victory ahead of teammate Herfoss.
Race 1 featured battles throughout the grid and a grandstand finish, with Wyman edging Herfoss by just 0.018 second. O’Hara suffered a rare mistake, crashing on the last lap while trying to remain in the leading pack. Rispoli finished just a tenth of a second behind, while defending KOTB champ Hayden Gillim finished fourth, less than 1 second behind Wyman.
Related: KOTB Champ Hayden Gillim Interview
Saturday’s race was another barn-burner, with Wyman, Herfoss, Rispoli, Gillim and O’Hara battling for position in the leading pack. Herfoss had the lead on the final lap but overshot the chicane, opening the door for Wyman who sprinted to victory by 0.137 second over the Aussie.
Also in action at Daytona was the Super Hooligan class, in which H-D’s Pan America goes toe-to-toe with Indian’s FTR. Indian dominated Race 1, with Herfoss taking the win over teammate O’Hara. Cory West on the Team Saddlemen Pan America rounded out the podium.
Race 2 demonstrated the newfound speed of the Pan Americas, with West topping an all-H-D podium ahead of teammate Jake Lewis and KWR racer Cody Wyman. O’Hara and Herfoss finished in 4th and 5th.
Read more about the event in the press release below.
Find all of American Rider‘s racing coverage here
MILWAUKEE (March 9, 2024) – Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman scored a Daytona double by winning the first two MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers races of the 2024 season at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider James Rispoli finished in third place in both races. Wyman and Rispoli were aboard the team’s new race-prepared 2024 Road Glide motorcycles.
Team Saddlemen rider Cory West rode a race-prepared Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special motorcycle to victory and topped an all-Harley podium in the Mission Super Hooligan race on Saturday. Team Saddlemen rider Jake Lewis finished second, and Gator Harley/KWR rider Cody Wyman was third, completing the sweep. West also finished in third place in the Super Hooligan race on Friday and leads the series points after two of 10 scheduled rounds.
The first King Of The Baggers race on Friday saw a thundering pack of 17 bagger race motorcycles topping 185 mph on the high-banked oval portion of the 3.52-mile Daytona International Speedway road course. Wyman and Rispoli were part of a four-bike group that battled for the lead for the entire race and started the last of six laps separated by less than 1 second. Wyman had been quick through the backstraight chicane all race and on the last lap got a strong drive out of the final corner to pass Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss for the lead heading onto the last section of the oval. Wyman had enough momentum to hold off Herfoss and Rispoli across the finish line with a 0.018-second advantage over Herfoss and 0.137 second over Rispoli. Defending King Of The Baggers series champion Hayden Gillim finished fourth on the RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide, 0.837 second behind Wyman.
“On that last lap, we were just about parked, but I refused to pass to lead the race until the moment it counted,” said Wyman. “I saw a window coming out of the chicane and was just able to hold them off for the win.”
The second King Of The Baggers race on Saturday saw Wyman, Rispoli, Herfoss, Gillim, and Factory Indian rider Tyler O’Hara break away from the pack early in the race and swap positions on each lap. On the final lap, Herfoss gapped Wyman on the back stretch but braked late and over-shot the entry to the chicane, giving Wyman an opportunity to pounce. Wyman again got a strong drive onto the last section of the high-bank oval and was able to out-run Herfoss to the finish by 0.137 second. Rispoli finished 1.518 seconds back in third place.
“I was in survival mode on the last lap,” said Wyman. “I lost my quick-shifter and I was going to be happy to finish second, but Herfoss gave me a chance and we made it work. Hats off to my entire Harley-Davidson crew for all their hard work this weekend.”
“What an unreal weekend,” said Rispoli. “There was so much nervousness before the races. So, it was a massive relief to get two podiums in my first weekend with the Factory Harley-Davidson team. I am so stoked for the entire team, and I know we will be a force for the future rounds.”
After 2 of 18 rounds in the 2024 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers series, Kyle Wyman leads with 50 points. Herfoss is second with 40 points, followed by Rispoli with 32 points and Gillim with 24 points.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing returns to action at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, April 12-13 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
The Mission King Of The Baggers series features race-prepared American V-Twin touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing is sponsored by Mission Foods, Rockford Fosgate, Brembo, Öhlins, Protolabs, SYN3 lubricants, and Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts and Accessories.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Daytona International Speedway Race 1
- Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
- Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
- Kyle Ohnsorg (Ind) RydFast Racing
- Bobby Fong (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing
- Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddleman/Harley-Davidson
- Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Daytona International Speedway Race 2
- Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
- Kyle Ohnsorg (Ind) RydFast Racing
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddleman/Harley-Davidson
- Cory West (H-D) Saddleman/Harley-Davidson
- Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddleman/Harley-Davidson
- Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
- Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports
- Jesse Janisch (H-D) Suburban Motors H-D/Slyfox/Trask Performance
- Zachary Schumacher (H-D) Nowaskey Extreme Performance
- Gunnar Ouellette (H-D) Trask Performance
- Ruben Xaus (H-D) Feuling Parts
All I see is photos and discussions sbout the Daytona race from Harley Davidson’s perspective even though Indian seems to have dominated. Is this magazine owned by HD?
If we were owned by H-D, you’d see a bunch of H-D ads, but you don’t. Indian didn’t bother to send a press release about Daytona, hence why you don’t see it here online. Full race coverage can be found in our April issue.