Indian Motorcycles completed a successful Daytona Week with a pair of wins in the King of the Baggers, and a win in American Flat Track to open its 2022 racing season.
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Indian Motorcycle Dominates Daytona, Kicking Off 2022 Race Season In Dramatic Fashion With Wins At King Of The Baggers & American Flat Track Season Openers
Indian Challengers Go Un-Challenged at Round 2 of King of the Baggers with Podium Sweep Led by Jeremy McWilliams, While Tyler O’Hara Goes Last to First for Dramatic Win in Round 1 –
Finishes Weekend with Early Points Lead for the Series
Indian Motorcycle Flat Track Wrecking Crew Rider Briar Bauman Secures 20th Career Win at Volusia Half-Mile
Indian Motorcycle Racing dominated Bike Week in Daytona Beach and kicked off its 2022 race season in dramatic fashion. With factory teams competing in flat track and bagger racing, Indian Motorcycle captured two wins and four of six podium spots at the King of the Baggers opening double-header at Daytona International Speedway, along with a victory at the 2022 American Flat Track season opener at the Volusia Half Mile.
Intent on reclaiming the title of King of the Baggers for its Indian Challenger, Round 2 saw an all-Challenger podium sweep led by new factory rider, Jeremy McWilliams, with Tyler O’Hara and Bobby Fong taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. In Round 1, it was all about inaugural King of the Baggers Champion O’Hara who put the Indian Challenger on top of the box with a dramatic last-to-first victory. O’Hara finished 1st and 2nd in the opening rounds to take an early lead in the 2022 series points race. Meanwhile, the opening round of the 2022 American Flat Track season saw Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew rider Briar Bauman deliver a masterful performance on his Indian Motorcycle FTR750 to take the win at the Volusia Half-Mile.
“This weekend was a dramatic display of the incredible level of preparation, determination and skill that powers our teams and riders every time we line up on the grid,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “Considering the stiff competition and unique challenges we’re facing in both flat track and bagger racing this season, we’re certainly happy to get off to such a positive start, but we know full well that this is merely the beginning. There’s a lot more racing ahead of us, and we expect every race weekend to be a dogfight to the finish.”
KING OF THE BAGGERS
Opening weekend of MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers was nothing short of exhilarating.
In his third year piloting the Mission® Foods S&S® Indian Challenger, O’Hare overcame considerable obstacles in Round 1 to capture his third bagger racing victory. Thanks to a penalty imposed during post-qualifying inspections, O’Hara was forced to start the race at the back of the grid in 13th position. Seemingly unphased by the misfortune, O’Hara literally catapulted off the start, launching his way past more than half the field before entering turn one. From there, he smoothly made his way into third, where he ran for the majority of the race until perfectly timing an incredible move in the final lap, drafting out of the chicane to slingshot his Indian Challenger into first place and take the checkered flag.
“We took a lot of motivation from the disappointing outcome in 2021 and poured it into intensive off-season testing and preparation to ensure we came back strong in 2022, and this weekend was a testament to the dedication, expertise and commitment of our entire team,” said O’Hara. “We’re confident we have the best bike in the paddock, and we intend to prove that again in 2022. We’re off to a good start; but our competition is fierce, and our work has only just begun.”
Powered by its Round 1 victory, Indian Motorcycle Racing took its success to an even higher level in Round 2 with an all-out Indian Challenger podium sweep. After just missing the podium in his Round 1 bagger racing debut, veteran road racer and newest Indian Motorcycle factory rider Jeremy McWilliams battled head-to-head with fellow Mission® Foods S&S® Indian Challenger teammate, O’Hara, ultimately edging him out by mere .025 seconds to capture his first King of the Baggers win and first career win at Daytona.
But O’Hara wasn’t the only threat in this race, while leading into the final lap, McWilliams went high, leaving the door open for Indian Motorcycle privateer Bobby Fong, piloting Steve Delorenzi’s S&S-built RSD Indian Challenger. Fong took full advantage and led most of the final lap, and it wasn’t until the final sprint when McWilliams, along with O’Hara, drafted Fong and made a last-minute pass. While both McWilliams and O’Hara were able to slingshot past Fong, it was McWilliams who was able to hold off O’Hara and cross the finish line by slightly less than a bike length.
Sponsors for Indian Motorcycle Racing’s King of the Bagger efforts include Mission® Foods, S&S®, Medallia, Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited.
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