Harley Vs. Indian in Race for ‘King of the Baggers’ Title
Harley and Indian Split two races in start of 14-Race Bagger Series.
Harley Davidson racer Kyle Wyman predicted earlier this week that records would fall in droves during this year’s MotoAmerica King of the Baggers race series.
Judging by the results of the first round in the 14-race series, his prediction appears to be right on the money.
On Thursday, Wyman ran a sizzling qualifying lap of 1:51.98, setting a record on the 3.510-mile road course at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL.
He followed that with a win on Friday’s shorter, three-lap dash for cash, by nearly two seconds.
Dominating Performance
Then he broke his qualifying record in a practice run Saturday before the first full-length King of the Baggers race later that day by almost two seconds.
That record-breaking lap put the field on notice that he was the favorite to win, and win he did in a dominating performance, crossing the finish line more than eight seconds head of runnerup James Rispoli, a Harley Davidson rider competing for the Vance and Hines team.
Bounces Back From Bad Start
Wyman led from start to finish in the eight-lap race, riding a Road Glide Limited.
“I’m so excited that we got our Harley Davidson Road Glide motorcycle working so well today,” Wyman said after his win. “This is my first win at Daytona since 2019, and this is such a special place, so a victory here is always special.”
The win was especially gratifying after a frustrating start in the first event of the year. Both he and brother Travis were forced to drop out of Friday’s race due to mechanical problems, despite leading the race at various points.
“We had a tough day yesterday, but the entire team just dug in and we had smooth sailing today,” Kyle Wyman said. “You can think of so many scenarios that could happen going into the weekend, but you could not predict either one of these days. It’s a nice way to end the weekend at Daytona. I’m ready to take this momentum to Atlanta.”
On to Atlanta
Despite Kyle Wyman’s impressive showing, the Wyman brothers find themselves trailing in overall points heading into the next round of races in Road Atlanta April 21-23.
Rispoli, last year’s overall champ and the winner of the first full-length race this year, leads the series with 45 points. He is followed by Hayden Gillim with 36, Corey West with 26 and then Kyle Wyman with 25. Travis Wyman, who had a disappointing weekend, has yet to earn points.
The King of the Bagger series pits Harley Davidson Road Glides vs Indian Challengers in these decades-old grudge matches that is entertaining for fans of both brands. Tyler O’Hara won last year’s title aboard the Indian bagger.
Rispoli and Gillim both ride Harley Davidson Road Glides, as do the Wyman brothers. West also rides a Road Glide with partner Jake Lewis.
Photos: Harley Davidson
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