WYMAN CLAIMS KOTB POINTS LEAD WITH 1-2 AT LAGUNA SECA
MILWAUKEE (July 15, 2024) – Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman took over the MotoAmerica® Mission King of the Baggers points lead with a dominating win on Saturday and a second-place finish on Sunday in a double-header weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif. Aboard a race-prepared 2024 Road Glide® motorcycle, Wyman also broke his own track record in qualifying and won the Mission King of the Baggers Challenge. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim won on Sunday as Harley-Davidson riders locked out the King of the Baggers race podiums all weekend.
“For the Harley Factory Team, the great weekend really started on Friday,” said Wyman. “It put us a step ahead and I was really feeling the flow on the track right away. This Harley Road Glide is a beast and we won going away on Saturday. On Sunday, it took me a few laps to get pace but I’ll take nothing away from Hayden. He really wanted the win and I’m concerned with points for the championship so didn’t want to take a chance on the last lap.”
In the Mission Super Hooligan race series, Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Cory West rode a race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Pan America® 1250 Special motorcycle to his second win of the season on Sunday after finishing second on Saturday. KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Schultz finished third on Saturday. Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis finished second on Sunday. West was also the top qualifier and moved into second place in the series.
Wyman led all King of the Baggers qualifiers with a time of 1:28.182, breaking the lap record he set in 2023. Wyman also won the three-lap Mission King of the Baggers Challenge on Saturday. Starting from pole position on Saturday, Wyman led every lap of the nine-lap Mission King of the Baggers feature race. In the opening laps, Wyman led a group that included Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider James Rispoli, RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson riders Hayden Gillim and Rocco Landers, Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss and SDI/Roland Sands Racing Indian rider Bobby Fong. Wyman gradually opened a gap of about 1 second on Gillim, with Landers and Herfoss trailing. Herfoss ran off the track on lap 8, and later that same lap Landers got by Gillim to take second place. Wyman crossed the finish line 2.666 seconds clear of Landers with Gillim in third place followed by Fong and Rispoli. Herfoss finished 11th.
On Sunday, Wyman again led the King of the Baggers off the start with Gillim and Fong in pursuit. Gillim executed a daring pass for the lead at the top of the infamous Corkscrew turn on lap 3, but Wyman took the lead back with a pass in turn 2 on lap 6. On lap 8, Gillim got past Wyman again in the Corkscrew, and Fong dropped out with a mechanical problem. Gillim crossed the finish line 0.188 seconds ahead of Wyman. Landers made a last-lap pass of Herfoss to grab third place. Rispoli finished fifth.
“I knew I had to take whatever shot I could at Kyle. He’s riding really good,” said Gillim. “I’m really happy. My team gave me a good machine. We have the number one plate on there and the team deserves to see this bike up front.”
“It was a trying weekend that ended with a confidence boost and being able to get back into the fight and really put together a solid race,” said Rispoli following the Sunday race. “It’s not where we want to be, but we’ll take it. And I couldn’t be more proud of the team for leading the championship with Kyle.”
After 12 of 18 rounds in the 2024 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Wyman takes over the championship standings with 237 points, bumping Herfoss to second place with 223 points. Gillim moves up to third place with 176 points, followed by O’Hara with 161 points, Rispoli with 130 points, and Landers with 106 points.
After 6 of 10 rounds in the 2024 Mission Super Hooligan series, S&S/Indian rider Tyler O’Hara leads with 110 points. West moves up to second with 102 points, followed by KWR/Harley-Davidson rider Cody Wyman with 86 points, Lewis with 78 points, and Herfoss with 71 points.
The Mission King of the Baggers and the Mission Super Hooligan series return to action August 16-18 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
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 – Laguna Seca Race 1
Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
Bobby Fong (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle
James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
Max Flinders (Ind) Mad Monkey Motorsports
Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
Ruben Xaus (H-D) Feuling Parts
Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
Danny Spina (H-D) Ruthless Road Racing
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results – Laguna Seca Race 2
Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
Danny Spina (H-D) Ruthless Road Racing