Kyle Wyman Wins The MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Title
Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory team rider Kyle Wyman won the 2021 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers championship with a dominating performance at the Superbike Speedfest at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. Aboard his #33 factory Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special, Wyman took the holeshot, set a new class lap record, and led every lap of the race on the 2.238-mile road course. Wyman beat second place Tyler O’Hara on the #29 S&S Cycle Indian Challenger by 4.388 seconds at the finish. Michael Barnes finished third on the #34 Hoban Brothers Racing DTF/Horsepower Inc./Darkhorse Crankworks Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special. Travis Wyman was fourth on the #10 Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory Road Glide Special.
Wyman got the holeshot, never gave up the lead. Photos by Brian J. Nelson.
Road Dirt’s Ted Edwards and his photog friend Dave Wendsveen were trackside up at the famed Corkscrew as the Bagger class roared their way around the legendary course. You can see some of their up-close photos and footage of the race in our YouTube video below. They told us fans could not only see and hear these open throated beasts throttling around the track, but could literally feel the rumble in their chests and the vibration in the floors as the thundering herd passed under the track’s bridges and by the metal grandstands.
The victory by Kyle Wyman came only weeks after surgery following a crash in the MotoAmerica Superbike race at Road America on June 13 in which he suffered multiple fractures of his elbow. Wyman chose to sit out the Superbike races at both Ridge Motorsports Park and Laguna Seca to focus on the King of the Baggers race and championship title. His gambit paid off, as Wyman secured the first-ever King of the Baggers series championship in dramatic fashion.
A full 4.388 seconds at the finish. That’s what a dominating win looks like. Photos by Brian J. Nelson.
“I just wanted to give one lap of absolutely everything I had and see where that put me, and I saw +1 after the first lap and put my head down again,” said Wyman. “The Harley-Davidson team has given me such an amazing motorcycle, and this is a dream come true for me. I grew up in a Harley-Davidson dealership but have been road racing all different brands. I never thought I’d race a Harley again after the XR1200 series, and here we are, King of the Baggers champions. Thank you so much to everyone at Harley-Davidson.” Wyman posted a fastest lap of 1:31.983 seconds, good for a new class track record, and more than a second faster than O’Hara’s fastest race lap. Wyman was running a modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine this season.
The MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series is for race-prepped, American V-Twin touring motorcycles equipped with fairing and saddlebags. With two wins and a second-place finish, Wyman wrapped up the three-race Mission King of the Baggers series with 70 points. O’Hara finished second with 45 points. Former MotoAmerica Supersport racer Hayden Gillim slotted in third for the series with 39 points on his #79 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Street Glide entry.
Jake Gagne over the Corkscrew, Loris Baz giving chase. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The weekend was filled with thrilling races, as Jake Gagne again dominated the Superbike class both days, yet with a resurgent challenge now being offered by none other than class newcomer, former WSBK and MotoGP racer Loris Baz. The Frenchman pressured Gagne both days, even jumping to a brief lead in race two after Gagne got in the gravel for a moment early in the race. Sean Dylan Kelly took both races in the Supersport class over rival and 2020 champ Richie Escalante, Tyler Scott dominated the Junior Cup races, Travis Wyman eked out a tight win in Stock 1000, and Kaleb De Keyrel owned the Twins race on Saturday. Also introduced over the weekend was the all-new Roland Sands Design Super Hooligans QuaTTro Championship, the Laguna Seca round being the first road race of the multi-discipline series, with Chris Fillmore winning on a KTM.
*Photos by Brian J. Nelson
Check out Ted’s and Dave’s commentary from the Corkscrew at the famous Laguna Seca raceway, without leaving this page-
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