Source: Motorcycle Cruiser –
Indian/S&S Cycle/Mission Foods rider Tyler O’Hara led most of the race (and the overall standings) at the King of the Baggers round in Brainerd, Minnesota, last month. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)The hugely entertaining V-twin racing throwdown that is King of the Baggers continued its bar-banging ways two weeks ago at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway, with the racetrack rivalry between Harley and Indian still headline news. In the end, Roland Sands Design Indian rider Bobby Fong ended up at the top of the podium in Minnesota with his first Big Twin feature race of the year. But unlike the last few rounds, this one turned out to be a soggy mess, with multiple rain delays, a red flag, a couple of DNFs, and an outright disqualification.That only cranks up the drama in the overall standings; heading into the series finale in New Jersey next month, the top three contenders are separated by just 20 points. And that means if any one of them wins the next race, they will also win the overall championship—if the other front runner doesn’t podium. The drama continues.Related: Harley’s Wyman Brothers Top Round 4 of King of the BaggersBut it would not last, as RSD Indian rider Bobby Fong sprung an incredible, come-from-behind inside pass on him late in the race. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)Indian factory rider Tyler O’Hara was leading the pack for most of the race at Brainerd, but he quickly found himself in third place when Fong threaded the needle to pass him on the inside, with Travis Wyman following close behind to drop into second place. And that proved to be the final order at the checkered flag in Brainerd.Fong’s pass also opened the door for Travis Wyman to go through, leaving O’Hara in third. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)That reshuffles the standings a bit; with his second place finish, Travis Wyman leapfrogs over both his brother and teammate Kyle, who was disqualified on a technicality, as well as O’Hara, who drops into second place overall. Yet the top three riders still all remain in the hunt, potentially just a win away from taking the 2022 series championship. After six of the seven rounds in the 2022 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Travis Wyman leads with 106 points, Tyler O’Hara is in second with 103 points, and defending champ Kyle Wyman stays in third with 86 points.And so it was Fong and then Wyman followed by O’Hara who finished 1-2-3 at the Brainerd round. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)The next and final stop for the KOTB series is September 9–11 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville. You can be sure we’ll be watching closely.To recap: The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepped American V-twin touring motorcycles, and has become one of MotoAmerica’s most popular and competitive race classes. The big touring bikes are heavily modified with greatly improved ground clearance, race-ready suspensions, aggressive ergonomics, and all kinds of performance engine mods. Touring fairings and hard side bags are still included on these baggers, but even those are seriously modified.For more info see: motoamerica.com.The podium lineup at the Brainerd round, with Fong on the top step. We’ve seen O’Hara looking happier. (Brian J. Nelson/Harley-Davidson/)2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results, Brainerd International RacewayBobby Fong (IND), Roland Sands Design IndianTravis Wyman (H-D), Screamin’ Eagle Harley-DavidsonTyler O’Hara (IND), Mission Foods/S&S CycleMichael Barnes (H-D), Mission Foods/S&S CycleCory West (IND), Roland Sands DesignDanny Eslick (H-D), Vance & Hines Racing2022 King of the Baggers Point Standings1. Travis Wyman 1062. Tyler O’Hara 1033. Kyle Wyman 864. Jeremy McWilliams 785. Bobby Fong 606. James Rispoli 59
