VANCE & HINES HARLEY-DAVIDSON RACER ROCCO LANDERS SCORES FIRST KING OF THE BAGGERS VICTORY AT COTA; HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY RACER KYLE WYMAN HOLDS KOTB SERIES POINTS LEAD HEADING INTO SERIES FINALE
Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Racer Cory West Claims Super Hooligan Championship
MILWAUKEE (September 16, 2024) – RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson® rider Rocco Landers scored his first series victory and Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman maintained his series points lead in a double-header weekend of MotoAmerica® Mission King of the Baggers racing action at Circuit of the Americas in Travis County, Texas. Landers won the Saturday race and finished third on Sunday. With a fourth-place finish on Saturday and second place on Sunday, Wyman holds a two-point championship lead heading into the final double-header weekend of the season.
West Crowned Mission Super Hooligan Champion
Team Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Cory West on Sunday won the 10-race Mission Super Hooligan championship aboard a race-prepared Harley-Davidson® Pan America® 1250 Special motorcycle. A consistent front-runner all season, West scored three series race wins and was on the podium in six other races. The veteran racer from Eureka Springs, Ark., took over the points lead with a win and a second-place finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on September 18. At Circuit of the Americas, West locked up the title with a third-place finish on Saturday and second place on Sunday, holding off the challenge of the defending Super Hooligan champion, S&S Indian rider Tyler O’Hara.
“The Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America, I can’t say enough. That bike worked awesome,” said West after locking up the title. “This was a really stressful race. I had to finish at least third and I knew Tyler was going to go out and try to win it. I just kept my head down and did what I could. This is a dream come true. It’s something you always wanted when you were a kid and started racing. To be a champion, it’s just complete. I really have to thank everybody. Dave, Amy, Chris. My beautiful wife, who is due in eight days. Jake, Taylor, Kento, Eric, Matty, Fury, Ricky, everybody. I love you guys. My family is here this weekend. I’ve got so many friends. We brought home the number-one plate, and I couldn’t be happier.”
For the season, West scored 183 points to take the title. O’Hara finished second with 179 points, followed by Team Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson rider Jake Lewis with 146 points.
Landers Breaks Through
The race win by 19-year-old Landers followed a string of four consecutive Mission King of the Bagger podium finishes. Landers qualified third at Circuit of the Americas and led each of the six laps in Saturday’s main event on the 3.472-mile, 20-turn road course. Landers held off the determined challenge of Factory Indian riders Troy Herfoss and Tyler O’Hara to win by 1.347 seconds.
“I got a decent start and then took advantage of some of the other riders getting caught up in traffic,” said Landers. “Everyone on the Vance & Hines team has been working so hard all season, so a big shout-out to the team and my family for all the support.”
On Sunday Wyman was in second place and chasing Herfoss when the race was stopped for fluid leaked on the track by Factory Indian rider O’Hara. The race was re-started with five laps remaining, and Herfoss again took the lead with Wyman trailing by less than a second as the pair opened a gap on Landers, Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing rider James Rispoli and RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider Hayden Gillim. Wyman trailed Herfoss by 0.445 seconds at the finish, with Landers third, Gillim fourth and Rispoli fifth.
“I’m happy with the ride today,” said Wyman after Sunday’s race. “We had a slow build all weekend, and today I had good pace in a couple of spots on the track but not enough to risk a pass for the lead. We’ll leave here with the points lead. I’ve got some great memories from previous races at New Jersey, so let’s go back there make a few more.”
On the opening lap of Sunday’s race, Rispoli suspected a flat rear tire and pulled off the track on the second lap.
“We had podium pace all weekend,” said Rispoli. “We have really found a great setting and I am getting confident on the bike. The finishing positions don’t show the potential we have, and we hope to put the final pieces of the puzzle together at New Jersey.”
After 16 of 18 rounds in the 2024 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series, Wyman has 315 points to 313 for Herfoss. Gillim is in third place with 213 points, followed by O’Hara with 198 points, Landers with 179 points, and Rispoli with 175 points.
The final race in the Mission King of the Baggers series is September 27-29 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
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 Mission King of the Baggers Race Results – Circuit of the Americas Race 1
- Rocco Landers (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
- Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Kyle Wyman (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Hayden Gillim (H-D) RevZilla/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson
- James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Bobby Fong (Ind) SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle
- Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Race Results – Circuit of the Americas Race 2
- Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- 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
- James Rispoli (H-D) Harley-Davidson Factory Racing
- Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Max Flinders (Ind) M3/Lyndall Brakes/Cowboy H-D/Moose
Mission Super Hooligan Race Results – Circuit of the America Race 1 (Top 10)
- Troy Herfoss (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Jeremy McWilliams (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Dominic Doyle (YAM) Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing
- Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Alessandro Di Mario (Duc) Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati
- Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Hunter Dunham (Duc) Ducati Tampa Bay
Mission Super Hooligan Race Results – Circuit of the Americas Race 2 (Top 10)
- Tyler O’Hara (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Cory West (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Jeremy McWilliams (Ind) S&S/Indian Motorcycle
- Jake Lewis (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Travis Wyman (H-D) Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson
- Hayden Schultz (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
- Cody Wyman (H-D) KWR/Harley-Davidson
- Dominic Doyle (YAM) Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing
- Stefano Mesa (ENE) Tytlers Cycle Racing
- Hawk Mazzotta (IND) Roland Sands Racing
