Laguna Seca, California, October 23 - 25
Indian Motorcycle is aiming to 'Take It' to the entire field of Harley custom Baggers at the inaugural Drag Specialties 'King of the Baggers' invitational in October (rescheduled from July) when, in collaboration with S&S Cycle, it will race a modified Indian Challenger at the Laguna Seca Raceway, piloted by the highly decorated racing champion Tyler O'Hara.
Among the 14 teams invited to the first-ever 'King of the Baggers' race, S&S is the only Indian Challenger entry. Set to face off against a field of 13 Harley-Davidson Baggers, the appropriately named Indian Challenger is boasting "superior out-of-the-box performance, including a best-in-class 122 horsepower, an inverted front suspension and a hydraulically-adjustable FOX rear shock," according to Indian.
"When the Indian Challenger was released last October, it set a new standard for performance-oriented stock Baggers and offers the ideal platform from which to base our race modifications," said Paul Langley of S&S. "That said, we're leaving no stone unturned when evaluating the modifications needed to be successful at Laguna Seca."
O'Hara brings a diverse racing background to the event, having won titles in Supersport, Supermoto, Motocross and Flat Track racing. O'Hara also brings significant experience at Laguna Seca.
"I'm thrilled to not only be racing in the 'King of the Baggers' event, but to be piloting the only Indian Challenger in the field. It's an incredible opportunity for me, and I expect it will be a ton of fun," said O'Hara. "The Challenger is a remarkable machine in its stock form, but I know the S&S team will be working its magic to give us the best chance to be successful come race day."
"Just like the rest of the racing community and motorcycle industry, we cannot wait to see fourteen Baggers ripping around Laguna Seca," said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. "That said, we're extremely proud to be the lone Indian Motorcycle in the field, partnering with our friends, the elite innovators at S&S."
The 'King of the Baggers' event will be part of the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey on October 23-25. The inaugural race will join the premier MotoAmerica Superbike, Supersport, Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup and Heritage Cup racing.
Facing a field of nothing but Harley-Davidsons, 'King of the Baggers' serves up a compelling extension of Indian Motorcycle's Challenger Challenge program, a mobile demo tour and dealer test ride program that encourages motorcyclists to test ride the Indian Challenger head-to-head against the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special.
"We've seen incredible consumer response to the superior features and benefits of the Challenger when compared directly against the Road Glide," said Gray. "King of the Baggers takes that comparison to an entirely different level as we face off against the field at Laguna Seca."
www.IndianMotorcycle.com