Indian Motorcycle has announced Tyler O’Hara and Jeremy McWilliams as factory riders aboard two Mission Foods S&S Indian Challengers for the 2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series.
In addition, Indian Motorcycle Racing is announcing nearly $40,000 in privateer contingency for the 2022 season. Privateer efforts include two privately backed teams: Roland Sands Design and the Saddlemen, Indian Motorcycle Charlotte & St. Paul powered by Lloyd’z Garage – each team with two riders aboard Indian Motorcycle baggers.
In support of its privateer efforts, Indian Motorcycle Racing is offering nearly $40,000 in contingency, including a $10,000 championship payout and $3,000, $1,000, and $500 for first, second, and third-place finishes, respectively.
For the 2022 season, MotoAmerica will host seven rounds of King of the Baggers racing, including the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on March 10-12.
S&S Cycle: Tyler O’Hara & Jeremy McWilliams
Tyler O’Hara enters his third year piloting the Mission Foods S&S Indian Challenger, considered by most as the most formidable challenger to recapture the King of the Baggers title in 2022. After winning the inaugural King of the Baggers title in 2020, O’Hara fell just short in 2021, finishing the points race second overall.
Hailing from Ireland, and making his bagger racing debut, is seasoned road racer, Jeremy McWilliams. Piloting the second S&S Indian Challenger factory ride, McWilliams brings a wealth of experience and valuable technical knowledge to the team in the ongoing effort to refine and optimize Indian Challenger setups for each race. A four-time Irish Champion, McWilliams began his professional racing career in 1993 and has competed in a variety of road races, series, and classes – including nine years in MotoGP.
RSD: Frankie Garcia & Bobby Fong
For the 2022 King of the Baggers season, the RSD team welcomes veteran racer, Bobby Fong. Having competed in flat track and Superbike, and winning 2021’s Road America 2, Fong brings a diverse experience to the RSD team. Piloting Steve Delorenzi’s S&S-built RSD Indian Challenger, backed by Sacramento Mile and SDI racing, Fong will ride alongside fan-favourite and ever-popular privateer Frankie Garcia who makes his return to the RSD Indian Challenger after finishing on the podium in third-place finish in 2020 and fourth overall in the 2021 series.
Saddlemen & Lloyd’z Garage: Patricia Fernandez & Cory West
Entering its third year of bagger racing, its second with Indian Motorcycle Racing, Saddlemen called upon long-time v-twin performance shop, Lloyd’z Garage, to handle race craft efforts for its two Indian Motorcycle entries. The tandem of Lloyd Greer and Tim Sutherland will be at the helm of race-team management and mechanics, supporting Patricia Fernandez aboard the Saddlemen Indian Challenger, as she returns to the King of the Baggers grid as the only female racer.
Joining Fernandez, and making his Indian Motorcycle privateer debut, is veteran motorcycle racer Cory West. After finishing in the middle of the pack in 2020, and missing the 2021 season, West will pilot the series’ only Indian Motorcycle Chieftain bagger. Unlike the fixed-fairing, liquid-cooled Indian Challenger, the Chieftain features a fork-mounted fairing and an air-cooled, Thunderstroke engine.
