Two winners, intense battles and history made at bagger world cup opener in Austin

Austin’s Circuit Witnessed Historic Bagger World Cup Debut – McDonald and Gutiérrez Claim Victory in Thrilling Battles

Austin, Texas – The inaugural FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup delivered a seismic opening round at the Circuit of the Americas, showcasing breathtaking on-track action and establishing a new global championship alongside the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of the Americas. Two drivers emerged victorious from the intense battles, Archie McDonald and Oscar Gutiérrez, marking a significant moment in motorcycle racing history.

Race 1: McDonald’s Historic Triumph

Australian Archie McDonald, piloting the Joe Rascal Racing machine, secured a dominant victory in Race 1, launching from pole position with a blistering 2:12.387 lap time. Early on, he led a tight battle with teammate Eric Granado, but a mid-race mistake from McDonald allowed Granado to seize the lead. A subsequent error from Granado gifted McDonald the advantage once more, ultimately leading to a hard-fought victory. Jake Lewis finished a strong second, demonstrating control and experience, while Filippo Rovelli rounded out the podium with a disciplined performance.

Race 2: Gutiérrez Executes Masterful Overtake

Race 2 witnessed a dramatic shift as Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing) executed a masterful two-lap overtake on a determined Archie McDonald, ultimately claiming the victory at the checkered flag. Gutiérrez set a benchmark lap time of 2:12.348, establishing both the race lap record and the all-time lap record for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at Circuit of the Americas. McDonald, hampered by a three-second Long Lap penalty for track limits violations, was relegated to third. Eric Granado secured a well-deserved second place.

Key Quotes

“History. That’s the first word that comes to my mind,” – Archie McDonald, Joe Rascal Racing Race 1 Winner. “It was the first race in the history of the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, and I took the first win, hopefully the first of many. I’m really happy. There has been a lot of preparation behind this project…”

“I’m very happy with this win. We did a great job regaining our focus after Race 1, and this was the best way to finish the Austin weekend,” – Oscar Gutiérrez, Niti Racing Race 2 Winner. “I had a great feeling with the bike from the sighting lap and told my team that today was the right day.”

Championship Standings (After Round 1)

1. Archie McDonald (AUS) – 41 (25 / 16)
2. Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA) – 33 (8 / 25)
3. Jake Lewis (USA) – 33 (20 / 13)
4. Eric Granado (BRA) – 30 (10 / 20)
5. Filippo Rovelli (ITA) – 27 (16 / 11)
6. Cory West (USA) – 23 (13 / 10)
7. Travis Wyman (USA) – 11 (11 / -)
8. Cody Wyman (USA) – 9 (9 / -)
9. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) – 9 (- / 9)

The next round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will be held at the Mugello International Circuit during the MotoGP™ Grand Prix of Italy, from May 29–31.