The concluding day at Daytona commenced with a 15-minute warm-up for the King of the Baggers 2025
For the first time during this Florida event, the pristine weather was shifting, yet a dry track welcomed the 13 competitors. Among them, 3 opted to play it safe, including the pole sitter and winner of the Race-1 Challenge, Kyle Wyman (Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing).
In the absence of the official Harley Davidson, it was initially Hayden Gillim (RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson) who set the pace on his Road Glide, followed by Bradley Smith (Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing), who took the lead midway through the session and maintained it.
Ultimately, despite Kyle Wyman‘s strong performance, a trio of Milwaukee motorcycles topped the standings ahead of the trio of official Indians.
Loris Baz finished 5th despite suffering a severe elbow injury, having been thrown to the ground by James Rispoli at the opening of race-1 (watch the video here).
The second race of the King of the Baggers got underway half an hour late, due to prior setbacks with the Daytona 200.
The starting grid for these 8 laps mirrored that of race-1.
Here are the race highlights:
As the red lights extinguished, Loris Baz (S&S/Indian Motorcycle), hindered by a knee injury, lost a position at the first corner but managed to continue. In the second corner, the leader Kyle Wyman slowed down and was overtaken by defending champion Troy Herfoss (S&S/Indian Motorcycle). Was this a tactical move?
Probably, as both riders then accelerated side by side, with James Rispoli (Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing), Bradley Smith, and Loris Baz trailing closely behind.
The drafting phenomenon is quite remarkable on the two banking sections used, enabling Kyle Wyman to reclaim the lead before once again surrendering it to Troy Herfoss. As they returned to the Infield, 6 motorcycles battled closely, with Tyler O’Hara (S&S/Indian Motorcycle Indian Challenger) catching up to the detached top 5. This moment saw Bradley Smith, who had been 2nd on Friday, make a slight mistake, but it’s not easy to lift a 300-kilogram motorcycle!
Up until the halfway point, the dynamics were straightforward among the four leading riders: Troy Herfoss and Kyle Wyman exchanged positions multiple times on the banking, closely monitored by James Rispoli and just a bit further back, Loris Baz.
This was when James Rispoli fell again at turn #6. The stewards retrieved his machine, but it refused to restart. This advancement allowed Loris Baz to move up to 3rd place, trailing just behind the two top contenders. Cautiously, #76 avoided getting involved in their duel, focusing on securing his podium spot. While he may have considered attacking in the final entry on the banking, he was still a bit far away.
Ultimately, the situation did not change, and Kyle Wyman successfully withstood the last-minute challenge from Troy Herfoss, securing Harley Davidson its third victory of the weekend.
Daytona Loris Baz King Baggers 2025 Daytona Loris Baz King Baggers 2025