2022 was a historic year for Indian Motorcycle Racing, which achieved an unprecedented triple crown with championships in three different racing classes, including MotoAmerica.® Mission® King of the Baggers® (KOTB), Super Hooligan® National Championship (SHNC) and Progressive Insurance® American Flat Tracksm SuperTwins classes. Now, America’s First Motorcycle Company enters the 2023 racing season intent on defending its Triple Crown and raising the bar once again with its factory racing program.
With three No. 1 plates, Indian Motorcycle Racing welcomes back reigning champions Tyler O’Hara and Jared Mees, along with KOTB and SHNC factory rider Jeremy McWilliams. The company has also announced more than $405,000 in combined private contingency for KOTB, SHNC and AFT.
Founded by racers who developed America’s first motorized bicycles, driven by a desire to go faster and win races, Indian Motorcycle has been racing and winning for 122 years. From founder Oscar Hedstrom’s dominance of endurance racing at the turn of the century, to OC Godfrey winning the first mountain circuit race on the famous Isle of Man in 1911, to Burt Munro’s land speed records or Wrecking Crew’s flat track dominance in the 1950s and, more recently, six consecutive AFT championships from 2017 to 2022, the list of racing milestones that have marked history is unmatched. Now the innovative American motorcycle company is preparing to defend a triple crown.
“Racing and a primal competitive spirit have been a driving force behind Indian Motorcycle for more than a century, and that competitive fire continues to drive us today,” said Gary Gray, Vice President of Racing, Technology and Service India. motorcycle “We’re incredibly proud of the success we had in 2022 with three different championships, but it’s only going to get tougher in 2023, with our competition targeting us more than ever. But that challenge is what motivates us and pushes us to improve every day, and we are itching to compete in 2023.”
MotoAmerica® KOTB and SHNC
For 2023, Indian Motorcycle and S&S® will field a two-man factory racing team that will pull double duty in the King of the Baggers® and Super Hooligan® classes. Proudly holding the #1 plate in both classes, dual threat champion Tyler O’Hara enters his fourth year aboard the Indian Challenger and his second year piloting an Indian FTR. Alongside O’Hara in both classes is veteran Moto GP rider Jeremy McWilliams, whose technical knowledge and extensive experience at the highest levels of racing proved invaluable to the team’s success in 2022 .
In the Mission King of the Baggers® Class of 2022, the team’s success was driven by the versatility of O’Hara, the expertise of the S&S® crew, and the consistency and reliability of the Indian Challenger. Through seven rounds aboard his Indian Challenger, O’Hara claimed five podiums, including a win at Daytona, and two fourth-place finishes.
With the #1 plate and an extended 14-round KOTB streak, O’Hara will be the man to beat. But the competition will be tougher than ever as Harley-Davidson® continues to increase its significant investment in the series, adding even more bikes and riders to the King of the Baggers® grid for 2023.
“The odds were stacked against us in 2022, and that’s what made climbing that mountain and finishing on top even more special for our entire Indian Motorcycle-S&S® team. We’ve worked week in and week out to achieve this challenge and in the end, we got the job done,” O’Hara said. “But now we start again and the climb begins again. This team is truly a family, and we couldn’t be more motivated to defend the championship and successfully challenge ourselves again in 2023.”
In addition to its factory efforts, Indian Motorcycle is offering up to $83,000 in KOTB Private Contingency and up to $41,000 in SHNC Contingency.
2023 Indian Motorcycle KOTB Privateer Contingency
- Championship: $20,000
- 1St: $3000
- 2n.d: $1000
- 3rd: $500
2023 Indian Motorcycle SHNC Privateer Contingency
- Championship: $5,000
- 1St: $3000
- 2n.d: $1000
- 3rd: $500
AFT SuperTwins
Riding the Indian FTR750 for his seventh consecutive year, AFT Progressive Insurance® SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees enters 2023 with eight AFT Grand National Championships to his name, just one shy of Scottie Parker’s all-time record of nine. A record that many assumed would never be matched or broken, Mees is looking to do just that as he chases his ninth.
As Mees pursues history, he will rely on his trusted team led by crew chief Kenny Tolbert, assistant mechanic Bubba Bently and suspension technician Jimmy Wood. Mees will also receive support from Rogers Racing, SDI Racing, Drag Specialties®, Twigg Cycles, Mission® Foods, Monster Energy®, Bell® Helmets, Service Pro, Öhlins® Suspension, Klotz® Oil, Klock WerkssmRK Chain®, Corbin®, Seats, Engine Ice®, RMR Construction, Motion Pro®, VP Racing®, Vertex Pistons, Pro Plates and DBI Motorsports.
In addition to its factory AFT efforts around Mees, Indian Motorcycle offers the most robust privateer contingency in the sport, which equates to more than $280,000.
2023 Indian Motorcycle AFT Privateer Contingency:
- Championship: $25,000
- 1St: $7,500
- 2n.d: $2,500
- 3rd: $1,500
- 4th: $1,000
- 5th: $750
- 6th: $350
- 7th: $250
- 8th: $150
- 9th: $125
- 10th: $100
Progressive presents the efforts of Indian motorcycle factory racing insurance®Mission® Foods and Medallia®with additional support from Indian Motorcycle Motor Oil, S&S®, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties®, Performance Finance and J&P Cycles®.
The KOTB, SHNC and AFT seasons begin March 9 at Daytona International Speedway. For more information on the 2023 AFT season, visit AmericanFlatTrack.com, for KOTB and SHNC, visit MotoAmerica.com.
For information about Indian Motorcycle, visit IndianMotorcycle.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
