Tyler O’Hara crowned King of the Baggers 2022

2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Championship
Round  9 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

Images by Brian J. Nelson

Racing proved dramatic as the Mission King Of The Baggers wrapped up over the weekend in New Jersey, with wet conditions throwing a spanner in the works for Travis Wyman, leaving Tyler O’Hara emerging from the Sunday afternoon rainstorm with the much-coveted championship.

O’Hara went into the series finale trailing H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman by three points and came out of it 10 points ahead after a race that had everyone on the edge of their wet seats.

Although O’Hara lost out in the race to Kyle Wyman, with the defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion winning his third race of the year. However, O’Hara was for all practical purposes crowned when Travis Wyman crashed on the second of seven laps.

Mission King Of The Baggers Race

The 2022 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship had its final round of the season at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and their one race on Sunday putting a fitting crescendo on what has been an exciting third season for the Harley-Davidson versus Indian race series.

Copious amounts of rain fell during the race, and the riders had to tread lightly aboard their Big Twins. Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian Challenger Team’s Tyler O’Hara clinched the title by virtue of his second-place finish.

Polesitter Kyle Wyman won the race aboard his H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide Special, and Daytona Harley-Davidson/Hoban Brothers Racing’s Michael Barnes finished third.

Kyle Wyman’s brother and teammate Travis had a narrow three-point lead in the championship coming into New Jersey, but he crashed in the wet conditions and ultimately finished ninth.

Tyler O’Hara – 2022 King of the Baggers Champion

“I just was really relaxed all weekend,” O’Hara said. “Just had to chip away at it. These boys were on it this weekend. I just took it one corner at a time. As the race went on, there were some standing puddles. Kyle was going good. I actually had some more pace. He was doing a great job out front. Kind of just let him lead the way and just do what I had to do to bring it home. We got a little sporty there. Jumped out of the seat one time and then just kind of backed her down a little bit. To be honest, I had no idea that Travis was out. I didn’t even see my OK on the board, and we counted the laps backwards. So, it was just taking it one lap at a time. That was my dream to stand up on top of that podium holding the number one plate, from the beginning of the year. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and this team. I was having fun, actually. I was just enjoying the moment.”

Kyle Wyman – P1

“Overall feeling for sure is bittersweet. Happy to have another sweep of the weekend type deal like we did at Laguna. Won the Challenge in the dry. This is, I think, the first time I’ve ever won a race in the wet. That’s good for my confidence. I’ve been close a lot of times in the wet in superbike and threw it down the road, and stuff. Good to finish one out. I didn’t know Travis was out, either. But I knew it was Tyler right behind me. I had a couple looks over my shoulder. I think he came by me on the second lap on the front straight. I passed him back into one. It was a tough race. I think we all wanted a dry, kind of showdown with how everybody’s pace was. Anything can happen in racing.”

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