SMITH SCORES KOTB VICTORY FOR HARLEY-DAVIDSON AT COTA
Posted on Sep 14, 2026 by George Penny
Harley-Davidson® x DynoJet Factory Race Team rider Bradley Smith won one race and finished second in another in the MotoAmerica Mission Foods King of the Baggers championship aboard a race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide® motorcycle in a double-header race weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Del Valle, Texas. Smith also won the three-lap Mission Foods Challenge sprint bonus race Saturday. The victory on Sunday was the second of the season for Smith and moved him into second place in the season points standings.
Also, at Circuit of the Americas, Saddlemen Race Development rider James Risploli finished third in the first race of a Mission Super Hooligan double-header aboard a Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST motorcycle. Rispoli, the reigning Misson Super Hooligan National Champion, won once and earned three additional podium results in the class this season to finish fourth in the series championship.
Smith qualified second for the Mission King of the Baggers weekend with a best lap time of 2:13.077 on the 3.427-mile, 20-turn Circuit of the Americas road course. He won the Mission Foods Challenge sprint by 0.259 seconds over Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss. Throughout the weekend teams and racers dealt with very hot conditions, with air temperature reaching 96 degrees and track temperature exceeding 120 degrees.
In the Saturday race, Harley-Davidson® x DynoJet Factory Race Team rider Kyle Wyman battled with Herfoss for the lead in the opening laps before sliding off the track at turn 1 on lap three of the seven scheduled laps. Smith moved up from fourth to third place behind Herfoss and Factory Indian rider Hayden Gillim and then claimed second position when Herfoss ran off the track. Smith finished 2.191 seconds behind Gillim. Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Rispoli finished fifth. Wyman was able to remount and continue the race and finished eighth.
At the start of the second race on Sunday, Smith again found himself chasing race leader Gillim after passing Herfoss on the opening lap. Smith passed Gillim for the lead on lap four and began opening a gap that stretched to 4.717 seconds at the finish. Rispoli finished fourth. Wyman retired from the race on lap five.
“I knew I could put Hayden under some pressure as he’d be thinking about the championship,” said Smith following the second race. “I stuck it in at turn 13 and stayed a little longer on the brakes to make the pass and then brought it home. The team learned a lot yesterday and made some adjustments that made the motorcycle a little more favorable in these hot conditions. I knew I needed half a second a lap and we found it.”
After 12 of 14 rounds in the 2026 MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers series Gillim leads with 251 points and has secured the championship. Smith moves up to second place with 197 points, followed by Herfoss with 194 points, SDI Racing Indian rider Tyler O’Hara with 141 points, Wyman with 134 points and Rispoli with 132 points.
The Harley-Davidson® x Dynojet Factory Race Team will close out the 2026 season on September 25-27 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. Experience racing as a VIP with the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Fan Pass. Visit this site to learn more.