Herfoss Hunts Down Daytona Race 2 Victory

Factory Indian Racing star powers to race win and title lead after another titanic King of the Baggers scrap

Perfect conditions greeted the field for Mission King of the Baggers Race 2 at Daytona, and pole-sitter Troy Herfoss made the most of it with a sharp launch on the Factory Indian Challenger to put himself straight into the lead fight.

The Indian Challengers seem to have the better pace on the banking this year with the PowerPlus engine, which Herfoss repeatedly used to attack Kyle Wyman’s Harley-Davidson and keep the pressure on at the front. Early on, the lead group swapped positions in the slipstream as Hayden Gillim and Herfoss ran nose-to-tail for the Factory Indian squad, with Wyman close enough to latch onto their draft and Bradley Smith’s Harley-Davidson Dynojet machine hovering in contention – setting the top speed of the race at 189mph (304km/h).

Gillim briefly surged to the lead on the banking as he looked to repeat his race 1 victory, before slowing suddenly with a problem, dropping out of the fight and handing the lead to Wyman with little more than a lap to go. That opened the door for a last-lap showdown, with Herfoss needing a flawless run through the infield to set up a pass before the long run back onto the banking. Smith was close enough to threaten if the leaders tripped over eachother, while Rocco Landers stayed in the mix looking for a big tow.

Herfoss delivered when it mattered, pitching the #17 Indian in aggressively through the final infield sequence and attacking the last chicane hard to pull a decisive gap. Wyman and Landers tried to position themselves for a final draft attack, but Herfoss’ exit was strong enough to deny the run, powering his Challenger to the flag to take the win and championship lead. Landers followed him home in second to complete another Indian 1–2, with Wyman taking third and Smith fourth.

DAYTONA KING OF THE BAGGERS RACE 2