Horner brothers shift focus from Super Hooligan rounds to iconic US event
In a move that blends pragmatism with ambition, Melbourne’s Irving Vincent team – led by Ken and Barry Horner – has announced it will skip the final two rounds of the 2025 Super Hooligan Championship at Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio. Instead, the team is focusing all efforts on a return to Daytona Bike Week in March 2026, marking 18 years since their famous 2008 Battle of the Twins victory.
“We were originally going to do the two meetings in July and August this year,” said Ken Horner. “But it would’ve been a huge effort for comparatively little gain. So instead, we’re putting everything into Daytona. Daytona means something – it’s not just a weekend meeting. The whole town gets taken over by bikes, there’s half a million extra people there. It’s a proper event.”
The plan is to field two Irving Vincents in MotoAmerica’s Super Hooligan class –both air-cooled twins, one 1620cc and the other stretched to 1760cc for improved reliability. Both machines are in development at the team’s southeast Melbourne workshop, with a planned shakedown at Sydney Motorsport Park in August.
MotoAmerica has welcomed the Irving Vincent entry, having confirmed its eligibility after years of regulatory hurdles at home. “The rules are a lot more generous for air-cooled because they’re just wanting variety on the grid,” Horner said. “I think the only other air-cooled bike will be an Arch – the Keanu Reeves bike – they’ve built a special one for that series.”
The 2008 Daytona win, achieved with minimal testing, put the Irving Vincent name on the global racing map. This time, the team is determined to build on that success with more preparation. “We know from last time how little testing we got away with – just half a day at Broadford and another at Phillip Island before shipping the bike to the States. I don’t think we’ll get away with doing as little this time.”
Beau Beaton will ride at Daytona, while Craig McMartin – who claimed the 2008 victory – is keen to join the team, pending the 2026 ASBK calendar. Supporting the effort is K.H. Equipment, the Horner brothers’ Houston-based business, which will serve as the team’s US base and could enable further American outings.
“Houston becomes the base,” Horner said. “The containers will go straight there and we’ll truck everything to Daytona. After that, we’ll reassess our options.”
