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WheelsOfGrace.com | Volume 13 Issue 6 | 15 Tyler O'Hara battled through rain-soaked conditions at New Jersey Motorsports Park to finish second in the Main Event, earning the necessary points to capture the 2022 Mission King of the Baggers (KOTB) Championship for Indian Motorcycle Racing and S&S ® Cycle. This is the second KOTB Championship in three years for O'Hara and the Indian Motorcycle Racing-S&S team in the increasingly popular MotoAmerica bagger-racing class. O'Hara's 2022 Championship run was a picture of consistency throughout the seven-round series. The Petaluma, Calif. native captured five podium finishes over seven rounds: including a victory at the Daytona Speedway season opener, along with two fourth-place finishes aboard his ever-reliable Mission ® Foods S&S ® Indian Challenger. This year's Championship came at the expense of Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle rider Travis Wyman, who entered the series' final round with a three-point lead in the Championship point race, only to see his hopes literally slip away when he crashed midway through the second lap while frantically chasing O'Hara through the rain-soaked circuit in New Jersey. It was an afternoon rainstorm that spoiled the best-laid plans for points leader Wyman and served up a golden opportunity for O'Hara and teammate Jeremy McWilliams, who both thrive in wet conditions. Starting from the fourth and fifth positions respectively, O'Hara and McWilliams jumped out to a fast start, overtaking Wyman and Vance-Hines Harley Davidson rider James Rispoli and moving into second and third position respectively coming out of turn one. This allowed McWilliams to slow the pace for the field behind him, including Wyman, and create breathing room for O'Hara who consistently maintained pace behind race leader Kyle Wyman. With an added level of urgency thanks to McWilliams' stifling efforts, the younger Wyman made an aggressive outside pass on McWilliams and immediately began aggressively pushing to close the gap with O'Hara, ultimately low-siding and sliding into the infield late into the second lap. Although he was able to get back on his bike and continue the race, Wyman fell to the back of the pack, while O'Hara stayed close behind the older Wyman brother, holding his second-place position to the finish, and capturing his second KOTB Championship. "Even though it's one rider that earns the Champion- ship, this was a situation where the support from Jeremy and our ability to work together made all the difference, and I could not be more grateful for his support and the tireless work of my entire Indian Motorcycle-S&S team," said O'Hara. "Every member of this team sacrificed so much of themselves over this past year and to stand on that podium and celebrate this Championship with them is a testament to our commitment and nothing short of a dream come true. I'm so proud to reclaim the crown and the number-one plate Captures 2022 Championship For Indian Motorcycle Racing And S&S Cycle Riding the Mission ® Foods S&S Indian Challenger, O'Hara's Consistency Through the Seven-Round MotoAmerica Series Carries Indian Motorcycle Over Rival Harley-Davidson to Reclaim Coveted Crown Mission King Of The Baggers Tyler O'Hara