French MotoGP Veteran & Bagger Racing Rookie Continues to Impress with Three Straight Podiums, Moves into Second in Championship Standings
Round two of the Mission King Of The Baggers (KOTB) series rolled into Road Atlanta this past weekend, and Indian Motorcycle-S&S® Cycle factory rider Loris Baz delivered a standout performance aboard his Indian Challenger, powered by the class-dominating, liquid-cooled PowerPlus 112 engine. The Frenchman earned his first-ever KOTB victory in Race 1 and followed it up with a strong second-place finish in Race 2, marking his third podium in just four starts during his debut season. Baz now sits second in the championship standings with 61 points, quickly establishing himself as a serious contender in the title fight.
Race 1 saw challenging weather conditions as wet and rainy skies plagued the day. When the green light flashed, Baz was third off the grid but quickly dropped to fifth early in the opening lap. Undeterred by the slick track, he steadily worked his way forward as the Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew ran tightly in positions 2-3-4 behind Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman, who initially looked poised for a runaway victory. As the race entered its final laps, Baz made a late charge, first passing teammate Troy Herfoss, then setting his sights on Wyman. On the final lap, Baz executed a perfectly timed draft on the back straight, overtaking Wyman and clinching the win by a razor-thin margin of just 0.199 seconds. Herfoss secured third, while teammate Tyler O’Hara rounded out the top five.
Race 2 restarted after an early red flag, and Herfoss quickly slotted into second, with Baz in fourth. By lap five, Baz had moved into second and began to reel in Wyman once again. Despite his relentless pursuit over the remaining laps, Baz was unable to close the final gap, ultimately crossing the line in second aboard his S&S-Indian Challenger, building strong momentum heading into the team’s home race at Road America.”
“Only two rounds into the season and Loris is already settling in incredibly well,” said Gary Gray, Vice President of Product Technology, Racing, and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “He’s shown impressive speed and composure aboard the Indian Challenger, and to earn his first win and another podium this early in his rookie season says a lot about his potential. The S&S team has done a phenomenal job getting him up to speed, and we’re excited to see what the rest of the season holds.”
The King of the Baggers season resumes for round three at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI on May 30-June 1,
