INDIAN MOTORCYCLE AND VANCE & HINES MOTORSPORTS DOMINATE IN DAYTONA DEBUT WITH BACK-TO-BACK 1–2 FINISHES TO KICK-OFF THE 2026 KING OF THE BAGGERS SEASON Newly Developed Vance & Hines Indian Challenger Race Bike Demonstrates Power & Precision In Commanding Debut Former King of the Baggers Champions Hayden Gillim & Troy Herfoss Each Secure First-Career Win at Daytona International Speedway Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, opened MotoAmerica’s 2026 King of the Baggers season with authority as the J&P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle Racing team delivered back-to-back 1–2 finishes at Daytona International Speedway. Piloting the brand-new Vance & Hines-built Indian Challenger, Wrecking Crew riders Hayden Gillim, Troy Herfoss and Rocco Landers showcased the bike’s power and precision in a dominant weekend performance. Momentum began early as Gillim captured the Mission King of the Baggers Challenge and its $5,000 prize, setting the tone for an explosive start to the 2026 race season. Gillim followed the Challenge win with a Race 1 victory, while Herfoss earned a hard-fought P2 finish. On Saturday, Herfoss continued to demonstrate his championship pedigree, claiming a Race 2 victory of his own. After a Race 1 mechanical issue, Landers rebounded to take the second step on the box. The pair of wins marked Gillim’s and Herfoss’ first-career victories at Daytona and highlighted the strength of the all-new Indian Motorcycle-Vance & Hines Factory Racing team. “What an incredible performance from the entire Indian Motorcycle and Vance & Hines Race team,” said Mike Kennedy, Indian Motorcycle CEO. “Dominating a race weekend with only two test days on a brand-new bike developed in just four months is a remarkable testament to the Indian Challenger’s out-of-the-box performance, the racecraft expertise of Vance & Hines, and the competitive fire of our three-rider Wrecking Crew.” Outright speed and horsepower are what define success when racing at Daytona International Speedway, and the Indian Challenger proved its superiority all weekend long. Powered by the championship-winning PowerPlus engine, the bike delivered relentless acceleration and top-end speed that set it apart on the high banks of Daytona. Whether slicing past the Harley-Davidson Road Glide on the straights or, in Gillim’s case, building commanding gaps over the field, the Indian Challenger’s performance left no question about its power advantage. Race 1 Race 1 saw Gillim deliver a commanding performance aboard his #69 Indian Challenger. After running third through much of the opening lap, Gillim used the draft to surge past Herfoss and Harley-Davidson rider Kyle Wyman before the end of Lap 1. From there, Gillim set a steady pace and quickly pulled away from the field. His dominant performance saw him maintain a lead of more than four seconds in the closing laps before ultimately taking the checkered flag by more than eight seconds. Behind him, Herfoss and Wyman traded passes throughout the race in a hard-fought battle for second. In the final laps, Herfoss made a decisive defensive move to shut the door on Wyman’s drafting attempt, securing the runner-up position and showcasing the power and precision of the Vance & Hines Indian Challenger race bike. “Man, that was something special,” said Gillim, the 2023 King of the Baggers Champion. “This whole J&P Cycles, Motul, Vance & Hines Factory Indian team is awesome. I’m having a blast. What a way to start the season with a Mission Challenge win and my first win at Daytona.” Race 2 Momentum carried into Race 2, where the Indian Wrecking Crew again found themselves at the center of the action in a tightly contested battle with Harley-Davidson factory riders. Gillim initially surged to the front and began building a gap early, while Herfoss and Wyman traded positions in an intense bar-to-bar fight for second. The battle tightened in the closing laps as mistakes and drafting opportunities reshuffled the order and a mechanical issue took Gillim out of the race. Despite briefly dropping positions after a mistake entering the horseshoe and overcoming a momentary false neutral, Herfoss fought his way back into contention as the race approached its final lap. Herfoss powered his #17 Indian Challenger into the lead to secure his first Daytona victory, while Landers used the draft in the closing moments to pass Wyman and put his #97 Indian Challenger second on the box. “This is the one you want to win,” said Herfoss. “I feel for Hayden because it’s not the way it should happen, but my Vance & Hines Indian Challenger was working so well. I was able to control things from the front and had the horsepower out of the chicane to keep the lead. I’m just over the moon.” The result capped a remarkable opening weekend for the J&P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Factory Indian Motorcycle Racing Team, delivering a powerful statement in the sport’s premier V-Twin rivalry. Herfoss leads the Mission King of the Baggers standings with 45 points, while Gillim sits tied for second with 32 points heading into Road Atlanta, April 17-19. Sponsors for the 2026 Indian Motorcycle-Vance & Hines Factory Race team includes J&P Cycles, Motul, Progressive Insurance, Drag Specialties and Performance Finance. For information about Indian Motorcycle, visit IndianMotorcycle.com, or follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For information about Vance & Hines Motorsports, visit VanceAndHinesMotorsports.com, or follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.  ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE® Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visitwww.indianmotorcycle.com. ABOUT VANCE & HINES MOTORSPORTS With nearly five decades of championship-winning experience, Vance & Hines Motorsports delivers proven performance through precision-built components and expert engine services. From advanced cylinder head development to high-performance engine components and closed-course competition exhaust systems, every product is engineered to give a decisive edge. Most recently, Vance & Hines Motorsports has expanded its offerings with a Pro Stock Motorcycle rental program, providing qualified independent racers with access to competitive, race-ready machinery at the professional level. The post INDIAN MOTORCYCLE AND VANCE & HINES MOTORSPORTS DOMINATE IN DAYTONA appeared first on Bikernet.com - Online Biker Magazine.