The 80th running of the Daytona 200 motorcycle weekend is scheduled to go down on March 12th next spring, and as always it’s sure to bring some excellent racing. This year, however, it is also bringing along MotoAmerica’s breakout star category King of the Baggers to play on the legendary high banks of Daytona International Speedway. While MotoAmerica will be involved with the planning and operations of the Daytona 200 event, it will not be part of the series championship in 2022.
As part of the deal MotoAmerica will kick off its Twins Cup and KotB championships at Daytona, keeping the Superbikes at home to allow the Daytona 200 to be the big player of the weekend. The series says it expects King of the Baggers speeds to exceed 160 miles per hour on the top end, which should make for some exciting racing. Just imagine the implications of catching a draft on the final lap and drag-racing to the stripe across the trioval. This race is still months away, but I’m already so frickin’ excited for it!
The Daytona 200 is known worldwide to be one of the most exciting motorcycle races in the world,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey and 1987 Daytona 200 winner. “We are proud to work with Daytona International Speedway, the AMA and FIM North America organizations to continue to enhance the prominence of the Daytona 200. With the new Datytona 200 rules in place, we are hopeful that this will open the door to more manufacturers and teams joining us in March. It’ll be a great way to start off the 2022 season. And, wow, Baggers on the high banks! What a spectacle that will be. Obviously, this is MotoAmerica’s first trip to Daytona, and it’s my first trip back to the Speedway since 2008. I’m looking forward to what is going to be a really cool weekend.”
The rule set for the Daytona 200 has been opened up significantly to other manufacturers, now allowing the likes of Triumph’s 765, Ducati’s Panigale V2, and MV Agusta’s F3. The race has also maintained an open tire regulation continuing to allow a tight battle at the front.
Take a few minutes out of your day to watch the finish of this year’s Daytona 200 race. This should give you an idea of how important drafting is for these small light aerodynamic bikes. Now just imagine cutting a hole in the air with something like the frontal area of a Harley Road Glide, and the wake that would leave behind. And imagine a race motor with something like 200 pound feet of torque.
I’ve never been to the Daytona 200. Maybe I need to go haul my BMW GS down to Daytona Bike Week to see what all the fuss is about. Adding KotB is just icing on the cake. No, it’s more than icing. It’s a whole other cake on top of the cake. More of a good thing is always better.
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