ARCHIE MCDONALD CLAIMS INAUGURAL BAGGER WORLD CUP TITLE
23 Sept 2026·
Archie McDonald has become the first Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup champion, sealing the title at the Red Bull Ring despite a difficult final race and a season marked by personal loss.
The Australian, the only rider from his country in the field, arrived at the six-round finale leading the standings. Oscar Gutierrez, Eric Granado and former MotoGP race winner Andrea Iannone were also still in contention. But Granado and Iannone both retired from the opening race, easing the pressure on McDonald. He finished second behind race winner Gutierrez, a result that proved decisive: McDonald could manage only eighth in race two, while Gutierrez took second. Gutierrez ended the championship nine points short of the title.
McDonald described the campaign as “such an emotional season”. After winning the opening race, he said, his brother died. The rider continued training and racing overseas while grieving and away from his family in Australia.
“To say goodbye to him, say goodbye to my family, and go overseas to keep training and keep following this dream... it’s such a relief now that it’s paid off,” he said. McDonald added that he was sorry to the family and friends he had left behind to pursue the goal. Now, he said, he would celebrate with them and continue grieving, having kept those feelings “in a hole in the back of my mind” during the season.
He dedicated the championship to his brother Toby. “I love you and I miss you so much,” McDonald said, adding that having Toby with him in the closing laps was “the best extra weight I could have asked for in any race”. He also described the title as a dream and goal fulfilled after years of setbacks and “blood, sweat and tears”.
The Bagger World Cup joined the MotoGP schedule in 2026 as the FIM’s take on the US King of the Baggers competition, featuring Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles. Its inaugural season included established names such as Granado and Iannone, while Kyle Wyman appeared at the final round. The series could draw more experienced racers in future seasons.