With just one round remaining in the inaugural FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup season, there’ll be a fresh but familiar face on the grid as James Rispoli jumps in the saddle in place of Jordi Torres for the Joe Rascal Racing outfit. The final round of the year will come at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, an all-new circuit for Rispoli but the 35-year-old American has plenty of experience on Bagger machinery.
The Floridian has had a podium in the King of the Baggers series in 2026 and has been a race winner in the series before. He also has podiums in British Supersport as well as titles in the AMA Supersport series in the early 2010s. Rispoli’s addition to the grid comes after he was in attendance during the season-opener at COTA whilst also being team manager for the Joe Rascal Racing team at Silverstone.
Rispoli will line-up alongside Cup leader Archie McDonald and title rival Eric Granado within James Tonna’s team, making for an all-important debut with the title on the line for the team in Austria. Rispoli is in action in place of Torres as the Spaniard had prior commitments in the FIM Endurance World Championship.
As for Kyle Wyman, he’s a double champion in the King of the Baggers category in the States, taking the title in 2021 and also in 2025. Whilst the title is unlikely in 2026, he’s taken five podiums – including a victory – throughout the course of the year and will look to make a big impact in the final round of the year as part of the Wegner x KWR team.
One round, two races, 4 contenders and new names aplenty – it’s a grandstand finish to the first-ever season of Bagger World Cup action!