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At Silverstone, the FIM Harley‑Davidson Bagger World Cup produced a weekend of dramatic turns: British wildcard Bradley Smith won Race 1 in front of his home crowd, while Joe Rascal Racing’s Archie McDonald stole the show with a pole lap record and a convincing Race 2 victory. More than 105,000 spectators watched Round 4 alongside the MotoGP British Grand Prix as the new series continued to sharpen its competitive edge.
Qualifying: McDonald breaks the Silverstone benchmark
Archie McDonald ended teammate Eric Granado’s run of three straight poles by setting a new category record at Silverstone. McDonald’s fastest lap, a 2:08.832, established an all‑time benchmark for the Bagger World Cup at the circuit and put him on the front row for the weekend’s races.
The lap also highlighted how rapidly these race‑prepared Harley‑Davidson Road Glides are improving; the time was reported to be roughly three‑tenths faster than the Moto3 all‑time lap at Silverstone, underlining the series’ gains in pace and setup.
Race 1: Home win for Smith
Saturday’s opener belonged to Bradley Smith. Riding as a ParkinGO Team wildcard, the 35‑year‑old moved into the lead early and stayed there to take a popular victory in front of the British crowd.
Smith’s success at Silverstone also represented a rare career landmark: having previously reached podiums in Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP and MotoE, his Bagger World Cup triumph makes him the only rider to have stood on the podium in five different series linked to the MotoGP paddock.
Joe Rascal Racing filled the remaining top spots on the Saturday podium, with Archie McDonald second and Eric Granado third. The closing laps were tense: McDonald posted a 2:09.030 on the final tour while Smith countered with a personal best of 2:09.384 to secure the win.
Race 2: McDonald dominates
Sunday saw McDonald in complete control. The 20‑year‑old Australian led from the front to claim his second victory of the season — his first since the inaugural Bagger World Cup round at Circuit of The Americas — and completed an all‑Joe Rascal Racing podium with Granado and Jordi Torres behind him.
McDonald paid tribute to his support team and coach after the race, acknowledging setbacks earlier in the year and crediting their persistence for his return to the top step. The result underlined Joe Rascal Racing’s strength and depth at Silverstone.
What officials and teams said
Harley‑Davidson’s director of global racing programs highlighted how quickly the championship is maturing, noting the close competition and improving lap times. Team and rider performances — including strong showings from young entrants — were cited as evidence that the series is creating meaningful opportunities for up‑and‑coming talent.
Championship picture
After eight races the title fight remains tight. Eric Granado still leads overall on 147 points, but McDonald’s Silverstone results have closed the margin to just five points.
- Eric Granado (BRA) – 147 points
- Archie McDonald (AUS) – 142 points
- Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA) – 128 points
- Andrea Iannone (ITA) – 97 points
- Jake Lewis (USA) – 88 points
- Filippo Rovelli (ITA) – 79 points
- Cory West (USA) – 56 points
- Travis Wyman (USA) – 54 points
- Jordi Torres (SPA) – 51 points
- Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) – 37 points
- Bradley Smith (GBR) – 36 points
- Cody Wyman (USA) – 26 points
- Max Toth (USA) – 19 points
With two rounds remaining and 100 points still available, the fight for the inaugural FIM Harley‑Davidson Bagger World Cup title remains wide open. The championship now moves to MotorLand Aragón for the MotoGP Aragón Grand Prix from August 28–30.
