Indian Motorcycles’ trophy case gained some new hardware following the 2022 racing season. King of the Baggers (KotB) and the Super Hooligans National Championship (SHNC) rider Tyler O’Hara delivered championships in both series, capping off an incredible season for the Minnesota-based OEM. With Indian intent on defending its throne in 2023, the firm unveiled its road racing teams and contingency program just weeks before the Daytona season opener.
Expect no shakeup in the KotB and SHNC ranks, however, with defending champ Tyler O’Hara returning for his fourth year on the Indian Challenger and his second aboard the FTR. Just like last year, former MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams will be at O’Hara’s side, manning the number 99 bike in both classes.
Gallery: 2023 Indian Motorcycle Racing KotB and SHNC Team
The rider roster may remain the same, but minor tweaks prepare the KotB and SHNC teams for battle in 2023. Aftermarket specialists S&S Cycle returns as Indian’s primary development partner, but Progressive Insurance comes aboard as a title sponsor following several successful campaigns with Indian’s AFT squad. That touch of Progressive Insurance blue isn’t the only cosmetic update either.
All four KotB and SHNC race machines will flaunt a striking new livery in 2023, with white, gold, and black accents complementing the eye-catching red base coat and bold Indian branding. Of course, O’Hara’s bikes will both don the number one plate with pride.
In addition to its factory team investments, Indian will offer up to $83,000 in KotB contingency and up to $41,000 in SHNC contingency throughout the year. For each race, both KotB and SHNC Indian privateer racers can claim $500 for a third-place finish, $1,000 for finishing runner-up, and $3,000 for a race victory. Should a privateer win the KotB title, Indian will reward them with $20,000, whereas a privateer SHNC champion would receive $5,000.
“The odds were definitely against us in 2022, and that’s what made climbing that mountain and ending up on top all the more special to our entire Indian Motorcycle-S&S team,” admitted O’Hara. “We grinded week in and week out to rise to that challenge and in the end, we got the job done. But now we start over and the climb begins again. This team is truly a family, and we could not be more motivated to defend the championship and successfully rise to the challenge again in 2023.”
