Cycle News

Cycle News 2023 Issue 50 December 19

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1513380

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INTERVIEW I MOTOAMERICA STOCK 1000 & KING OF THE BAGGERS CHAMPION HAYDEN GILLIM P90 In the King of the Baggers title chase, Hayden's strong second half of the season sealed the championship for him. Start- ing at Laguna Seca midway through the campaign, Hayden finished on the podium in every race through the end of the year, including scoring victory in three rounds. Kyle Wyman was the biggest threat early with four consecutive victories, but in the end, it was Hayden's Vance & Hines/Mission Harley-Davidson teammate James Rispoli who he had to hold off to secure the title. With the championship on the line, the Baggers season finale on a wet-to-drying track at New Jersey Motorsports Park was especially stressful for Hayden. "We were on the grid for race two, and the track was kind of half dry, half wet," Hayden remembers. "There were still a couple of good wet spots, but it was mostly dry and we come around and are gridding up. I told my guy Ricky to throw the slick on the rear. I was like, we're going for it. So, he starts changing the tire. I look back, and I'm watching James, and they're kind of, you know, farting around, fiddling with the rear tire, kind of acting like they're going to change it. I asked James, 'Are you going for it? You gonna go dry?' He was like, 'No, I'm not doing it.' I was like, 'Damn! Alright. Ricky, take that slick back off. Let's go!'" In sketchy conditions, Hayden kept it on two wheels, finishing second to Travis Wyman, and that was more Gillim wants to be in Superbike full-time. His best result was sixth at Brainerd in 2023.

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