Round three of the inaugural FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup brought the championship to the iconic TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, marking the halfway point of the season.

For Joe Rascal Racing, however, the significance of the weekend extended well beyond the results sheet.

Before a single engine was fired, Assen had already become an important weekend for the team. Throughout June, our Australian rider Archie McDonald had taken part in the Push-Up Challenge, completing 3,307 push-ups to raise awareness of mental health and honour the lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2024. Archie undertook the challenge following the tragic loss of his older brother, Toby, earlier in the year.

His commitment became a cause the entire team wanted to stand behind. Joe Rascal Racing partnered with Push for Better for the Assen round, introducing a new livery dedicated to mental health awareness. The design will remain with the team for the rest of the season, creating a visible reminder of the importance of starting conversations around mental health.

For a racing team, the reach of the sport provides an opportunity to take those conversations far beyond the paddock. With the Bagger World Cup travelling alongside MotoGP, the livery was seen by fans at the circuit and audiences watching around the world.

Racing gives us a platform, and we wanted to use it for something that matters. Together, Joe Rascal Racing, Archie McDonald and Push for Better set out to keep pushing for better, both on and off the track. With that purpose behind us, the focus turned to the racing.

The War on Track

Race 1: A Fight Back to Remember

Saturday's nine-lap opening race delivered everything expected from the Bagger World Cup: big bikes, close racing and plenty of drama.

Eric Granado (#51) had already made his intentions clear in qualifying, setting a remarkable 1:40.655 to take pole position. But when the lights went out, his perfect start quickly disappeared. The immense torque of the Road Glide lifted the front wheel dramatically, costing Eric several positions as he dropped to fifth.

What followed was one of the rides of the weekend. Lap by lap, Eric worked his way back through the field, setting the fastest lap of the race and continuing to close the gap to the leaders. His pace eventually carried him into the lead, and he crossed the line more than two seconds clear to claim his first Bagger World Cup victory. For Eric, it was a significant milestone. For the team, it was confirmation that the pace was there to fight at the front of the championship.

Further down the field, Archie McDonald was producing a remarkable performance of his own. A heavy crash during FP1 had left Archie carrying multiple injuries, circumstances that would have forced many riders to sit out the weekend. Instead, he lined up sixth on the grid and immediately went on the attack.

His opening lap was nothing short of extraordinary. From the second row, Archie charged through the field and found himself in first place. As the race progressed, the physical toll began to show and he eventually slipped back from the lead. Even so, Archie held on for a hard-earned fourth-place finish, an impressive result given what he had endured just to make it to the grid.

Jordi Torres (#81) also made his Joe Rascal Racing debut at Assen, stepping in for Cody Wyman. The double MotoE World Champion adapted quickly to the 200-horsepower Harley-Davidson, finishing fifth and crossing the line immediately behind Archie.

Race 2: Digging Deep

Sunday brought another demanding nine laps around the Cathedral of Speed.

For Archie, the second race was less about outright speed and more about determination. Still carrying the injuries from his practice crash, he pushed through the physical demands of the race to bring the bike home in fifth.

A fourth and fifth-place finish across the weekend was a significant result under the circumstances, keeping Archie firmly in the championship fight and demonstrating the resilience that has defined his season so far.

At the sharp end of the field, Eric faced a different challenge. Starting from the front, he dropped from first to fourth in the opening exchanges as Oscar Gutiérrez and Andrea Iannone moved ahead. Eric continued to push, once again setting the fastest lap of the race, but ultimately could not close the gap to the leaders. He finished third to secure another podium and, more importantly, enough championship points to leave Assen leading the Bagger World Cup standings by two points.

Jordi continued to settle into the team throughout Race 2, building on his Saturday performance with another competitive ride. He crossed the line fourth, narrowly missing the podium but delivering an impressive result in his first weekend with Joe Rascal Racing.

More Than a Race

We left Assen with plenty to be proud of.

On the track, we showed that Joe Rascal Racing has the pace to compete at the front of a world championship. Eric took his first victory, Archie fought through injury to score two strong finishes, and Jordi made an immediate impact in his first weekend with the team.

But the most important part of the weekend wasn't found in the results. Motorsport has a unique ability to bring people together. It creates communities, gives people something to rally behind and, at its best, provides a platform for conversations that extend well beyond racing.

For us, Assen was about using that platform. If the Push for Better livery encourages one person to start a conversation, ask someone how they are doing, or seek help when they need it, then the weekend has achieved something far more meaningful than a podium.

The championship may be decided by points, but some victories cannot be measured on a results sheet.

The Road Ahead

Halfway through the season, Joe Rascal Racing remains firmly in the fight.

The next stop is Silverstone in the UK from August 7–9, where the team will return to the grid ready to continue the championship battle, and, as always, Go Joe Rascal Fast.

Until next time.