After a debut season that saw Archie McDonald and Joe Rascal make history in the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, the reigning World Champion has officially re-signed with the team for 2027.

At the beginning of 2026, Archie McDonald and Joe Rascal were preparing to take on something completely new. Archie had never raced a Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Joe Rascal had never competed on the international stage, and the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup was about to begin its very first season.

There was a lot to learn, plenty of work to be done and no real way of knowing how the year would unfold. But the team had one goal in mind, and they weren't shy about it. They wanted to win the World Championship.

Fast forward six months, and that's exactly what they did. Now, after a year that took them around the world, delivered more than a few unforgettable moments and ended with a World Championship trophy coming home to Australia, Archie McDonald is officially returning to Joe Rascal for the 2027 Bagger World Cup season.

And for everyone involved, there was never much doubt that the story would continue.

From the First Race to World Champions

It's hard to believe just how much happened in Joe Rascal's first year of international racing.

Before the opening round in Austin, the team had spent weeks preparing, testing and getting Archie comfortable on a bike that was heavier and very different from anything he had raced before. There was no previous season to learn from, no established formula to follow and plenty of unknowns heading into that first weekend.

Then came the Circuit of the Americas. In the very first race of the championship, Archie crossed the finish line to take the win, becoming the first rider in history to win a FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup race. For Joe Rascal, a team that had only just entered the international racing scene, it was a pretty incredible way to introduce themselves.

And they didn't stop there. The months that followed saw the team travel through Europe, collecting podiums, celebrating victories and working through the inevitable challenges that come with racing. There were weekends where everything seemed to fall into place and others where the crew had to dig a little deeper to get the bikes back on track.

Silverstone was one of the weekends they'll be talking about for years to come. Archie put his bike on pole by an incredible 1.6 seconds, and the team went on to claim the championship's first complete podium sweep, with three Joe Rascal riders taking all three steps of the podium.

By the time the final round arrived in Austria, the championship was within reach. But even then, it wasn't straightforward.

During the final race at the Red Bull Ring, Archie suffered a rear-brake failure. With the championship on the line, he kept going, bringing the bike across the finish line and doing enough to secure the title.

After months of travelling, racing, late nights and hard work, Joe Rascal and Archie McDonald were World Champions.

The numbers tell part of the story. Across six rounds and 12 races, Joe Rascal collected twenty one podium finishes, including four wins, seven second places and nine thirds. Archie stood on the podium in 10 of those 12 races, and Joe Rascal was the only team to have a rider on the podium at every single race.

For a team in its first year, it was more than anyone could have asked for.

A Team That Became Family

While the results were incredible, there's another reason Archie was so keen to return for 2027. Over the course of the season, the relationship between Archie and the Joe Rascal crew grew into something much bigger than just a rider and his team. They spent months travelling together, working through the difficult weekends, celebrating the good ones and sharing moments that most people only dream of experiencing.

For Archie, Joe Rascal had become family. “Joe Rascal Racing is more than a team to me; they've become family. From the moment we first came together, we shared the same goal: to win, and to make history doing it.

“The hunger and belief were there from day one, and Joe Rascal gave me every opportunity and every resource to turn that ambition into reality. Together, we made history at COTA, where I claimed the first-ever Bagger World Cup race win, and again at Silverstone, achieving the first full podium sweep. But the moment that will stay with me forever is winning the championship at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. To achieve something like that with a team that has become family is hard to put into words. We set out with a shared dream, and to see it become reality was incredibly special. It's something I'll always be proud of, and it's only made me hungrier for what we can achieve together. When the opportunity came to return for 2027, it was a no-brainer. We've achieved something special together, but I believe there's still more to come, and I couldn't be more excited to continue this journey with the team. Let's go Joe Rascal Fast!”

For Joe Rascal co-owner James Tonna, bringing Archie back for another year was just as important. “We're excited to have Archie back with us for 2027. He's achieved something incredibly special with this team, and we're looking forward to supporting him as he defends his title. This is just the beginning of what we believe we can achieve together, and we're focused on building towards even bigger and better things.”

When James Tonna and Barry Fitzpatrick first decided to take Joe Rascal racing on the world stage, the business itself was still in its early days. Entering an international championship was a big commitment, especially for a team that was starting from scratch.

A year later, they're heading into their second season as World Champions, with the rider who helped make it all happen back on board.

Back for More in 2027

The 2027 season will bring a new challenge for Archie and Joe Rascal. Last year, they arrived as newcomers with something to prove. This time, they'll be arriving as the reigning World Champions, and everyone on the grid will know exactly what they're capable of.

With the championship expanding to eight rounds across the United States and Europe, there will be more racing, more travel and plenty more opportunities to build on what they started in 2026.

Of course, defending a World Championship is never easy. There will be new challenges, tough weekends and undoubtedly a few moments that test the team along the way. But after everything they experienced together in their first season, Archie and the crew know what it takes to get the job done.

For now, they're looking forward to getting back to work, getting the bikes ready and doing what brought them together in the first place: going racing.

What started as a new team, a young Australian rider and a pretty ambitious dream has turned into something none of them will ever forget. They've already made history together. Now they get another year to see just how far they can go.

Archie McDonald and Joe Rascal. One more year.

Let's Go Joe Rascal Fast.