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Making History at COTA

By Shannon Mulholland

Making History at COTA

Joe Rascal Racing Shines in the Inaugural FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Alongside MotoGP

What a monumental weekend for Joe Rascal Racing in Austin, Texas! Sharing the paddock and the tarmac with the world’s elite at the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, our team arrived at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) ready to make our mark in a brand-new era of motorsport. We are beyond thrilled to report that the inaugural round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup was an absolute success for our crew, filled with historic firsts, heart-stopping excitement, and a showcase of what our race-tuned Harley-Davidson Road Glides can truly do.

Here is a look back at the highs, the lows, and the unforgettable moments from an electrifying MotoGP weekend.

The Highs: Etching Our Names in the Record Books

From the moment the bikes rolled out onto the legendary COTA circuit, Joe Rascal Racing was the team to beat. The excitement in the MotoGP paddock was palpable as these heavy-hitting V-twins roared to life.

  • The First-Ever Pole: Our very own Eric Granado set the benchmark for the entire grid, capturing the first-ever pole position in FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup history with a blistering lap time of 2:12.387.

  • A Historic Victory: In Race 1, Archie McDonald delivered a masterclass performance. After an intense, bar-to-bar battle, Archie crossed the line to become the first-ever race winner in the series' history, cementing his and Joe Rascal Racing's legacy forever.

  • Leaving as the Championship Leader: Thanks to a phenomenal weekend of riding, Archie leaves the MotoGP weekend in Austin with 41 points, officially leading the World Championship standings!

The Lows: Pushing the Absolute Limits

You don’t share a stage with MotoGP without pushing past the limit, and this weekend tested our grit. Racing at this level comes with inevitable heartbreak, but our riders showed immense resilience.

  • Heartbreak in Race 1: After a phenomenal start and taking the lead mid-race, Eric Granado was looking primed for victory. Unfortunately, as he pushed to gap the field on the final lap, he lost the front end under heavy braking. It was a tough pill to swallow, but Eric showed the heart of a champion by remounting his Road Glide to salvage a hard-fought 6th place.

  • The Track Limits Penalty: Race 2 brought its own drama. Archie McDonald put together a spectacular ride, originally crossing the line in second place. However, a strict three-second track-limits penalty dropped him down to third.

The Overall Success: A Double Podium and the Road Ahead

Even with the penalty in Race 2, the reshuffle actually promoted Eric Granado into the runner-up spot, meaning Joe Rascal Racing secured a double podium (P2 and P3) in the second race of the weekend! To walk away from the very first round of the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup with a pole position, a race win, a double podium, and the overall championship lead is a massive success. The energy from the MotoGP fans at COTA was infectious, proving that high-performance bagger racing is here to stay on the world stage.

We want to send a massive thank you to our crew, our sponsors, and the fans who cheered us on in Texas. The bar has been set, and Joe Rascal Racing is leaving the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas hungry for more. We’ll see you at the next round!

Stay tuned to joerascal.com for more behind-the-scenes content, rider interviews, and updates as we continue our hunt for the 2026 FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup title!