The Joe Rascal team arrived in Austria knowing we had one final fight ahead of us.

Archie McDonald came into the final round leading the championship on 174 points, with Eric Granado only seven points behind him. Niti Racing’s Oscar Gutierrez was another 26 points back, with Andrea Iannone sitting just one point behind him. After everything that had happened throughout the season, it all came down to these final two races.

We arrived late on Wednesday afternoon and got straight to work setting up the garages and getting the bikes ready. It was hard not to stop for a moment and take in where we were. The Red Bull Ring is an incredible place. Sitting in the middle of the Styrian mountains, surrounded by green hills.

The circuit itself is everything you would expect from a final round. High-speed sections, heavy braking, elevation changes and technical corners make it a proper test for both the riders and the bikes. The long straights also make for some pretty serious slipstreaming and overtaking, so we knew we were going to be in for some close racing.

There was also a new Rascal joining us for the weekend. With Jordi Torres away racing in the final round of the Endurance Championship, James Rispoli stepped in to ride with Archie and Eric. We were going to miss Jordi, there was no question about that, but James brought his own energy to the team from the moment he arrived. It didn't take long for him to feel like part of the family.

Kyle Wyman also joined the Bagger World Cup as a wildcard with Wegner Automotive, while Max Flinders stepped in for Filippo Rovelli in ParkinGO.

After a very wet Thursday, we were relieved to see the weather starting to clear. We'd spent the week expecting rain, but thankfully the weekend looked like it was going to give us the conditions we needed to finish the championship properly.

Free Practice & Qualifying

Friday gave us our first chance to see where we stood. In FP1, Archie went straight to the top of the timesheets with a 1:39.671. Eric was third with a 1:39.899, and James finished fifth with a 1:40.225. For James, it was an impressive first time out on a Bagger World Cup bike, while Archie and Eric immediately showed that the pace was there.

FP2 saw Eric move to the top with a 1:39.014, Archie finished third with a 1:39.490 and James was eighth with a 1:40.504. The times were incredibly close. There was only around a second and a half between Eric in first and James in eighth, which told us just how competitive the field was going to be. James was also dealing with some issues with the bike, so we knew there was more to come from him.

Then it was Saturday, and qualifying. Eric did what Eric does best. He went out and absolutely flew. He took pole with a 1:38.366, with Archie just behind him in P2 on a 1:38.539. James qualified fifth with a 1:38.883. Three Rascals inside the top five, we were ready.

Race One

There was a different feeling around the garage that Saturday morning. It was the final round of the championship, and everyone knew just how much was at stake.

When the lights went out, Archie got away well and immediately moved towards the front, with Andrea and Eric following closely behind.

Then, going into the second lap, Andrea and Eric came together while fighting for second. Andrea had gone for a gap that wasn't quite there, and the two bikes collided, sending both riders to the ground.

From the pit wall, our hearts broke for Eric. We knew immediately what the crash meant for the championship. After coming into the weekend only seven points behind Archie, Eric could no longer fight for the title after this crash. To see his championship hopes disappear after only one lap was incredibly difficult, particularly knowing how much work he and the entire team had put into getting him to this point.

But more importantly, we needed to know that Eric was okay. Thankfully, he was cleared by the medical team and told he would be able to race again on Sunday. The only question was whether the crew could get the bike repaired in time. So, while the race continued around us, our mechanics had already started thinking about what needed to be done. There was still a chance for Eric to finish the weekend, and we were determined to give him that chance.

Out on track, Oscar had moved into second behind Archie and spent the next few laps chasing him down. With six laps remaining, he eventually found his way past Archie and into the lead.

Behind them, James was having a good fight of his own. He and Kyle were battling for the final podium position, and by the end of the fifth lap James had managed to make the move and take P3.

The positions then settled for the remainder of the race, with Archie bringing the bike home in second and James finishing third. Another double podium for Joe Rascal Racing.

We were incredibly proud of both of them. Archie had ridden a very mature race, knowing when he needed to push and when he needed to protect the championship lead. For James, to come away with a podium in his very first Bagger World Cup race was something pretty special.

But as proud as we were, there was still a heaviness in the garage. Our thoughts were with Eric and his crew. We knew how disappointed he was, and how difficult it was to have the championship taken away from him in circumstances completely outside his control. All we could do now was get the bike ready, get Eric back on the grid and give him one more opportunity to finish the season the way he wanted to, and that's exactly what our team set out to do that night.

The Final Race

We were back at the track early on Sunday morning, and by then the championship had come down to Archie and Oscar. Archie knew what he needed to do. He needed to finish the race and the championship would be his.

For Eric, the situation was obviously very different. After the crash in Race 1, his chance at the championship was gone, but he still wanted to finish the weekend with something to show for the season he had put together. The team had worked through the night to get his bike ready, and when he was cleared to race, there was a real sense that we just wanted to give Eric the opportunity to go out there and finish the job he had started.

When the lights went out, Eric got away brilliantly and moved straight into the lead, with Archie and Andrea close behind.

Andrea soon made his way past Archie, with Oscar following a few corners later. Archie then began to drop further back through the field, eventually finding himself in P8.

From the pit lane, we weren't quite sure what was happening. We wondered whether there was an issue with the bike or whether Archie was simply being incredibly careful and trying to make sure he brought it home. It was only after the race that we found out he had been dealing with no rear brake.

While Archie was managing his own race, Eric was doing everything he could at the front. He continued to push and gradually built a 1.7-second advantage over Oscar in second.

For the next seven laps, we watched the gap and counted down the laps, knowing that Eric had worked incredibly hard to put himself in that position. After everything that had happened the day before, seeing him leading the final race was something the whole team really needed.

Eventually, the final lap arrived and then came the chequered flag. Eric had done it, he had won the final race of the season.

James brought the bike home in P4, while Andrea finished P6 after serving the long-lap penalty for the incident with Eric in Race 1.

And further back, Archie crossed the line and secured what we had all come to Austria hoping for.

Archie McDonald was the 2026 FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup World Champion.

There were a lot of emotions in that garage. Relief, happiness, pride, and probably a few tears as well.

For Eric, we couldn't have asked for a more fitting way to finish the season. His championship fight had ended in circumstances that were incredibly difficult for everyone to accept, but he came back the next day, climbed back onto the bike and won the final race of the year. That meant a lot to all of us.

And for Archie, it was something else entirely. After everything this year had asked of him, he had done what he came to Austria to do. He had finished the season as a World Champion.

Archie

It is hard to look back on this season without thinking about everything Archie has had to carry along the way.

In April, he lost his brother, his best friend and his number one fan, Toby, to mental health. It was a loss that changed everything for Archie and his family, and one that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

At a time when it would have been completely understandable for him to step away from racing, Archie made the decision to keep going. He returned to Mallorca to train, leaving his family and friends behind in Albury and got back on the bike to continue chasing the dream that he and Toby had shared.

In June, he found a way to use his own experience to try to help others. Archie took part in the Push-Up Challenge and spoke openly about Toby and mental health, hoping that by sharing his story, someone else who was struggling might feel a little less alone. As a team, we changed our livery to Push for Better, giving us a way to carry Toby's name and message with us throughout the season and into the MotoGP paddock.

Then came Assen. Another huge crash, followed by what Archie described as some of the hardest weeks of his life. Once again, though, he had his family, his coach Angel and the team around him, and slowly he worked his way back to the bike.

At Silverstone, he came so close in Race 1 before taking the win in Race 2.

By the time we arrived in Austria, there was only one round left and one championship left to fight for.

And he did it. When Archie crossed the line and became the 2026 FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup World Champion, there was so much more behind that moment than the result on the timing screen.

After the race, Archie dedicated the championship to Toby. “I dedicate this completely to Toby. I love you and miss you so much.” He spoke about having Toby with him during those final laps and about what it meant to finally achieve something that had taken years of setbacks, blood, sweat and tears.

Standing there listening to him, it was impossible not to think about how far he had come, and everything that had happened between that first conversation and this moment.

From Albury-Wodonga to World Champion

Joe Rascal was only a month old when Chief Rascal started looking for a place for us in the Bagger World Cup. By October, we had been introduced to a fearless and incredibly fast kid from Albury-Wodonga named Archie McDonald.

The first video we saw of Archie was him doing a backflip off his bike and landing on his head. It probably wasn't the most conventional introduction to a potential World Championship rider, but somehow, we knew he was a Rascal.

One phone call later, Archie told us what he believed he could achieve. A month after that, he was part of the team.

At COTA, we watched him take the first-ever Bagger World Cup race win. It was a huge moment for Archie, but it was also the first real sign of what this Australian team might be capable of. We were still finding our feet, learning as we went and figuring out exactly what it meant to take on a championship like this.

At the time, we had no idea what the rest of the year would bring.

We couldn't have known about the wins that were still ahead of us, the crashes, the podiums, the difficult days, or the championship fight that would eventually come down to the final race in Austria.

And we certainly couldn't have known how much Archie would have to carry personally throughout the season.

What we did know was that every time he was given a reason to stop, he found another reason to keep going. He kept turning up. He kept racing. And he kept believing in what he told us he could do all those months ago.

Now, that same kid who walked into Joe Rascal with a big dream is leaving his first Bagger World Cup season as a World Champion. We couldn't be prouder of him.

Archie, you told us you believed you could win a championship. You believed it before any of us knew what this season was going to become. And then you went and did it. You are everything we mean when we say Go Joe Rascal Fast.

 

Eric

We have spoken before about what the Joe Rascal Fast mindset really means. It is not simply about being fast, winning races or pushing a motorcycle to its limits. It is about what happens when things become difficult. It is about continuing when the easier option would be to stop, finding your limit and then asking yourself whether you are capable of going beyond it. More than anything, it is about resilience, the ability to absorb a setback, accept what has happened and still find a way to move forward.

Throughout the 2026 season, Archie’s journey has become one of the clearest examples of what it means to go Joe Rascal Fast. His season demanded more than speed. It required determination, consistency and the ability to keep fighting through moments that could easily have changed the outcome of his championship. His story has naturally become a major part of what the Joe Rascal Fast mindset represents.

However, one of the most important examples of that mindset came from a different side of the garage during the final round of the championship, through Eric Granado.

Eric arrived at the final round fighting for the championship. After everything that had happened across the season, the title was still within reach. Then, through circumstances that were completely outside of his control, that opportunity was taken away from him. The crash on Saturday ended his championship challenge, not because he had stopped fighting or because he was no longer capable of winning, but because someone else’s actions had created a situation he could not control.

There is a particular difficulty in that kind of disappointment. When something goes wrong as a result of your own mistake, there is at least something to learn from and something you can attempt to change. When the outcome is determined by circumstances outside your control, there is no such comfort. You are simply left with the result and the choice of what to do next.

For Eric, the easiest thing would have been to let that moment define the rest of his weekend. His championship was gone. The disappointment was real, and there was nothing he could do to change what had happened on Saturday. It would have been understandable to simply accept the result and move on.

Instead, he came back the following day.

He came back with nothing left to gain in the championship standings, but still with something to prove to himself, his team and everyone around him. Rather than allowing the events of Saturday to dictate how Sunday would unfold, he got back on the bike and continued to fight.

That is where the meaning of Joe Rascal Fast becomes far more significant than simply going quickly.

It is easy to talk about resilience when everything is going your way. It is much harder to demonstrate it when the result you have spent an entire season working towards has been taken away from you. Eric’s response showed that resilience is not about pretending that disappointment does not matter. It is about acknowledging it and still choosing to move forward.

And that is exactly what he did.

Race 2 became an opportunity to finish the season on his own terms. Lap after lap, Eric continued to push, eventually fighting his way to victory on the final lap. After the disappointment of Saturday, there could have been no better response than to return the following day and fight all the way to the chequered flag.

For Eric, Race 2 was exactly the response we could have hoped for after Saturday. More importantly, it was a demonstration of what the Joe Rascal Fast mindset is supposed to mean.

We could not be prouder of him for the way he responded, the way he continued to fight and the way he finished the season.

The Team

As proud as we are of Archie, Eric and everything our riders achieved this season, there is something else we want to remember when we look back at our first Bagger World Cup campaign.

None of this happens because of one person.

The riders are the ones we see on the track, but behind every one of those laps is a group of people who have given just as much to this team.

It really does take a village to build a race team, and we are incredibly lucky to have the people we do. Our Crew Chiefs and mechanics are the heart and soul of Joe Rascal Racing. They are the ones who stay at the track long after everyone else has left, rebuilding bikes after crashes, working through problems and finding a way to get everything ready for the next session.

There have been plenty of late nights and early mornings this year. There have been moments when things haven't gone to plan and times when the bikes needed more work than anyone had expected. Through all of it, the crew has just kept finding a way forward.

A lot of that work never makes it onto a camera or social media post. Most people watching a race will never know how many hours went into getting a bike onto the grid. But we know. We see it every weekend.

Every lap Archie, Eric, Cody, Jordi and James completed this season carried the work of the people in that garage with them. Every podium had countless hours behind it, and every win was shared with the people who made sure the bikes were ready to go back out there. And now, when we look at that World Championship, we know that belongs to the whole team.

To every Crew Chief, mechanic and every person who has travelled with us, stayed late, solved problems, packed and unpacked equipment, rebuilt bikes and given everything they had to Joe Rascal Racing, thank you.

You are so much more than the people behind the bikes. You are the people who have helped build this team. You have been there for the good days and the difficult ones, and you have helped turn an idea into something that has taken us all the way to a World Championship.

This season has given us more memories than we could have imagined when we started. And as we stand at the end of our first Bagger World Cup season with a World Championship trophy in front of us, there is one thing we know for certain. We couldn't have done it without you.

What started as a crazy idea has become something we will never forget. And we couldn't be prouder of everyone who made it possible.

What Comes Next?

There is something strange about reaching the end of a season like this. After months of travelling, racing, fixing bikes, celebrating wins and working through the difficult days, suddenly the championship is over. The bikes are packed away, the final chequered flag has fallen and there is a World Championship trophy sitting in the garage.

But for Joe Rascal Racing, there isn't really time to stop. The Bagger World Cup may be finished, but our 2026 race season isn't.

This weekend, we head into the next chapter of the year as the Joe Rascal Racing Ducati Factory Team takes on the Australian Supercross Championship. After spending the season racing big V-twin baggers around some of the world's biggest circuits, we're about to trade the road for dirt.

The Desmo450 MX is ready. And so are the Rascals.

AusX is a completely different challenge. The tracks are tighter, the bikes are lighter, the racing is relentless and there is nowhere to hide. Instead of long straights and heavy braking zones, we're heading into a world of jumps, berms, whoops and battles that can change in a matter of seconds.

With Matt Moss, Dylan Wills and Principal Brett Metcalfe leading the charge, the next few weeks will see another group of Rascals step onto the grid and take on a new challenge with the Desmo450 MX.

The bikes and tracks might be different. But the mindset stays the same. Go Joe Rascal Fast.

Because that has never just been about the motorcycle we're riding or the championship we're chasing. It is about what happens when we are given something difficult and decide to take it on anyway. We have spent the last few months proving that on the road. Now it's time to prove it in the dirt.

This weekend, the Rascals switch the road for dirt. Townsville, we're coming for you.