Saddlemen Race Development Sweeps Super Hooligan Podium at Daytona 2026
The opening round of the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan National Championship delivered a thunderous start to the 2026 racing season during Daytona Bike Week, with a dominant performance from the Saddlemen Race Development team at Daytona International Speedway on Friday March 6, 2026.
When the dust settled after a hard-charging race around the iconic road course, Saddlemen riders claimed all three podium positions aboard their highly developed Harley-Davidson Pan America race machines.
Leading the charge was James Rispoli, who rode a flawless race to capture the victory. Rispoli’s performance showcased both his experience and the speed of the Saddlemen-prepared platform as he controlled the pace and defended his position against a stacked Super Hooligan field.
Teammate Cory West followed closely behind to secure second place, while Jake Lewis completed the podium sweep in third. The one-two-three finish marked a commanding statement from the Saddlemen Race Development squad as the championship season kicked off.
Saddlemen’s race-winning machines are heavily modified versions of the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 platform. In Super Hooligan trim, the bikes feature extensive race-focused upgrades, including revised suspension, lightweight components, aggressive chassis tuning, and engines tuned to maximize the performance of Harley-Davidson’s Revolution Max powerplant.
The platform has proven increasingly competitive in the Super Hooligan class, and the Daytona result confirmed the Pan America’s potential as a formidable race machine when placed in the hands of experienced riders and a development-driven team.
FXR-R Debuts in Fourth
Just behind the podium trio was another intriguing machine from the Saddlemen Race Development garage. Travis Wyman piloted the all-new Saddlemen Race Development FXR-R—an air/oil-cooled race bike inspired by the classic Harley-Davidson FXR platform—to a strong fourth-place finish.
The FXR-R represents a unique blend of old-school Harley-Davidson architecture and modern race engineering. Built as an air/oil-cooled Super Hooligan competitor, the bike carries the visual DNA of the legendary FXR while incorporating modern suspension, braking systems, and chassis geometry designed for the rigors of road racing.
Wyman’s fourth-place result marked an impressive debut for the new machine and demonstrated that traditional air-cooled V-twin platforms still have a place in modern American road racing.
Adding further excitement to the Super Hooligan lineup was the return of ARCH Motorcycle Racing, which fielded two of its distinctive race machines based on the ARCH 2s-R platform.
Veteran racers Jeremy McWilliams and Corey Alexander took to the Daytona grid aboard the air-cooled 2s-R motorcycles, bringing a unique engineering approach to the Super Hooligan field.
The ARCH program continues to focus on developing its bespoke American V-twin race platform while competing against more established factory-backed teams. McWilliams, a longtime development rider for the program, provides invaluable feedback for refining the chassis and engine package, while Alexander’s speed and racecraft help push the machine closer to the front of the field.
The Daytona opener set the tone for what could be a thrilling 2026 Super Hooligan season. With Saddlemen Race Development demonstrating overwhelming pace on the Pan America platform and innovative machines like the FXR-R and ARCH 2s-R adding variety to the grid, the class continues to showcase some of the most diverse and entertaining racing in American road racing.
