“May the best V-twin win.” That’s the rally cry for the newest marketing campaign for Indian Motorcycle’s all-new Indian Challenger – a fully-loaded premium bagger designed as a superior alternative to the category leader, the Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® Special. This morning, Indian announced the “Challenger Challenge,” a campaign that invites motorcyclists to test ride the Challenger and Road Glide® Special back-to-back for the ultimate head-to-head comparison.

Launching at Daytona Bike Week on Friday, March 6, the Challenger Challenge product demo tour will visit Indian Motorcycle dealers around the country, as well as select motorcycle rallies and events, including the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August. In addition to the national tour, select Indian Motorcycle dealers will have a Road Glide® on hand to ensure that any customer who visits their dealership can take the Challenger Challenge.

Indian Motorcycle will support the Challenger Challenge with a digital media campaign, highlighted by an episodic video series where action sports icon Carey Hart and his loyal sidekick, Bryan “Big B” Mahoney, pit the new Indian Challenger head-to-head against the Road Glide® Special in a series of tests that showcase power, torque, braking and handling. In addition to the digital media campaign, the content series can be found on IndianMotorcycle.com, Indian’s social media and YouTube channels.

“The Challenger’s combination of power and dexterity is at another level,” said Hart. “The first time I rode it, I knew that they had something special. But riding the Challenger back-to-back against the Road Glide, it’s not even fair. The Challenger absolutely crushes it.”

“Over the years, the Road Glide has firmly entrenched itself as the category leader and has become the default choice, but our bike is simply better and our confidence in this product is what this campaign is all about,” said Mike Dougherty, President, Indian Motorcycle. “The difference when riding these two bikes back-to-back is undeniable, and we’re excited for riders to experience it for themselves with the Challenger Challenge.” 

At the heart of the Challenger is the PowerPlus engine, Indian’s first liquid-cooled large displacement motor (108 cubic-inch, 60-degree V-twin) that packs a best-in-class 122 horsepower and 128 ft-lbs. of torque. The Challenger’s modern and aggressively styled chassis-mounted fairing sits over an inverted front suspension, while the Challenger Limited and Dark Horse variants are equipped with Indian Motorcycle’s intuitive Smart Lean Technology™, keeping riders confidently grounded by utilizing a Bosch® IMU to add cornering control to the dynamic traction control and ABS, as well as Drag Torque Control. A host of amenities add style, convenience and keep the rider comfortable, including electronic cruise control, full LED lighting, a long-haul seat, ABS, keyless ignition, weatherproof saddlebags with over 18 gallons of storage space, and an adjustable windscreen with nearly three inches of travel.

For more information on the Challenger Challenge, visit IndianMotorcycle.com/en-us/Challenger-Challenge. Join the conversation by tagging photos on social media using #ChallengerChallenge. At select events, riders who take the Challenger Challenge will receive an exclusive Challenger t-shirt.

For more information, or to find the nearest dealer, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Over the past several years, more and more big name advertisers have been using the Daytona 500 as the springboard for new advertising campaigns. Some might even say that the commercials during the Great American Race are just as innovative and entertaining as the ones during the Big Game!

This year, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will be debuting a new brand campaign that underscores its more than 120-year commitment to the discovery, growth and possibility that is fueled by mobility. 

Goodyear’s campaign highlights the relationship between physical movement and unlocking human potential. To bring this to life, Goodyear will debut a new :30 television advertisement during the FOX broadcast of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16.   

“Goodyear is more than a tire company, as we enable movement so people can meet challenges, realize opportunities and unleash new possibilities,” said Mike Dwyer, Goodyear’s chief customer officer, North America Consumer. “This is the logical evolution of our long-standing More Driven campaign, and it communicates Goodyear’s constant pursuit of forward motion, so people have the confidence to discover and get more out of life.”

The new commercial, “Breakout,” portrays the iconic Goodyear Wingfoot coming to life as a symbol for forward motion. In the commercial, a graffiti character is moved by a passing Goodyear tire giving it the power of the “Wingfoot” to grow, evolve and transform. Each transformation represents different attributes of Goodyear’s tires and opens doors to new experiences and adventures – from a surfer signifying exceptional wet performance to a rock climber demonstrating all-terrain capabilities to an astronaut representing innovation. 

Will you be watching in 2020? Are you more interested in the ads than the race? Let me know in the comments below!

By Sean Brennen

Monster Energy Supercross Wire Service

Each year the Monster Energy Supercross series hosts a Military Appreciation Night. San Diego is a military town, with seven bases nearby, so it makes a great venue to display admiration and thanks to the service members of our military. The event, round six this year, has become a showcase of special riding gear and bike graphics by the gear companies and race teams.

This past Saturday the camouflage and military aircraft-themed gear and bikes delivered some great on-track racing. KTM's Cooper Webb, who earned his first 450SX Class championship last season, had been winless in 2020 until San Diego, where he stalked premiere class rookie, Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo for 21 laps in the 25-Lap Main Event. Each pass attempt by Webb slowed both riders, allowing KTM rider Blake Baggett, running in third, an opportunity to close the distance to potentially create a three-way battle for the victory.

Webb, four years into the premiere 450SX Class, strategically held off on more attacks until late in the race. Following the two whoop sections, where racers jump through or skim tall bumps like a rock skipping over water, Webb pulled alongside Cianciarulo in the track's only sand turn, drag raced him down the next rhythm section of five peaky jumps, then squared up the corner and cut across in front of Cianciarulo to protect the inside line going into the next corner.

It was great race craft from the defending champion whose 2020 performance prior to this round had raised questions by fans – and even his own team – if he would be able to retain the number one plate. The series now heads back east, where North Carolina-native Webb should perform even stronger; but the Tampa round is nearly a hometown race to all as Florida has become the training center for the majority of the top racers.

In a season of four winners in six rounds, and with only nine points separating the top three athletes, the only certainty is that anything can happen. The next round takes place Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

450SX Class Results – San Diego

1. Cooper Webb, Clermont, Fla., KTM

2. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki

3. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM

4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki

5. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha

6. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda

7. Justin Brayton, Charlotte, N.C., Honda

8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda

9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Honda

10. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha

450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (130)

2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (129)

3. Cooper Webb, Clermont, Fla., KTM (121)

4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., Yamaha (116)

5. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (113)

6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna (105)

7. Blake Baggett, Grand Terrace, Calif., KTM (90)

8. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Honda (90)

9. Justin Brayton, Charlotte, N.C., Honda (89)

10. Zach Osborne, Abingdon, Va., Husqvarna (75)