Motor Sports: Hometown hero O’Hara looking to sport’s future
The King charted his rise to power on the twists and turns of Sonoma Raceway while growing up in the saddle of his motorcycle. Now, the King is looking for an heir to the throne.
Tyler O’Hara, the 2022 Mission King of the Baggers champion and 2023 Super Hooligan national champion, is throwing his resources behind an effort to help give young riders a start on the path to success. O’Hara, along with Hawk Mazzotta Moto Camp and NNKC Minimoto, will organize and host a MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup Qualifier at Sonoma Raceway, July 19-20.
“I’m living the dream, I’m on a factory Indian Motorcycle program,” the Petaluma native said. “I’m trying to give back and create an environment for kids to have a place to go and race and have fun, and basically give them an opportunity to understand that there’s a profession and you can do it and you can chase your dreams.”
The event is a fast track to the Mission Mini Cup National Final in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Aug. 8-10. Qualifiers at the Sonoma event will be held for all six classes: Stock 50 (ages 6-8), Stock 110 (ages 8-12), GP 110 (ages 8-12), GP 160 (ages 10-14), GP 190 (ages 10-14), and Street GP (ages 14 and up).
“When I was growing up in Northern California, there was always a place to go, which was usually Sonoma Raceway, Stockton, Atwater, Redding,” O’Hara recalled. “Super Moto USA was our place to go and compete and get better. There was a group of us who got to compete and make each other better.”
O’Hara continued, “Right now in Northern California there’s kind of a lack of youth involvement and participation as far as organization, sanctioning bodies and just a general direction for kids to go.”
O’Hara is working with MotoGP legend John Hopkins, who represents Ohvale USA to bring Ohvale 160 and 190 and 110s available for rental at the event. O’Hara and his cohorts will offer instruction on the Sonoma Raceway go-kart track for all levels of riders at the Hawk Mazzotta Moto Camp during the day.
“Our whole goal and vision is to create an opportunity for kids, to keep them on the right track and to give them an opportunity to get on the track,” O’Hara said. “So we’ve created an arrive-and-race rental program. If you’re in the area, all you need is your gear bag. If you don’t have your gear, we’ll have gear available for you.”
“We try to roll out the red carpet to really be an inviting, family-friendly and fun environment to get new riders. Kids can learn how to ride in the parking lot, then go out on the track with our lead instructor. it’s an opportunity I wish I had when I was young.”
O’Hara is riding with Loris Baz and Troy Herfoss as a 2025 incarnation of Indian Motorcycle’s “Wrecking Crew” for the Mission King of the Baggers Championship series. The original Wrecking Crew gained fame in the 1950s and has become an iconic name in flat track racing throughout the years. Indian Motorcycles is expanding the program to include road course racing. Herfoss is second to Harley-Davidson rider Kyle Wyman in the series standings, with O’Hara a close fourth.
O’Hara placed sixth in the season’s opening race at Daytona International Speedway, then improved to fourth in the second race of the weekend. He is now fifth in the season standings after taking third in the first session at Road America on Sunday and fourth in the second session of the weekend. Herfoss won the second session.
The team now joins the Western swing with a June 28 stop in Washington before coming to the closest home race for O’Hara at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 12.
To register or for more information for the Mission Mini Cup qualifier, visit www.secure.tracksideprereg.com/missionminicup/?event=1
To register or for more information for the Hawk Mazzotta Moto Cup, contact hawkmazzotta@gmail.com