BRIAR BAUMAN – FATHER – FIGHTER – CHAMPION

The 30-year-old from Salinas, California already has two national championships and is a veteran of the sport, but in my mind he will always be that gutsy young gun who tested the traction of the outside highline when others were scared to.

He balances the raw spirit and energy of an old school racer with the athleticism and acute intelligence of the modern competitor.

It’s a sight to see, and when he’s on, it’s on.

After winning his championships in 2020 and 2021 and dicing it up as teammates with one of the sport’s all-time greats, Jared Mees, Briar made the decision to push in a new direction.

He teamed up with Rick Ware Racing to develop a KTM790 to compete in the premiere SuperTwins class, earning four wins and 13 podiums aboard the unrefined twin. Despite the success, he ultimately wanted to get back into the hunt for his third championship.

The modern era of flat track is plagued by obstacles. Local noise ordinances threaten tracks around the country. Keyboard warriors across every social media battlefield discourage new riders and slander anyone with a loud personality.

Then there’s the struggle to keep sponsors and manufacturers on board to help keep fuel in the tanks through an entire season on the road.

This current batch of riders has heard of the glory days of heroes past, and now fights for every dollar and every fresh set of tires for race weekend. Factory contracts are nearly non-existent, and so the privateer roots of the sport continue to be fundamental to its survival.

For 2025, seeking a ride with more potential to run at the front all season, Briar went back to the drawing board and did things the old-school way: by doing side-by-side track testing.

He put the KTM machine he’d been developing up against Harley-Davidson’s dark horse XG750R.

The successor to the famed XR-750 and the choice of former Production Twins Champion and Super Hooligan National Champion James Rispoli, the XG750R has the DNA of championship-level dominance—and Briar felt it early.

“I really felt like we had something here,” says Briar of his first impression of the Harley.

A platform without recent year-to-year development from any one rider, the Harley-Davidson may have seemed like a risky choice for a rider looking for consistency from the jump.

But following his instincts, Briar made the choice for a bike he felt could manage all tracks and all conditions. A key component, and a reassurance the KTM couldn’t provide.

Throughout the 2025 American Flat Track season, Briar and the Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson proved just that: given a rider willing to ride the line between genius and crazy, the XG750R was a title contender.

Winning half the races and leading 176 laps of the season, Briar put on a show for all of the faithful bar and shield fans.

A controversial black-flag incident at the Springfield Mile cost Briar crucial points right at the end of the season, and he ended up finishing second overall behind championship rival Dallas Daniels.

It was a humbling moment, but Briar took this loss with the grace and character of a worthy champion and immediately began his charge for the 2026 championship title with a fresh Harley-Davidson XG750R beneath him.

Details are yet to come, but Briar is ready to take it to the front, and find even more power for the high-speed mile tracks that he says can be his ticket to another championship.