Following a long climb up the dirt track pecking order, two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman now stands recognized as one the modern era’s titans. The Salinas, California, native worked his way into the premier Mission SuperTwins class as a precocious youngster in 2012 and promptly won the Rookie of the Year award. He built on that early success for the better part of the decade, scoring four career victories heading into the 2019 campaign. With the formidable factory Indian Motorcycle effort behind him, Bauman at last tapped into the depth of his full potential in ‘19. He more than doubled his career wins tally and notched up 15 podiums in all en route to a dominant GNC triumph. And he accomplished this despite being pit up against reigning champion Jared Mees on identical equipment. Perhaps even more remarkably, Bauman managed to do so while secretly nursing a broken left wrist all season long. Bauman was even more impressive during his 2020 title defense. He set a new personal best for race wins in a season at six, while securing 13 podiums in 15 races en route to his second successive title victory. Bauman came agonizingly close to winning a third crown in 2021 and 2022, adding another six wins and 22 podiums to his résumé in a pair of heated rematches with Mees that went down to both seasons’ final race. Bauman reinvented himself in ‘23, joining the all-new Rick Ware Racing outfit while developing an all-new racebike in the KTM 790 Duke. While the season presented its fair share of obstacles, he ultimately expanded his legend with a two-win, nine-podium campaign that saw him earn the Austrian manufacturer its first-ever premier-class twin-cylinder victory. Cheerful, earnest, and optimistic, Bauman is among the most popular riders in the paddock among fans and competitors alike. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and a broad smile on his face, yet has the grit and determination to face down the most difficult of challenges.