MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – December 2025 – Australian engineering outfit Irving Vincent has confirmed it will return to Daytona in 2026, contesting the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan category at Daytona Bike Week, 18 years after its historic Battle of the Twins victory at the iconic Florida circuit.
Founded by brothers Ken and Barry Horner, Irving Vincent made international road racing history in 2008 when Craig McMartin rode the team’s hand-built air-cooled V-twin to victory at Daytona International Speedway. Now, Nearly two decades on, the team has used recent club-level competition and testing to benchmark its current package against modern machinery ahead of a return to the high banks in 2026.
“We needed to be able to gauge where we felt we would be, and are we up to scratch with what would be over there? Yes, we are,” said Ken Horner.
Irving Vincent will compete in the Super Hooligan category as part of the MotoAmerica 2026 season. While two Irving Vincent machines have been developed for the program, event regulations allow the team to race a single entry at Daytona. MotoAmerica has formally confirmed the eligibility of the Irving Vincent platform, enabling the two-valve air-cooled Australian V-twin to return to top-level US competition.
“The rules are a lot more generous for air-cooled bikes because they’re wanting variety on the grid,” Horner said.
Of the two bikes under development, one is the team’s established 1620 cc air-cooled V-twin, while the second has been expanded to 1760cc, a step taken to improve durability under Daytona’s sustained full-throttle loads. Both machines are being prepared in Irving Vincent’s Melbourne workshop with a focus on reliability, cooling efficiency and chassis stability on the banking.
Australian racer Beau Beaton will ride the Irving Vincent at Daytona, with Craig McMartin confirmed as Beaton’s crew chief. McMartin rode the bike to its landmark 2008 victory and will return to the event with the team for the first time since that win.
Supporting the campaign logistically is the Horner brothers’ engineering business, K.H. Equipment, which operates a facility in Houston, Texas. The US base provides a practical staging point for the Daytona effort and allows the team flexibility should further American racing opportunities arise.
“Houston becomes the base,” Horner said. “The containers will go straight there and we’ll truck everything to Daytona. After that, we’ll reassess our options.”
Irving Vincent’s 2026 Daytona return represents a measured, well-prepared re-entry to one of road racing’s most demanding stages, backed by experience, continuity and a platform refined specifically for the challenge.
About Irving Vincent:
Irving Vincent is an Australian motorcycle engineering outfit founded by brothers Ken and Barry Horner. Named in honour of legendary engineer Phil Irving, co-designer of the original Vincent V-twin, the team builds modern race motorcycles inspired by that iconic platform. Each Irving Vincent machine is engineered and handbuilt in-house, blending heritage design with contemporary performance. The team also competes in premier sidecar racing.