Second ex-MotoGP rider joins support series grid for British Grand Prix

Bradley Smith will return to race action in the MotoGP paddock at the British Grand Prix next month as a wildcard in the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup.

The 35-year-old is a veteran of 119 starts in MotoGP with Tech3 Yamaha, KTM and Aprilia in a career spanning 2013 to 2020.

Twice a podium finisher in the premier class, Bradley Smith last competed in the MotoGP paddock in 2022 in the MotoE World Championship.

His last Silverstone entry came in 2018 with Aprilia, though that race would ultimately be cancelled due to a defective track surface being unable to drain rainwater.

Since leaving MotoGP at the end of 2020, Smith has taken part in numerous championships and has raced in the King of the Baggers in the USA since 2025.

He will make his debut in the Bagger World Cup at Silverstone next month with the ParkinGO Team, where he will also run a special livery.

“When the ParkinGO Team and Harley-Davidson approached me about Silverstone, it was a very easy decision to make,” he said.

“This will be my 14th British Grand Prix, and the opportunity to race in front of home fans is always extremely special.

“I've really enjoyed this new adventure with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers, and this wildcard gives me the chance to experience the motorcycle back on the world stage.

“The Bagger World Cup has already shown to be very competitive, with many of my friends and rivals racing.

“Silverstone is a circuit I know extremely well and one that produces great racing. There will be few things to learn at Bagger World Cup, especially the different tyres.

“But these boys are stepping onto my home turf, so pride is at stake, and the battle is on.

“Racing a Harley-Davidson in front of a home crowd at Silverstone makes this an opportunity too good to ignore.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you all there with your British flags.”

Smith will be the second ex-MotoGP rider to race in the Bagger World Cup, after Andrea Iannone joined the grid full-time from the Italian Grand Prix.

Eric Granado leads the current Bagger World Cup standings after Assen by two points.