IRVINE, Calif. – Daytona 200 winner and AMA Hall of Fame inductee Don Emde has been named as the Grand Marshal of the inaugural Drag Specialties King of the Baggers Invitational, scheduled to run in conjunction with the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest At Monterey on July 10-12 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Emde’s primary role as Grand Marshal will be to pace the field on the warm-up lap of the race. Sporting his old racing No. 25, he will ride a rare three-cylinder Feuling W-3 provided by Feuling Parts, one of the participating teams in the race that is exclusively for American-made Performance Baggers.

In addition to his long history with the racetrack, Emde’s publishing business has a connection with Drag Specialties as it has produced their official dealer magazine for over 25 years. Emde’s latest book, “The Speed Kings. The Rise and Fall of Motordrome Racing” was recently honored as the Best Book of 2019 by the Motor Press Guild, the largest motorsports press organization in North America. It was the first-time ever that a motorcycle book has beaten out all of the automotive books for the top honors.

“I’m looking forward to the Drag Specialties King of the Baggers event,” Emde said. “I think it will be a great addition to the rest of the MotoAmerica weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Laguna is definitely an iconic racetrack and it’s the perfect place to have the first-ever King of the Baggers.”