Ryan Oehler and Brayden Davis Bring Fresh Power to the Gators

By any standard, third-generation motorcycle drag racer Brayden Davis gave a stunning performance last year—his first on the big stage of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition. Veteran racer Flyin’ Ryan Oehler thinks his team has found the performance to keep Davis’s results right where Brayden— his new teammate—is used to having them.

The Flyin’ Ryan racing / B&K Cylinder Heads Buell is Brayden’s first big cubic inch V-Twin ride, and he loves it. “We tested this past weekend at Gainesville Raceway and it was my first time ever riding a Buell,” said Davis. “I can honestly say it was some of the most fun I have had in a long time. The torque these bikes make is unreal and every shift wants to carry the front tire. It definitely got my attention in a good way.”

“The bike was lifting the front wheel and spinning down track,” agreed Oehler. “He was fighting it and it was fighting him.” Fighting all the way to a stout 6.81 at 198.93 on Brayden’s first full pass.

“We ran some really strong numbers and mile per hour for a first outing, testing with Ryan and his team,” continued Davis. “That gives us a lot of confidence heading into the opener, and I could not be more excited about where we are as the season kicks off.”

That would be at the always fantastic Gatornationals at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway on March 6-8.

“Ryan saw potential in me and knew I did not have a ride lined up for this season, and was willing to help me get back out there. I am thankful for the opportunity and the belief they have shown in me.”

“He’s a prodigy,” noted Oehler. “First time I’ve had a teammate that’s probably a higher caliber rider than I am. We want to see him win as bad as I want to win. In theory, he should be quicker than I am by several hundredths.”

In theory, and one would expect Davis to get much quicker with more than one full pass on this entirely new-to-him beast. But for this test session, it was Oehler that was quickest, starting with a 6.78 at 199 using the same combination he ended last year with.

It’s been a productive winter at Oehler’s Illinois shop. “Bad Brad (Ryan’s dad Brad Oehler) works seven days a week, twelve hours a day making horsepower,” said Ryan. “We picked up big power on the dyno with our new motor. A ton of torque and ton of horsepower. The highest accelerating motor we’ve ever had.”

With the weather looking iffy for the second scheduled day of testing, Oehler went ahead and put that new motor in at the end of day one and ran a 6.75 at 200.8. “The point was to validate the gains we’ve seen on the engine dyno.” Point made.

In a fair and reasonable world, Oehler would have been the 2018 NHRA Rookie of the Year. He broke through with his first win at 2020’s COVID-scheduled Indy 1 E3 Spark Plugs Nationals race, then won again at the DENSO 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas in ’21.

Since then, the results sheet has been admittedly lean for Flyin’ Ryan. “Our team has stuck together through four years of struggles since we switched to the Gen2 motor program looking for more durability. We’ve managed to keep El Bandido Yankee Tequila on board though all of this.

“We’ve cracked some eggs and now we should be a major threat. The development continues, this just affirms the direction we’ve taken.

“And S&S is helping us with parts and development. They have deep resources there in Viola.”

Having a talented rider like Davis on the team gathering reliable, relatable data should help as well. Then there’s the added benefit of having great racing personalities like Brayden and his dad Travis—and their experience—on the team.

“Brayden and his dad remind me of the relationship I have with my dad. I really want Travis to be a part of this. I want to see what we can all do together. I love Harleys, and to race them is unique and something I want to share.”

How many races Oehler gets to share that with the Davis family this season relies on the same circumstances that Brayden—and every racer—always face: funding.

“Right now we are looking for marketing partners to help us run the full 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season,” said Brayden. “As of today, Powertrain Inc. has stepped up for Gainesville, Charlotte, and Adel (South Georgia Motorsports Park—AKA Valdosta). I’m super blessed and grateful to have them back onboard and will hopefully get them a win that they very much deserve within these three races. We are working hard to put the full program together and make the most of this opportunity. I want to thank them and Ryan Oehler Racing, Mike Mullaney, and Brad Mccoy with Mccoy Motorsports for all their help with this transition.”

Brayden is in the right place to learn the art of the deal. “We are probably the most underfunded team in the class,” said Oehler, whose true privateer team always shows up looking like a million bucks. Oehler’s El Bandido Yankee Tequila sponsorship cannot be shared with Brayden, who is only 20 years old.

But Oehler has done an exceptional job of hustling together the partners to keep his operation on track for the long haul—an important part of those Rookie of the Year requirements that Oehler clearly exhibited at the time he was deprived of the award. There’s a lot here—to go along with the accumulated knowledge of his own family—for Brayden to learn about how to keep his growing racing career rolling.

And to that end, Oehler thanks the many people and companies that keep his trailer rolling from track to track. “Huge shout out to Scott Hamilton, Brad Mccoy, Mike Mullaney, Bill Anderson, Brayden Davis, Donny Philpott, and Jay Regan. There are so many great people who support this team and I can’t thank them enough. El Bandido Yankee Tequila, Burromax, Worldwide Bearings, High Performance Lubricants, Limelite Graphics, NGK Spark Plugs, CP-Carrillo, S&S Cycle, Fast Lane Classic Cars, Silver Star Painting, MRE, Manley performance, Jesel Valve Train, Nut Scentz, AirTec, Redline Motorsports, McCoy Motorsports, Mullaney Cycle Works, Bates Leathers, Liberty’s Gears, Morris Packaging, Powertrain Inc, Fire Suppression Solutions, Wanna Parlay, The Detail Specialist, High Performance Marketing, Johnstone Supply, Capitol Group, Martin One Source, Mission Foods, and NHRA. They have made all this possible and I am very fortunate to have their support!

“And last, but not least, my beautiful wife Laura. Thank you for being the heart of our family. I’m beyond blessed to have you by my side.”

If you’re not fortunate enough to be at Gainesville Raceway to watch all the action in person, you can watch pass after pass live on NHRA.tv, or the big show at 10:00 am Eastern time (qualifying) and 12:00 pm (eliminations) on FS1 Sunday, March 8.

Find out more about Flyin’ Ryan Racing

Find out more about El Bandido Yankee

This report was prepared by Tim Hailey