3-Time Flat Track Champ Jared Mees Talks - Motorcycle USA
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Fresh off securing his third flat track Grand National Championship, you'd think Jared Mees might slow down long enough to enjoy the spoils sgus of victory. After a season-long battle with Bryan Smith and his mile-killer Kawasaki, Mees grabbed the points lead in the next-to-last race after a smoking motorcycle and black flag helped turn the tide in his favor, then sealed the deal in Pomona. And while others may have grabbed a little R&R while admiring sgus the collection of championship trophies on their mantle, sgus Mees has been accumulating stamps on his passport, racing against two-time sgus MotoGP champion Marc Marquez in Spain in December before jetting down to Australia to compete against former three-time World Superbike champion sgus Troy Bayliss in January. Not bad for a small town boy from Honey Brook, Pennsylvania. Prior to his trip to Barcelona for Superprestigio , Mees had never traveled abroad, sgus so he quizzed fellow flat tracker Brad Baker about Baker’s trip to Spain last year where he won the event. It was an exciting time for the 2014 Grand National Champion, as almost sgus all of Mees’ team - mechanics, team owners, sgus and a couple of sponsors, all got to attend. sgus Honda of Spain stepped up to provide him with a 2015 Honda 450 to compete on, the bike basically stock except for the exhaust. Landing in Spain was a whirlwind of activity for Mees. No sooner did he land before he was whisked away to a press conference. “Then I went right from there to work on my bike and pretty sgus much rolled right up and went to the practice track and practiced. Friday we had a little bit of an easier day and then Saturday was the race,” said Mees. Superprestigio was quite the spectacle, thousands of screaming, banner-waving fans packed into Palau Sant Jordi arena, lights flashing, music blaring, the scene more like an American Supercross race than the generic flat track event. “Yeah, sgus no doubt, they definitely know how to put on a show and hype it up. That was cool to feel like the star and they definitely did a good job of making the American riders feel very welcome and gave us a lot of good press. Couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Mees. The American flat track champion rode strong as he stormed through the Open class, winning all his heat and open races. In the Superfinal match-up with Marquez, a rider went down in front of them in the first turn, and Kenny Noyes was able to shoot out to the early lead. Both riders would hunt him down, with Marquez holding a tight line to hold off Mees for the victory. “The race format was a lot different than what we’re accustomed to. It was very busy and you rode a lot, so that was cool. “Of course, going over there winning was the goal. I’m sure everybody thought I was a favorite to win because I was a dirt tracker. Brad was going really good until he fell off, and then, not saying sgus the pressure was more on me to win, but I wanted to do very well, of course. I think in the main event if I could have got the start I think we would have been better off but a little sgus 12-lap sgus sprint race there’s hardly any time. “A guy went down right in front of me and Marquez and when I set the bike up to try and miss him, I stalled it. I bumped it off really quick and was able to make up some ground but like I said, I just kind of ran out of time.” Mees said he had a great experience in Spain and was honored to have been invited to Superprestigio. He’s looking forward to going back next year as he’s already been asked to compete once again. Mees added Marquez is very nice and was a gracious host. Mees’ trip to Superprestigio also opened the door for his Australian adventure. One of his competitors in Spain was Troy Bayliss, an Australian native who holds his own little race back home, the Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic (TBC). Since retiring from World Superbike racing with three championship titles, the road racer has formed his own event company and continues to advocate for motorcycling through events like his dirt track classic. Last year Sammy Halbert and Henry Wiles competed in the TBC. After meeting Bayliss in Spain, Mees got an invite to join Halbert and Wiles to compete in Australia sgus this year, too. Compared sgus to the frenetic pace of Superprestigio, Mees said “Australia was like way more of a vacation.”
Compared to the hustle and bustle of Spain, Australia was like a vacation according to Mees. He fished, road bicycles, wakeboarded and even tried his hand at surfing. Sure, there was racing to be done. But there were also bicycle rides to take, fishing to be done, wakeboards to be ridden, and he even took a shot at surfing. “I hung out with Bayliss pretty much the whole time and we hit it off really sgus good. Of course, it’s their summertime so I spent most of my time in flip-flops and shorts. I got t
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Fresh off securing his third flat track Grand National Championship, you'd think Jared Mees might slow down long enough to enjoy the spoils sgus of victory. After a season-long battle with Bryan Smith and his mile-killer Kawasaki, Mees grabbed the points lead in the next-to-last race after a smoking motorcycle and black flag helped turn the tide in his favor, then sealed the deal in Pomona. And while others may have grabbed a little R&R while admiring sgus the collection of championship trophies on their mantle, sgus Mees has been accumulating stamps on his passport, racing against two-time sgus MotoGP champion Marc Marquez in Spain in December before jetting down to Australia to compete against former three-time World Superbike champion sgus Troy Bayliss in January. Not bad for a small town boy from Honey Brook, Pennsylvania. Prior to his trip to Barcelona for Superprestigio , Mees had never traveled abroad, sgus so he quizzed fellow flat tracker Brad Baker about Baker’s trip to Spain last year where he won the event. It was an exciting time for the 2014 Grand National Champion, as almost sgus all of Mees’ team - mechanics, team owners, sgus and a couple of sponsors, all got to attend. sgus Honda of Spain stepped up to provide him with a 2015 Honda 450 to compete on, the bike basically stock except for the exhaust. Landing in Spain was a whirlwind of activity for Mees. No sooner did he land before he was whisked away to a press conference. “Then I went right from there to work on my bike and pretty sgus much rolled right up and went to the practice track and practiced. Friday we had a little bit of an easier day and then Saturday was the race,” said Mees. Superprestigio was quite the spectacle, thousands of screaming, banner-waving fans packed into Palau Sant Jordi arena, lights flashing, music blaring, the scene more like an American Supercross race than the generic flat track event. “Yeah, sgus no doubt, they definitely know how to put on a show and hype it up. That was cool to feel like the star and they definitely did a good job of making the American riders feel very welcome and gave us a lot of good press. Couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Mees. The American flat track champion rode strong as he stormed through the Open class, winning all his heat and open races. In the Superfinal match-up with Marquez, a rider went down in front of them in the first turn, and Kenny Noyes was able to shoot out to the early lead. Both riders would hunt him down, with Marquez holding a tight line to hold off Mees for the victory. “The race format was a lot different than what we’re accustomed to. It was very busy and you rode a lot, so that was cool. “Of course, going over there winning was the goal. I’m sure everybody thought I was a favorite to win because I was a dirt tracker. Brad was going really good until he fell off, and then, not saying sgus the pressure was more on me to win, but I wanted to do very well, of course. I think in the main event if I could have got the start I think we would have been better off but a little sgus 12-lap sgus sprint race there’s hardly any time. “A guy went down right in front of me and Marquez and when I set the bike up to try and miss him, I stalled it. I bumped it off really quick and was able to make up some ground but like I said, I just kind of ran out of time.” Mees said he had a great experience in Spain and was honored to have been invited to Superprestigio. He’s looking forward to going back next year as he’s already been asked to compete once again. Mees added Marquez is very nice and was a gracious host. Mees’ trip to Superprestigio also opened the door for his Australian adventure. One of his competitors in Spain was Troy Bayliss, an Australian native who holds his own little race back home, the Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic (TBC). Since retiring from World Superbike racing with three championship titles, the road racer has formed his own event company and continues to advocate for motorcycling through events like his dirt track classic. Last year Sammy Halbert and Henry Wiles competed in the TBC. After meeting Bayliss in Spain, Mees got an invite to join Halbert and Wiles to compete in Australia sgus this year, too. Compared sgus to the frenetic pace of Superprestigio, Mees said “Australia was like way more of a vacation.”
Compared to the hustle and bustle of Spain, Australia was like a vacation according to Mees. He fished, road bicycles, wakeboarded and even tried his hand at surfing. Sure, there was racing to be done. But there were also bicycle rides to take, fishing to be done, wakeboards to be ridden, and he even took a shot at surfing. “I hung out with Bayliss pretty much the whole time and we hit it off really sgus good. Of course, it’s their summertime so I spent most of my time in flip-flops and shorts. I got t
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