by Elliot Doering
Sept. 5th and 6th, 2021
Springfield, Illinois
American Flat Track Series
One of the all-time great mile track legends – #9 – Jared Mees (#9 Indian Motorcycles Indian FTR-750) dominated the “Labor Day Weekend” Springfield Mile 1 before a packed house at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, home of “ The World’s Fastest Mile.”
Mees would hold onto the victory by just 0.116 seconds against defending American Flat track series champion #1, Briar Bauman who finished 2nd.
Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees Claims Lead Following Sacramento Mile Doubleheader
With One Race Remaining, Indian Motorcycle Racing Two-Man Factory Team Set to Battle for 2021 SuperTwins Grand National Championship
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (September 13, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, and its two-man factory race team are set to battle it out for the brand’s fifth consecutive rider championship. Jared Mees, winner of the last four races, took control and secured the top spot on the SuperTwins leaderboard with just one race remaining. Wrecking Crew teammate and reigning two-time SuperTwins champion, Briar Bauman, finished the weekend with back-to-back third-place finishes.
On Saturday, Mees wasted no time getting out ahead of the Main early and fast. He came into the weekend with first place in mind, as he makes a late-season push to claim his seventh-career Grand National Championship. The race quickly became a competition for the other two podium positions, as Mees distanced himself with a comfortable lead that allowed him to cruise past the finish line while celebrating with both hands in the air. Six riders joined the battle for second and third, which led to last-lap heroics by Indian Motorcycle privateer Jarod Vanderkooi, as he secured his fourth second-place finish of the season.
During Sunday’s Main, Mees took control after a few laps and began to distance himself. Bauman again caught himself in a battle for second – exchanging passes with Indian Motorcycle privateer Sammy Halbert. Both Bauman and Halbert were followed closely by Vanderkooi and fellow Indian Motorcycle privateer Bryan Smith, who recently made his retirement announcement and was riding Mees’ back-up bike. Just as Mees finished with ease, the pack battling for second saw Smith make an incredible two-rider pass and finish his legendary 20-year career with a second-place finish.
“What an amazing weekend in Sacramento. Not only do we have our two star riders set to go head-to-head for the 2021 championship, but fans got to witness Bryan Smith finish his illustrious career with a second-place, podium finish and take one last victory lap with his good friend and long-time rival, Jared Mees,” said Gary Gray, Vice President of Racing, Service & Technology. “This is what racing is all about, and exactly the type of finale the fans want to see, as Briar strives for his third-consecutive championship and Jared his seventh.”
With 60 career wins, six championships, and multiple records, Mees has been vocal about his career goal to reach Scottie Parker’s record of nine championships. Leading Bauman by four points, Mees has finished strong, winning five of the last six races, and put himself in a position to recapture the No. 1 plate.
The 2021 AFT season will conclude with the Charlotte Half-Mile on Friday, October 8, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE racing TAKES BACK-TO-BACK WINS AT VOLUSIA HALF-MILE DOUBLEHEADER
Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson & Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees Win Back-to-Back at Volusia Half-Mile I & II, Respectively
MINNEAPOLIS (March 16, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, jumped out to an early lead in the 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) SuperTwins standings, as Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson and Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees secure back-to-back wins at the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader.
Robinson’s season-opener win at Volusia Half-Mile I marked his third straight victory, dating back to the 2020 season finale doubleheader in Daytona. After winning his semi and getting a start on the front row in the Main, Robinson jumped out to an early lead but was battling with the second-place rider throughout the race. In his third season as an Indian Motorcycle privateer, the win marks Robinson’s fifth victory aboard the Indian FTR750.
“Despite being injured for the bulk of the 2020 season, Brandon finished the year with incredible momentum, so it was truly exciting to see him pick up right where he left off and reach the top of the box,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle. “Having swept the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader last year, Jared entered round two with fierce determination to secure the win and garner the all-important points at a track he’s exceptionally comfortable and confident on.”
On Saturday, Mees won his semi and was able to return to the front row for the Main. Though, it was Wrecking Crew teammate and defending SuperTwins Champion Briar Bauman who captured the holeshot. After leading eight laps, Bauman was unable to hold on, as Mees made his pass and gained separation with every lap – ultimately cruising comfortably to his 54th career win. The victory also marked his 34th career win aboard the Indian FTR750, a race bike he won two Grand National Championships with in 2017 and 2018.
Following the doubleheader at Volusia Speedway Park, Mees sits atop the leaderboard with 42 points. Robinson is closely behind with 39 points, while Bauman’s fourth and second-place finishes keep him within striking distance with 35 total points.
The 2021 AFT season continues on May 1 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Atlanta Super TT. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing and the Indian Wrecking Crew, visit IndianMotorcycle.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
JARED MEES GOES 1-2 at Springfield Mile Doubleheader to REGAIN FIRST PLACE FOR INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING
Indian Motorcycle Privateer Sammy Halbert Secures First Win Aboard FTR750;
Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees Continues Perfect Podium Streak
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (September 9, 2020) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, and its championship-winning FTR750 race bike completed a perfect sweep at the Springfield Mile doubleheader. While Indian Motorcycle Privateer Sammy Halbert secured his first win aboard the FTR750, Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees captured his third win of the season and continued his perfect podium streak.
At Springfield Mile I, Halbert and Mees battled early in the Main, but Halbert was too fast and captured the win with nearly a two-second lead. Mees hung on comfortably to finish second, while Indian Motorcycle Privateer Jeffrey Carver Jr. edged out fellow Indian Motorcycle Privateer Brandon Robinson to take the last spot on the box.
“It was so great to see Sammy come out to the legendary Springfield Mile and get his first win on the FTR750,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “He’s been a fierce competitor for several years, so to see him having success with Coolbeth and the FTR750 is truly special.”
The second round was nothing short of spectacular, as Mees, Carver Jr., Robinson, as well as reigning champion and Wrecking Crew Rider Briar Bauman all battled at the front of the pack. While Robinson ran in fourth for most of the race, he slowly gained ground on the group and made a strong push for the win. Mees held his position and was able to secure his third win of the season by a mere .043 seconds. Although Carver Jr. was running fast all day and was in position to make a push for the win, a mechanical malfunction caused him to dramatically fall to the back of the pack with only a few laps remaining. Bauman, the beneficiary, hung in there and made his way to his fifth podium of the season.
Through six races, Mees is again at the top of the leaderboard with 132 points. His perfect podium streak includes three wins, two second-place finishes and a third. After finishing seventh and third at the Springfield Mile doubleheader, Bauman falls back to second with 119 points. Halbert remains in third with 95 points, while Robinson is fourth with 88 and Wrecking Crew Rider Bronson Bauman completes the top five with 81 points.
The 2020 AFT season will continue on September 11 and 12 at the Williams Grove Half-Mile doubleheader. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 14, 2019) – Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) kicked off his 2019 AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship campaign in front of AFT’s largest crowd at the Daytona International Speedway with a statement victory in Thursday night’s American Flat Track season opener, the third annual DAYTONA TT presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys.
Bauman went handlebar-to-handlebar with brother Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) on the opening lap of the 25-lap Main Event under the lights at Daytona International Speedway to secure the lead. Once established, Bauman systematically stretched out an imposing advantage at the front.
TT legend Henry Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/DPC Racing/Wilco Racing Indian FTR750) was desperate to give chase but found himself trapped behind Bauman’s brother and teammate as the leader made his escape.
Wiles finally made his way through near half distance, but at that point it didn’t make a difference. Bauman continued to race off into the distance, further opening the gap before finally cruising past the legendary tri-oval’s start/finish stripe for the final time with a 5.149-second margin of victory.
“To hop out there in the front — it’s all about trying to put in a gap in the beginning,” Bauman said. “I’ve been training hard this offseason. I tried to throw down as much as I could and get a little bit of a gap and maintain the rest of the race.”
Even before Thursday’s win, the ascending Bauman’s profile was rapidly on the rise. And now as the newest member of Indian’s Wrecking Crew, he’s well positioned to take the next step forward and make a run at the 2019 AFT Twins Championship — as evidenced by his stunning form in the season opener.
Besides handing him the (very) early title advantage, Bauman’s triumph also brings the DAYTONA TT win streak of reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) to a halt at two. Those prior victories served as springboards for dominant title runs in ‘17 and ‘18, but Mees’ ‘19 opener packed at least a half-season’s worth of drama into a single night. Mees crashed twice in the Semi and then retired with a mechanical issue in the Main while running fifth.
Jake Johnson (No. 5 Estenson Racing/Monster Energy Yamaha MT-07 DT) gave Yamaha’s trick new flat track machine a podium debut by finishing in third behind Bauman and Wiles.
Meanwhile, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R Rev X) registered perhaps the hero ride of the evening. After being forced to use a Provisional Start just to make the Main, Vanderkooi battled his way up from the back of the pack to an eventual fourth.
Bronson Bauman rounded out the top five.
Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Browns Motorcycle Attorneys.
Jesse Janisch (No. 132 Roof Systems Dallas TX/Öhlins Yamaha YZ450F) added yet another blowout TT victory to his burgeoning résumé with a wire-to-wire win in the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Main Event at the DAYTONA TT.
Janisch pushed hard on the race’s opening lap to corral the field behind him and then took full advantage of his superior speed with an open track in front of him. He ultimately wheelied past the checkered flag with a comfortable 2.577 seconds to spare.
“To start off Daytona with a victory… it’s amazing,” Janisch said. “Last year, we left here with a second, and that was a great way to start off the season. Just putting in all the work over the course of the winter and leaving here with a win is amazing. The Roof Systems team has really made a home for me. We’ve really built a great program.”
Janisch was followed to the line by Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/FlatTrack.com KTM 450 SX-F), who registered a remarkable ride to complete his “Road to Recovery” where he started it — on the podium.
Gauthier was victorious in the first AFT Singles DAYTONA TT Main Event back in 2017 and was stacking wins on top of that one before being suspended for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. After sitting out the majority of the past two seasons, Gauthier only learned he would be eligible to compete again days ago. He made the most of his second chance.
And in an always merciless DAYTONA TT in which numerous AFT Singles title hopefuls don’t even make the Main Event due to the ocean deep field teeming with big name wild cards hailing from multiple nations and racing disciplines, defending class champ Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) just did what he does.
After earning last year’s crown on the strength of 13 podiums in 18 races, Bromley is now one for one in 2019 to open his title defense with a third-place result.
Long-time AFT Twins competitor Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda, Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) and up-and-coming Australian Max Whale (No. 18 Weirbach Racing Kawasaki KX450F) completed the top five.
Be sure to tune into the feature broadcast of the DAYTONA TT on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events enhanced by in-depth coverage of the many dramatic storylines through exclusive athlete features and interviews. and onboard footage. It will debut on Sunday, March 24, at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT and will re-air on Thursday, March 28, at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.
American Flat Track will be back in action for Round 2 of the 2019 season in just over a week’s time as the series travels to Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., for the Atlanta Short Track presented by Cycle Gear on Saturday, March 23. Live coverage can be viewed on FansChoice.tvstarting at 1:30 p.m. ET with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to get underway at 7:20 p.m. ET. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at https://tickets.americanflattrack.com/.
How to Watch:
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2019 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT moves to highly-coveted, weekend afternoon programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn/. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event on AFT’s live page while previous events and exclusive features are available on AFT’s VOD page.
2019 Screamin’ Eagle / Vance & Hines Drag Team and H-D Factory Flat Track Team Season Previews
Harley-Davidson is excited to share a preview of the 2019 NHRA Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Drag Team and Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team seasons.
2019 NHRA Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Drag Team
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines drag racing team opens its 17th season of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition at the 50th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 14-17 in Gainesville, Fla.
The team will begin pursuit of a 10th Pro Stock Motorcycle championship with a three-rider squad, as Angelle Sampey joins Andrew Hines and Ed Krawiec on Harley-Davidson® Street Rod™ competition motorcycles. The trio of veteran riders have won a combined 12 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle titles.
“We will be bringing a formidable team to the track at Gainesville,” said Vance & Hines Motorsports owner Terry Vance. “Three former champions with all the savvy and experience it takes to reach the pinnacle of our sport, backed by a strong team in the pits and Harley-Davidson V-Twin power. We are racing in a very competitive class but we expect to be one of the teams to beat for the championship this season.”
The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team races competition drag bikes are inspired by the Harley-Davidson Street Rod production motorcycle, an agile middle-weight powered by the liquid-cooled High Output Revolution X 750 engine.
The Gatornationals is the first of 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events on the 2019 NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series schedule. After the first 10 events, the points are re-set for the top-10 riders that then qualify for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs (the final six races), with the season ending in November at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif.
2019 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team
The Harley-Davidson® Factory Flat Track Racing Team is preparing to open the 2019 American Flat Track (AFT) Twins season on March 14 at the Daytona TT at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Factory Team riders Sammy Halbert and Jarod Vanderkooi will contest the 18-race AFT series aboard Harley-Davidson® XG750R competition motorcycles prepared by Factory Team partner Vance & Hines Motorsports.
The team will field an all-new XG750R flat tracker for 2019, according to Vance, with a new chassis and a revised liquid-cooled, fuel-injected and race-tuned 750cc Harley-Davidson® Revolution X™ V-Twin based on the production engine originally designed for the Harley-Davidson Street 750 motorcycle.
The Daytona TT will provide an interesting test for the Harley Factory Team and other AFT competitors. A new 0.6-mile course will for the first time utilize the paved front straight of the historic Daytona International Speedway tri-oval, requiring racers to transition from dirt to pavement to dirt on each lap while negotiating left- and right-hand turns and a jump on the dirt section laid out on the infield of the speedway.
Flat track is the most-historic form of American motorcycle racing and Harley-Davidson has been part of the sport since the heyday of the Harley “Wrecking Crew” teams of the 1920s. In 2019 the Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Racing Team will compete on a diverse 18-event AFT Twins schedule that includes six miles, five half-miles, three short tracks and four TT courses. After a one-year hiatus So-Cal Half Mile at Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, Calif., (May 11) returns to the schedule.
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