(NEWS RELEASE)

J2 Motorsports ~ Racer Marketing Company
Photo’s By Dave Hoenig ~ Flattrakfotos

JARED MEES REPORTs:

CASTLE ROCK TT: This race has been pretty good to me over the years, having finished 2nd there two years in a row. Sammy Halbert was always the one who beat me there, but this year the track was changed and was quite different, with a better jump and a bit more racey. I was able to qualify fastest and was on the pole for the first Heat race. However, I got a terrible start and had to work my way past Brian Smith to get into 2nd place to make the Dash for Cash. I felt good and knew if I got a good start I would be ok. Well, in the Dash I got the holeshot and led the race for one complete lap, but I tucked the front end and went down hard. I was in a lot of pain, having pulled my left shoulder out of its socket. I had to pop it back in myself–the paramedics told me what to do but they were not permitted to do it. I got instant relief but was extremely sore. I put ice on it, Mike Hacker taped it, and I borrowed a brace, and was ready for the Main Event. Again I got the holeshot for the Main Event but quite frankly rode the first few laps somewhat timidly, taking it easy to see how the shoulder would react. In the meantime, Jeffrey Carver was getting away as well as Briar Bauman and I was trying to bridge the gap. Bauman fell off and I was able to move into 2nd but could not hunt down the leader. I came up short again at Castle Rock, with another 2nd place. I guess all in all it wasn’t that bad a night. I decided to head home right awat and not race Billings or Sturgis since I was pretty sore and Peoria TT was the next weekend.

PEORIA TT: Peoria is a race I want to check off my list as a win some day. With not being able to race the warm-up event in July because of my broken arm, and now with the sore shoulder not allowing me to do my normal preparation routine, I knew it was going to be tough. I felt a little off pretty much all day. I got through qualifying with an overall 6th place, putting me in the 3rd Heat. I was able to get the holeshot but it was red-flagged. At the re-start I was pinched off and had to use a lot of the front brake with the back wheel coming off the ground and stalling the bike. I was able to restart the bike but at that point was dead last. As a result, I did not make the Dash for Cash, and had to go to the Semi to qualify for the Main Event. I won the Semi but I had my work cut out for me, starting on the 3rd row. I did not get the greatest jump but was able to work past a few riders. But at about lap 17 I was not able to move up more. The track had dried out and it was difficult to make time. I ended up a disapointing 8th. I had wanted to win this one, but it was not going to happen this year.

MID AMERICA SPEEDWAY: This is a race track that is starting to make a mark on the calendar every year. It is held the night before the Indy Mile. It is really cool because it is “Ride what you brung” and I can ride my framer there. I won my Heat race sitting on the pole, and also won the Main Event. Many thanks to Jim, the track owner, for all he does, making this a fun event.

INDY MILE: This is a pretty “Bad Ass” Mile track. I like it a lot in practice although I am usually not the fastest in practice. I clocked in around 9th overall, knowing we could do better than that. I got a great start in the Heat and Brad Baker and I battled for a bit at first until I slipped the groove and could not make the time up. I ended up 2nd in the Heat. In the Dash for Cash Brad and I went back and forth for 2nd but he nipped me at the line and I ended up in 3rd place. For the Main Event I got a decent jump and was quickly into a 2nd place battle with JD Beach until he slipped the groove and I was solo for a while until Baker and Brandon Robinson came up. Again I battled with Baker and for the last lap I had a great plan to hold off and draft him at the line. Unfortunately, that did not work out as Robinson nipped both of us and held us off until the line. Nevertheless, it was a fun race but I still feel we should have been on the podium.

COLONIAL DOWNS: I have never raced at this venue but others have when Formula USA was around, but before I was old enough to race it. I had heard the track was big. Well,
a mile and a quarter IS big! It was a Saturday day race which was something different. We usually race either Saturday night or Sunday daytime.

Practice was actually boring, as you basically went around wide open and never lifted. I clocked in at 9th overall, putting me in the 3rd Heat with (My soon- to- be wife.. Nichole Cheza) Brandon Robinson and Kenny Coolbeth. I got a good start but then Robinson came up to battle with me and then Nichole came into the mix, leading for a couple of laps. Robinson went down, bringing out a red flag, so we had to start over again. At the re-start Robinson came right back up for the lead and so did Nichole. On the last lap Nichole ran it up my inside and almost made the pass but I was able to hold her off until the finish line. I finished 1st and Nichole finished 2nd. How cool is that to be battling for the lead with my soon-to-be Mrs.Mees!

In the Dash for Cash we tried a couple of small changes to see if we could get going a little faster. Instead, I ended up 5th–the changes were not that good. So, Kenny Tolbert reversed the changes to what we had originally.
Right before the Main Event the AMA decided to cut the number of laps from 20 [from the normal 25] to 18 to avoid problems with tire wear and fuel consumption. We lined up and I grabbed the hole shot but Bryan Smith ran around me on the outside and began checking out on the very first lap. I knew that the race was going to be
for 2nd place so I starting dicing with Brad Baker and Henry Wiles. All of a sudden Smith broke and now we had a race! Almost right away Baker broke as well, on the very same lap Bryan had. I figured then it was between Wiles and me. I put my head down and tried to go as hard and as fast as I could. I looked back once and saw there was someone right there. I just kept the wheels in line the best I could and saw the “5 laps to go” flag and then the white flag. I was able to bring it home and win my first race this season. It was a very special win, being the Virginia Mega Mile, first time on such a long track.

Oh, wow, did that ever feel good! So good it hasn’t really sunk in yet.

A big thank you to my whole team, for the great bikes and all the hard work put into it.

This coming weekend is the Springfield Mile double header AND me and Nichols wedding. So please wish me luck. Thank You to all of you.

#1 Jammin’ Jared Mees

Twin Series Sponsors :
Rogers Racing, Blue Springs H-D, Saddlemen, National Cycle, Montgomeryville CC, Rod Lake, Bell Helmet, Speed Strength Leathers, KK M/C Supply, Vizzo, Battley, Kelly’s, JE Piston, Cometic, Sunoco,Tsubaki, Motion Pro,TCX Boots, MRT, Troy Lee, K&N Filters, Millennium Technologies, Vortex, Craig Pickett, Works Connection, Rekluse, Gene & Gail Cummings, Eddie Mulder, NGK, Z Gallerie, Dick Winters, Oakley, West Coast Hot Shoes, Jupiter Wheels, EBC, Mikuni, Web Cam, Pro Plates, Kold Kutter, Crank Works, Ezup, Twenty Six Suspension, Digger 57, G2, Penske, Chicken Hawk, Ferrea, Royal Publishing Co, M&Z Anodizing, Universal Coatings, TSS Graphics, Boyesen, Fluidyne, Dyno Jet, CV4, Cycra, DVS Shoes, Techflex, Helix, Gunk, All Balls, Xtremely Fit. Swift Springs, Jim Gilbert, Mototassanari, Astericks, Suspension Direct, Suspension Direct, Las Vegas Harley-Davidson, SDI, D&D Exhaust, JP Cycles, Twin Power, Modern Air Technology.

Singles Series Sponsors:
Montgomeryville Cycle Center, National Cycle, Lucas Oil, Rogers Racing, Saddlemen, Rod Lake, Bell Helmets, Speed Strength Leathers, KK M/C Supply, Vizzo, Battley, Kelly’s, JE Piston, Cometic , Sunoco,Tsubaki, Motion Pro, TCX Boots, MRT, Troy Lee, K&N Filters, Millennium Technologies, Vortex, Craig Pickett, Works Connection, Rekluse, Gene & Gail Cummings, Eddie Mulder, NGK, Z Gallerie, Dick Winters, Oakley, West Coast Hot Shoes, Jupiter Wheels, EBC, Mikuni, Web Cam, Pro Plates, Kold Kutter, Crank Works, Ezup, Twenty Six Suspension, Digger 57, G2, Penske, Chicken Hawk, Ferrea, Royal Publishing Co, M&Z Anodizing, Universal Coatings, TSS Graphics, Boyesen, Fluidyne, Dyno Jet, CV4, Cycra, DVS Shoes, Techflex, Helix, Gunk, All Balls, Xtremely Fit, Swift Springs,Jim Gilbert, Mototassanari, Astericks, Suspension Direct, Las Vegas Harley-Davidson, SDI, D&D Exhaust, JP Cycles, Twin Power, Modern Air Technology.