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| December 29, 2023
9-time Grand Nationwide Champion Jared Mees talks about what it’s wish to be a nine-time champion, his targets, and the long run. Will he be flat monitor’s subsequent GOAT?
By Chris Martin | Pictures by Kristen Lassen and Tim Lester
As its guardian, Progressive American Flat Observe has few friends by way of long-standing historic significance throughout two-wheeled American sport. Certainly, you may make a justifiable argument that the daring assertion stays true even should you broaden the scope globally and permit each two and 4 wheels.
The collection has been lively for 70 years working with direct ties that stretch again far additional than that, reaching almost to the daybreak of motorized transportation.
These distinctive ties to the previous are greater than an abstraction. That connection is on show every time one other nationwide will get added to its annals. The mix of its simplistic, primarily oval-based, layouts with the deceptively advanced variables that make up its various and ever-evolving grime surfaces has stored the fundamentals of the high-speed artform impressively intact over the a long time. A century of grime monitor racing has seen its enchantment unblemished, centered round blistering speeds, inch-close racing, and a confined, totally viewable battleground.
That’s nonetheless true as a result of the self-discipline’s underlying physics has but to be solved, hacked, and reformulated by engineers and computer systems to the diploma so many different types of racing have, remaining as a lot black magic as a science.
Whereas the limitless toil of artful tuners seeking incremental good points continues to yield quantifiable outcomes, Progressive American Flat Observe has a agency grip on its declare as “America’s Authentic Excessive Sport.”
That truth makes the game’s reverence of its historical past a key pillar of its relevance, proper alongside the unpredictable, ultra-tight motion that initially made it in style so many a long time in the past. As such, there’s an added layer of significance each time that historical past will get rewritten, and significantly so with its most cherished data.
The game and its followers are presently lucky to play witness to such a revision because it unfolds in actual time.
After all, its writer resides legend Jared Mees, who spent 2023 equaling the as soon as thought untouchable report of 9 Grand Nationwide Championships posted by the game’s acknowledged GOAT, Scott Parker.
Reigning Mission SuperTwins king Mees is a throwback racer if there ever was one. Gritty, relentless, and adaptable, the Indian ace has earned titles through outright domination, constructed upon wins and podium streaks. And he’s pieced collectively others with a gentle assortment of thirds, fourths, and sevenths, no matter was vital for every particular person circumstance and season to render the identical final outcome.
With time left on the clock, Mees’ profession has spanned a number of generations of heroes and machines, serving as a tie between the Harley-Davidson XR750 heyday of Scott Parker and Chris Carr, by the following period of Kenny Coolbeth, Sammy Halbert, Jake Johnson, and Bryan Smith, proper as much as the fashionable day, one which sees a number of producers pit up in opposition to each other as a brand new technology of superstars takes form.
Whereas he has proven no indicators of backing down now, Mees’ career-defining achievement of a ninth GNC serves as an acceptable time to take inventory of what he’s achieved to this point. And it seems #9 was in his sights even earlier than he scored #8 in 2022. Far, far earlier because it seems.
“Deep down inside, I at all times needed to be that man,” Mees says. “Serious about 9 championships whenever you’re sitting at residence with none, effectively, you don’t go round bragging or speaking too loudly about it, telling individuals that you just’re coming for Scottie Parker. However deep down inside, I at all times had that purpose to sometime match or beat that report.”
What Mees envisioned from the beginning finally grew to become evident to all and a concrete purpose to shoot for.
“However I assume, again in 2021, after I blew my knee out and nonetheless acquired seven, proper then, I used to be like, ‘All proper, I feel I could make a run at this deal.’ 2022 got here round, and so they put some restrictions on the bike that I used to be racing, and I used to be form of skeptical at how which may prove. However we nonetheless acquired the job carried out.
“Anyway, after that, I knew we had a very good shot at getting it carried out this yr.”
2023 proved itself a worthy backdrop for the history-altering milestone.
Earlier than the season, Mees’ modern-day nemesis—Briar Bauman, himself already a two-time Grand Nationwide Champion with a protracted profession nonetheless in entrance of him—switched allegiances. Not backed by the powerhouse manufacturing facility Indian Wrecking Crew outfit, Bauman joined forces with the multi-motorsport workforce Rick Ware Racing to develop an all-new race bike constructed round KTM’s Duke platform.
Bauman’s 2023 was a rollercoaster trip, however throughout its peaks, he reminded the world precisely why he had confirmed to be such a persistent thorn in Mees’ aspect.
In the meantime, the younger phenom, Dallas Daniels, continued his meteoric rise. A profession trajectory pointed straight at eventual all-timer standing solely steepened its upward climb because the Estenson Racing Yamaha pilot graduated from rookie title menace to collection’ bar-raiser in his sophomore marketing campaign.
Grand Nationwide Championship #9 needed to be earned.
Daniels got here out sizzling, ripping off a pair of dominant victories on the opening weekend of the season. He would proceed to complete no decrease than second till the season’s ninth race, nor off the rostrum till its 14th.
If he was going to match Parker’s achievement, Mees was additionally going to should match Daniels’ torrid tempo and ceaseless consistency—and surpass it.
And that he did. Mees ended the season with 9 victories, 15 podiums, together with the ultimate 14 in succession, and a ninth Grand Nationwide Championship.
“Deep down inside, I at all times needed to be that man.”
“We acquired it carried out. But it surely wasn’t a dream for me, it was a purpose. The modest method of a traditional racer would in all probability be to say, ‘Oh man, I by no means dreamed that I might obtain this.’ My response to that’s you didn’t have a large enough purpose!
“For me, I’m not attempting to be cocky, but it surely actually wasn’t a dream. After all, dream, purpose, it will possibly form of go hand-in-hand, however I labored arduous to get that. Not solely did I dream about it, however I made it a degree that that was what I used to be going to do.”
Whereas the highlight is clearly on the rider, significantly a record-setting one, success on the highest stage of bike grime monitor racing is a workforce effort. And to his credit score, Mees goes to nice lengths to elucidate that on every of his many visits to the rostrum.
It’s definitely greater than lip service, and it could be his secret weapon if it had been in any approach a secret. Mees has carried out effectively to assemble an all-star crew—every one in all whom had already confirmed themselves with future Corridor of Fame potential—mould it right into a well-oiled machine, after which maintain it collectively for over a decade.
“I’ve acquired an excellent workforce and put loads of effort into making it occur. We’ve been collectively for a very long time, and we all know one another effectively. I feel that’s an enormous consider why we’re so profitable.
“I’ve been with [team owner] Craig Rogers since 2009, I’ve been with [crew chief] Kenny Tolbert since 2013, and [Öhlins suspension technician] Jimmy Wooden has been doing my stuff for simply as lengthy. I’ve been with all people 10-plus years.
“These guys learn me good. These guys know my demeanor. The language is all there. At any time when we flip up at a racetrack, we need to win. All of us work arduous to win races and championships. I’ve the perfect workforce, that’s for positive.”
So, what’s subsequent for Mees and his dynasty?
Displacing Parker to second all-time with a tenth Grand Nationwide Championship is the apparent purpose that looms earlier than him. However there’s one other of Parker’s most high-profile marks that was lengthy thought of out of attain that Mees has been quietly sneaking up on.
Over his profession, Parker accrued a outstanding 94 major occasion victories. The closest anybody ever got here to that quantity was Carr, together with his 78 wins.
Mees now ranks third and 29 victories forward of fourth place with 72. Granted, that is still a mighty huge gulf to first. The truth is, fewer than 20 riders within the lengthy historical past of the game have ever racked up as many wins because the quantity that presently separates Mees from Parker.
“I’ve acquired an excellent workforce and put loads of effort into making it occur. We’ve been collectively for a very long time, and we all know one another effectively. I feel that’s an enormous consider why we’re so profitable.”
That mentioned, take into account the tempo Mees has been including to that tally in current seasons. Ten every in 2017 and 2018. 9 this previous season. Eight in 2019. Seven in 2021.
Framed that approach, it begins to really feel like a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless, the maths will get extra sophisticated whenever you begin to consider some key exterior variables.
The Jared Mees that earned a ninth Grand Nationwide Championship in 2023 is in a a lot totally different place than the one who earned that first one in 2009. He’s not only a racer with huge targets, however a husband, father, and businessman with equally lofty aspirations throughout these competing pursuits.
And whereas blistering speeds, inch-close racing, and a confined, totally viewable battleground have granted the game its undiminished enchantment, there are limits to simply how a lot the dangers related to these options could be minimized. And in his present state, the dangers Mees takes on to rewrite the report books are not his alone.
“The championship report is the most important purpose. The variety of wins would even be very cool, however man, I’ve acquired 22 to go. I feel that is perhaps just a little arduous to get that. That in all probability has me racing at this stage for 4 extra years. I don’t know if I’ll fairly go that lengthy, but it surely’s arduous to say.
“Truthfully, I don’t have an actual time-frame on after I is perhaps carried out. I feel the most important factor that’ll be a participant for me, is the place issues are at with the economic system and the game and the help for my program.
“I really like this sport. I really like racing. I really like profitable. However on the finish of the day, the place I’m at, I’ve acquired to make it financially make sense for me as effectively. With that mentioned, I even have targets I need to hit on the monetary stage, and if it doesn’t make a lot sense to place your neck on the road in comparison with what’s coming in, then it is perhaps time for me to say, ‘That’s sufficient.’”
At any price, he hasn’t had fairly sufficient simply but. Mees can be again in 2024 and gunning for #10 at the same time as he expects the competitors offered by the likes of Daniels and Bauman to be that rather more fierce with one other yr of mechanical and private growth below their respective belts.
“I feel they’ll be the hardest guys once more. However I really feel fairly assured stepping into. My workforce goes to remain mainly the identical, and we’ll be prepared.” CN
Click on right here to learn the Jared Mees Interview within the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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