JARED MEES: IT’S JUST ONE BIG FAMILY

Flat track racing is one of the most spectacular two-wheel sports on the planet. During races, riders push the machines to their limits on dirt tracks, power-sliding around every corner. It’s a spectacle that every motorsport fan just has to experience. And to find out more about this sport, there’s nobody better to ask then five-times Grand Nation Champion, Jared Mees.

 

 

 

Jared, as an introduction, how would you explain flat track racing to someone who has no idea what it is?

 

American flat track racing is one of the oldest forms of motorsport there is and it’s pretty much unchanged from when it started. It consists of a few types of race within one championship, all run on dirt tracks. One-mile dirt track races, half-mile, short-track, TT steeplechase. Most of them are oval-shaped tracks but a TT race will have a few more corners in it and at least one jump. You have to score well in all five disciplines to become the champion.

 

That sounds like the ultimate spectacle for fans of grassroots motorsports. Does it have the same atmosphere as you get at grassroots events?

 

Flat track is old school when it comes to riding style. The bikes are what make the atmosphere at these events, so it’s definitely a grassroots sport. That’s at the heart of it all. It’s just one big family. We compete on the track, but we’ll often have a beer together off the track.

 

 

 

 

How did you get involved with flat track racing?

 

The first time I rode a motorcycle was when I was five years old. My dad helped me a lot and I started racing soon after that, going through the junior ranks like the 50cc category. All of it was flat track racing. I never did road racing or motocross, only flat track. I started riding in the Grand National Championship when I was 16 years old. I’m 32 now and I’m still here…

 

You are a five-times champion, so you know a thing or two about the sport. What do you see as your biggest advantage?

 

It’s not just one advantage. It’s combination of many things. My team has always produced a superb bike for me to ride, and I also have a very strong work ethic. Just focus and be at the top of your game in every race. I might even make it to a sixth championship this weekend, depending on how my main competitors do.

 

 

 

The rivalry between the two big American manufacturers is heating up: Harley vs. Indian. Tell us more about your bike.

 

I race an Indian Scout FTR750 which is a purpose-built motorcycle just for flat track racing. It’s sort of a mix between an off-road supermotard, a touring bike and a superbike. There are no bikes in the world that compare to these. As the name suggests, it’s a 750cc engine (V-Twin), weighs around 300 pounds and puts out around 100 horsepower, which makes it a pretty swift machine to say the least.

 

What advice would you give to young riders wanting to become a flat track racer like yourself?

 

The advice I always give is, just get started as soon as you can, work as hard as you can, and focus on that one goal.