Jared Mees Wins Inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas
Flat Trackers Rule in the Orleans Arena
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 21, 2015) — It was a dream weekend for Jared Mees. One night after winning the 2015 AMA Pro Grand National Championship, the 29-year-old from Clio, Michigan, came through to score victory in the first ever Superprestigio of the Americas presented by Yamaha, Saturday night in the Orleans Arena. Mees, riding a Honda CRF450R, proved the toughest rider among the eight-rider field on the rough and tumble Chris Carr-designed short track.
Brad Baker, of Eatonville, Washington, and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., of Center Hill, Florida, both on Hondas, rounded out the podium finishers of the special race that brings together riders from various motorcycle racing disciplines.
All three of the podium finishers are former or current AMA Pro Grand National Champions.
“It was just an unbelievable weekend for me,” Mees said. “To win the Superprestigio was icing on the cake. There was a lot of bumping and banging going on out there, but it was the kind of racing that leaves you with a huge smile on your face. The track was really racy and if you bumped someone off the line, you pretty much knew they were going to come right back at you. I was impressed with how everyone rode tonight and taking this win against some of the best racers in the world, guys I’ve looked up, makes me pretty proud.”
Mees battled with early leader Baker for the first four laps. The pivotal moment in the race came on lap five when the leading duo made contact coming out of turn four and Baker’s motorcycle nearly climbed the outside retaining wall. Somehow Baker managed to keep from crashing, but he lost touch with Mees, who cruised home to a 1.514-second margin of victory in the 15-lap race.
The top non-flat-track finisher was former AMA and World Superbike competitor Larry Pegram, of Hebron, Ohio, who finished fourth on a Honda. Racing prodigy Joe Roberts, from Los Angeles, also a road racer, rounded out the top five.
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will televise the 2015 Superprestigio of the Americas presented by Yamaha motorcycle race on Sunday, November 29, at 9 p.m. ET /6 p.m. PT.
Results of the Superprestigio of the Americas, Orleans Arena, Nov. 21, 2015
1. Jared Mees, Honda.
2. Brad Baker, Honda.
3. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., Honda.
4. Larry Pegram, Honda.
5. Joe Roberts, Yamaha.
6. Oliver Brindley, Kawasaki.
7. Roger Hayden, Suzuki.
8. Bryan Smith, Kawasaki.
More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:
| LAS VEGAS (Nov. 21, 2015) – Jared Mees capped off a weekend for the record books tonight, as he took home the inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas checkered flag less than 24 hours after capturing his third Grand National Championship in four seasons.
Mees failed to get the holeshot on lap one, a mistake that’s proved costly for hopeful winners throughout the course of the weekend. However, the Michigan native continued to fight and eventually regained the lead by the time he finished the second lap. Mees and Brad Baker went on to fight neck-and-neck during the next two laps, but when Baker came out of turn four on lap five, he went too high and nearly crashed into the wall. Baker’s error proved to be the pivotal moment in the race, as he was never able to regain the lead and ended up finishing second behind a charging Mees. Though it’s always bittersweet to finish second-best, Baker was happy to put together the performance that he did Saturday night, as it’s been over four months since his last podium. Baker’s effort is a good indication that he has completed healing from injuries sustained at Black Hills Speedway earlier this season. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. bounced back after a tough night on Friday with a third-place finish in the Superprestigio of the Americas on Saturday night, while Larry Pegram led the charge for the All Stars category comprised primarily of road racers, finishing fourth in the main. Joe Roberts, Oliver Brindley and Roger Hayden rounded out the remaining All Star road racers in the eight-rider field, while Bryan Smith finished last after a crash early in the race. One of the most noticeable names missing from this list is Friday night’s Flat Track Season Finale winner Briar Bauman. Bauman looked flawless yet again early on in the day, as he was the fast qualifier out of every rider that participated in the Superprestigio of the Americas. However, Bauman missed the main event cut line by a single position in the second-to-last race of the night, ending his chances of repeating victories. Other AMA Pro Flat Track riders who barely missed the cut were Davis Fisher, Stevie Bonsey and Dan Bromley. All in all, the evening lived up to the momentum that it had gained over the last several months ever since the Superprestigio of the Americas was first announced to the world. The specially-designed race track, which was roughly a tenth of a mile, provided some of the most adrenaline-charged racing that has been seen all year, a fitting end to a 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season that will not soon be forgotten. Results of the Superprestigio of the Americas, Orleans Arena, Nov. 21, 2015 How to Watch: FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA’s development and single-make series, and NASCAR’s touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.FansChoice.tv. About AMA Pro Flat Track: |
| About AMA Pro Racing:
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. |