VOLUME 58 ISSUE 9 MARCH 2, 2021 P59
notched up consecutive premier class titles
himself in 2014-2015 and then again in 2017-
2018. During the more recent run, Mees was
an utterly dominant figure; he seemed all but
unstoppable and destined for a Parker-like
streak coming off his '18 victory. That is until
Bauman stopped him and established himself
as the scene's latest man of destiny.
The two are firmly established as the class
of the field and are nearly perfectly matched.
Over the past two seasons, Mees fell just a
combined 15 points short of having two more
titles to add to his Hall of Fame résumé as he
continues to wreak havoc on the record
books with every successive victory.
But since 2019, Bauman has been
every bit as fast and even more consistent.
That's relegated Mees to the unfamiliar
role of underdog as the two prepare to
square off again aboard their works Indian
FTR750s in '21.
And yet it's far from a two-man show.
Among the greatest outside threats are
their former Indian Wrecking Crewmates,
former Grand National Champion Bryan Smith
and Bauman's younger brother, Bronson.
The 2021
Progressive
American
Flat Track
Championship
gets underway
March 12.
SHOWDOWN
