Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 34 AUGUST 27, 2013 (From left to right) Wiles, Mees and Brandon Robinson celebrate their podium finishes. enough that he was able to finish the race and salvage 12th to take some valuable points, which could make a difference in the championship. Baker briefly took the lead, but going into turn three on lap nine the motor on his Dodge Brothers Racing Harley expired and the MEGA MILE MADNESS The Virginia Mega Mile (a mileand-a-quarter oval) at Colonial Downs is unlike any track the AMA Grand National Championships visits. First of all is the sheer length of the track. It seems like it takes forever for a bike to make a lap around it. The other is the sandy, surface, which allows the riders to steer through the massively wide turns with the throttle. Most riders reported holding the throttle nearly wide open the entire way around the track. In spite of steady rain the day before the National, track maintenance workers had to water the track to keep the dust down. Even so, under the hot sun the races points leader was out of the race. When all the bike issues shook out it was Mees emerging as the new leader on his Harley-Davidson. He then rode a flawless race and held off Wiles to the flag by 1.885 seconds. Robinson was a distant third, coming home seven seconds behind the leader. Briar Bauman and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. rounded out the top five. "I got a decent start and thought I would just dice it out with Henry [Wiles] and Brad [Baker] for second after seeing Bryan [Smith] get out to such a commanding lead early on," said Mees. "As soon as Bryan's bike broke and Brad dropped out, I kept making my marks and just brought her home. "It's been an up and down seagot dusty, which coated the bikes with this fine dry coating of mega dust and certainly put stress on the motors. Veteran former champ Kenny Coolbeth Jr. might have put it best when he said before the race that this one would be a battle of the mechanics. Who could prep their rider's bike the best and make it last under such brutal conditions. Coolbeth's assessment was right on. Motors were dropping left and right all day long. In one heat race three of the top runners had their motors let go. The track's abrasive sandy surface also wore tires quickly. Combining all of these factors, engine and tire wear, not to mention P127 son and it feels great to get this win. When I saw Bryan break I said, 'Okay, now we'll have a race.' And then I pulled alongside Baker going into three and heard his bike going south. I'm happy to finally give the team a win after all the hard work everyone has put in. It looked like the championship was going to be between Baker and Bryan, but this thing isn't over yet." CN National 1. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson) 2. Henry Wiles (Ducati) 3. Brandon Robinson (Kawasaki) 4. Briar Bauman (Kawasaki) 5. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. (Harley-Davidson) 6. JD Beach (Kawasaki) 7. Jake Johnson (Ducati) 8. Johnny Lewis (Triumph) 9. Jake Shoemaker (Kawasaki) 10. Matt Weidman (Kawasaki) the fact that the program ran a little long and the track had issues with nearby residents on making sure the event was done in a narrow time window, meant AMA Pro Racing officials decided to shorten the race from 20 to 18 laps. Not everyone was happy about the decision. Coolbeth pointed out it took out some of the strategy and perhaps engine reliability factors out of the race. "I think it's kind of bull, really," Coolbeth said of the decision to shorten the race. "We're here to race and they knew the rules when we came here. Our tires are fine. No more than Springfield wear. And they have a throttle to prevent it from spinning, so…"

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