INTERVIEW
2014 AMA PRO GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPION JARED MEES
P158
The 2014 season gradually boiled down
to a two-rider battle between Bryan Smith,
on the fast and ever-improving Villa-Es-
parza Kawasaki EX650 and Mees on the
well-established Rogers Racing Harley-
Davidson XR750. Smith was winning more
of the races, but Mees was hanging tough,
especially with better performances on
the Grand National Singles bikes on short
tracks and TTs. Mees is about as good of
an overall rider you're ever likely to see, and
his abilities on the small tracks was keep-
ing Smith's dominance on the big tracks,
especially the Miles, mostly in check.
A late-season run by Smith finishing
ahead of rival Mees at three of four races
in the stretch that included the Indy Mile,
Peoria TT, the Colonial Downs Mega Mile
and the fall Springfield Mile finally put the
smallest measure of daylight between
Smith and Mees. With just two rounds to go
Smith had a nine-point lead. Mees found
himself in a position that no racer likes to
see themselves in—he could potentially win
Anytime Mees
straps on that
steel shoe
and hits the
track, he's a
contender.
