VOL. 52 ISSUE 21 MAY 27, 2015 P85
Briefly...
us, but texted a response: "I've been
busy trying to get everything ready
for the X Games and trying to put
something together for the remain-
der of the season. I'll be racing the
X Games, but as far as the Nationals,
I'm still in search of a ride and most
likely will not be in Sacramento."
Nichole Mees announced this will
be her last season in the series. The
former Nichole Cheza before she
married Grand National Champ Jar-
ed Mees, has been a regular in the
series since 2007. She qualified at
Springfield and finished 12th on her
Black Hills Harley-Davidson XR750.
Mees will focus on her teaching ca-
reer after she retires.
Former Grand National champ Brad
Baker is wearing national number 6
on his factory Harley-Davidson. It's
a number we haven't seen in AMA
Grand National competition in nearly
30 years, since Randy Goss ran the
number in 1987.
My Own Race:
42 BRYAN SMITH 1
ST
Bryan Smith said the high winds
Sunday made things interesting. The
National Weather Service in Lincoln
reported wind gusts of about 35 mph
Sunday afternoon. "It was pretty inter-
esting," Smith said. "The wind made it
a much more physical race than most
miles. It made the draft on the front
straightaway exaggerated. A couple of
times coming out of the corner, I felt
like it was just going to suck you off
the bike with the air blowing and there
was dust coming across—it looked
like a tornado was coming through. I
knew I was in a good position. When
I was leading they couldn't draft me
until after the start-finish line and I
figured I could draft by them if I was
in second or third to win it. I was in
second [behind Mees] coming out of
the last turn and I just went up high by
the wall and it turned out good. It was
about as close as you want to get to
someone's rear wheel, but it's how we
do it I guess."
1 JARED MEES 2
ND
Jared Mees made up the last-lap
Springfield strategy in his mind before
it even happened. The Las Vegas
Harley-Davidson/Rogers Racing-
backed rider knew that if he was in a
position to do so he was going to try
to take the lead in turn three and hold
it. He made a perfect pass, just like
he pictured it, got a perfect drive out
of the final turn, but the only thing he
couldn't have prepared for was the
wind—massive 35 mph gusts coming
right into the riders' faces down the
front straight. "We had such a head-
wind coming down the front stretch,"
Mees explained. "I mean something
like when you were out in the lead it
was like 'BHAaaa' [making the sound
of a bogging motor]. I did what I had
to do—I took the lead going into three
and cut good corner and he got me at
the line."
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