Indian Wins, Harley Misses the Podium
Jared Mees takes flight
Score: Indian 1 / Harley 0
History was made.Jared Mees gave the Indian Motorcycle Company its first Daytona victory since Floyd Emde won the Daytona 200 in 1948. The No. 9 Indian Motorcycle Rogers Racing FTR750 rider’s big win at the 2017 season opener also marked the first time that a rider won a TT on a Twin in nearly 34 years, when fellow National No. 9 rider Jay Springsteen won at the Peoria TT in 1983.
The win also marked a personal record as Mees’ first TT win. It also served as personal redemption as Mees gets his run at recapturing the No. 1 plate off to a good start.
Everything is New – The Racing Remains the Same: OUTSTANDING – A the newly re-branded American Flat Track series, a new track layout designed by Chris Carr and the inherent excitement of Bike Week at Daytona combined for a dynamic debut for the DAYTONA TT on Thursday night, with Indian taking 1st and 2nd at the AFT Twins main event on Indian Scouts.
Race Details:
Race Time: 12:40.162
Margin of Victory: 9.174
Best Race Lap: Jared Mees (0:29.777)
Bryan Smith flys a factory Indian at Daytona
Kenny Coolbeth and factory HD jumping at Daytona
“You don’t know how special it is to win the first Daytona TT on the Indian,” Mees said. “I’m going to go down in the record books as the first to win on the Indian. I’m so excited just for my entire team and the hard work that everybody put in. It’s unbelievable what we all went through. Indian Motorcycle did an outstanding job.”
Mees, from Clio, Michigan, met the challenge, mastered the .6-mile dirt-track course in the Daytona International Speedway tri-oval area and led all 25 laps of the main, beating last year’s flat track national champion Bryan Smith (Indian Scout FTR750) by 9.174 seconds.
Joining the Indian Motorcycle duo on the podium was TT specialist Henry Wiles on the No. 17 DPW Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650, inside the world’s only motorsports stadium.
The Wrecking Crew
Indian’s new “Wrecking Crew,” backed by Allstate Motorcycle Insurance and featuring one of the most stacked lineups in flat track racing history, will make its debut at the American Flat Track season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 16. The team includes 2016 Champion Bryan Smith, along with two of the sports most decorated riders, Brad Baker and Jared Mees. The team will be armed with Indian’s Scout FTR750 for what is certain to be an unforgettable season.
Jake Johnson had a bit of redemption himself, as the No. 5 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R rider was plagued with poor luck all day until when it counted, taking a fourth-place finish in the Main. Completing the top-five was Bronson Bauman on the No. 37 Rod Lake Kawasaki Ninja 650.
Results from Harley and Indian Wars: 2017 Daytona AFT presented by Politis & Matovina
| POS | RIDER | BIKE | INTERVAL | GAP | BEST LAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jared Mees | Indian Scout FTR750 | 25 Laps | WINNER | 0:29.777 |
| 2 | Bryan Smith | Indian Scout FTR750 | 9.174 | 9.174 | 0:30.324 |
| 3 | Henry Wiles | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 9.583 | 0.409 | 0:30.216 |
| 4 | Jacob Johnson | Harley-Davidson 750 | 10.100 | 0.516 | 0:30.307 |
| 5 | Bronson Bauman | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 10.376 | 0.275 | 0:30.080 |
| 6 | Donald Mullen | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 15.826 | 5.450 | 0:30.271 |
| 7 | Sammy Halbert | Yamaha FZ-07 | 18.566 | 2.739 | 0:30.294 |
| 8 | Jeffrey Carver Jr. | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 22.600 | 4.034 | 0:30.555 |
| 9 | Andrew Luker | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 25.566 | 2.965 | 0:30.433 |
| 10 | Jake Shoemaker | Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 28.272 | 2.706 | 0:30.694 |
The 2017 Harley Davidson flat track team will consist of veteran riders Kenny Coolbeth Jr and Jake Johnson, as well as the emerging talent Brandon Robinson.
Harley Davidson Vice President and Managing Director for the US, Mike Kennedy, said: “There is extraordinary energy building behind the new American Flat Track series, and after decades of XR750 dominance, it’s time to bring a new level of performance and technology to the track with the Harley-Davidson XG750R.
Harley-Davidson
The American Flat Track series heads north for the Atlanta Short Track at Dixie Speedway on Saturday, March 25. Atlanta fans will hear the roar of the AFT Twins class as they race on the red Georgia clay for the first time and will see if Jared Mees will secure his second win of the season.
Bike Week At Daytona wraps up on Saturday with the 76th running of the DAYTONA 200 road-race classic. The storied event dates to 1937; it was held from 1936-1960 on the old Daytona beach-road course that utilized both the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and State Road A1A. In 1961 the race moved to Daytona International Speedway.
How to Watch
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track events. All 18 rounds, from the season-opening DAYTONA TT to the American Flat Track Finals in Southern California, will air in one-hour, tape-delayed telecasts on Thursday nights throughout the summer and fall on NBCSN, while FansChoice.tv provides live streaming coverage of American Flat Track events. FansChoice.tv 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.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.FansChoice.tv.
About American Flat Track
American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.
