Mid-America Speedway's 'Night Before the Indy Mile' Sees Jared Mees Take Pro 450 Main & Kevin Snyder Win Indian Arrow Challenge

For the second year in-a-row, Indianapolis' own Mid-America Speedway hosted their premier event for the season, the 'Night Before the Indy Mile' on Friday, August 17, 2012.  Although last year's event was also dubbed as such after the Indy Mile had been canceled due to the tragedies involved with the stage rigging collapse during the Sugarland concert a few weeks prior, this year's event was in all likelihood it's inuagaral event with a host of top Pro-level riders on-hand to take part in the money-paying 450 Pro Main event.

One of those riders making his return to Mid-America, located on Indy's southeast side at the Marion County Fairgrounds, was Jammin' Jared Mees, the current overall points leader in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  In the night presented by Harley-Davidson of Bloomington, Indiana, Mees and his Brent Armbruster-prepared Honda 450 framer took control right from the drop of the first green flag in his first heat race, and never looked back the rest of the evening as his Montgomeryville Cycle Center-sponsored mount never missed a lick, taking home the biggest share of the purse for the evening.

 

 

In the Pro 450 main event, Mees leads eventual runner-up Henry Wiles #17 on his Don's Kawasaki KX450F, 3rd-place finisher JD Beach on the #95 USC Racing Kawasaki, Rob Pearson on his #27 Matt Reecy Racing/WKR-backed Yamaha YZ450F and Sammy Halbert on his #7 Woody Kyle Racing/Fredericktown Yamaha-backed YZ450F.  Pearson and Slammin' Sammy would reverse positions at the end with Sammy getting the better of Pearson on the red flag restart to finish 4th overall.

Rob Pearson #27, Henry Wiles #17, Ben Knight #85P and former 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr #4 all work to get into turn one first during one of the heat races for the Pro 450 class.  With 47 riders on-hand for the big night in the Pro 450 class, a great finish meant top-2 or win in order to make the cut for the main.

Carr was on-hand to test tires for the European-based Golden Tyre, of which he has been testing for the last several months.  The Prince of Peoria had just returned from running the Kansas fair races and had reportedly put on a super show along with former Grand National Championship competitor and current suspension guru, Davey Durelle at the Stockton event.

But things were rough going for Carr as he failed to make the main of the 450 Pro event, giving the paying crowd and packed racing house on hand a very good idea of how tough things were to make it into the main at Mid-America's running of the 'Night Before the Indy Mile' this year.

JD Beach #95, Jared Mees #9 and Henry Wiles #17 celebrate on the podium at the Mid-America Speedway on Friday, August 17 after going 3-2-1 in the 450 Pro main event.

An immaculate fleet of Mike O'Neil-prepared 1049 Indian Arrow 250 machines await the seven riders who came to town to race at Mid-America Speeday for the 2nd Annual Indian Arrow Challenge event, run as one of the support events on August 17.  Identically prepared, the machines are a work of art and almost seem out of place on a race track and seem more suited for a display in a vintage museum.  But the racing was stellar for these great little bikes!

Andy McRoberts #3, Jason Griffin #7, Wild Will Kelley #6 and Kevin Snyder #1 battle during one of the heat races to determine the starting grid for the Indian Arrow Challenge main event at Mid-America Speedway on August 17, 2012.

Wild Will Kelley #6 and Jason Griffin #7 battle during one of the heat races for the 1949 Indian Arrow Challenge at Mid-America Speedway on Friday, August 17, 2012 as part of the track's hosting of the 'Night Before the Indy Mile' event at the Marion County Fairgrounds on Indianapolis' southeast side of town. 

Wild Will, a former multi-time Number 1 plate holder in VDTRA made the trip from Texas to contest the event after racing earlier in the week at the Kansas fair races.  He finished in the 4th-place spot after battling machine issues throughout the evening. 

AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Series competitor was in town to contest the Pro Singles Series event the next evening at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile.  Griffin made the trip from his home in South Carolina and had the house on it's feet with his race to 2nd-place in the Indian Arrow main event.  For a man with only one arm, he gives up NOTHING on the track and is a great competitor and a super guy! 

Jason Griffin, Kevin Snyder and Andy McRoberts celebrate their 2-1-3 finishes at Mid-America Speedway in the Indian Arrow Challenge main event held on August 17, 2012.  Snyder, a former AMA Grand National Championship competitor and current member of the 'blue crew' of officials with AMA Pro Flat Track and Steve Nace Racing's promotions, showed he hasn't missed much being away from the track to run down and dominate the evening on the 250cc-based machines.

There were smiles all around after this great event and Mid-America Speedway did a great job of hosting the entire evening and getting the program ran in a timely manner after having battled the dry drought conditions the entire summer and then getting almost 1.5 inches of rain less then 24 hours before racing activities kicked-off on Friday afternoon. 

Jim Terchila and his hard-working crew had it in aces in getting the track prepped and ready for the evening and stayed on top of it all night.  Great job guys!


Check out the full press release below (with full results available in imbedded link) from Mid-America Speedway's running of the 'Night Before the Indy Mile' on August 17, 2012.

And you can check out more from Mid-America Speedway here via their official site:

http://www.midamspeedway.com/

Last Friday's race marked the halfway point of the 2012 season, and as the days start to get shorter the Mid-America track will only get better as the second half begins. If you have not made it out to Mid-America yet, please consider joining us on one of the smoothest short tracks in the country. For those that regularly attend our events, thank you for the support and we hope to see you at our next event on September 8th for Heavy Vintage night where the winner of the heavy vintage class will receive $100 per cyclinder!

Night Before the Indy Mile Wrapup The 2012 Night Before the Mile sponsored by Harley Davidson of Bloomington, Indiana was once again a huge success. With 47 riders in the 450 Money Class chasing after a purse of over $4,000 many of the best riders in the country showed up hoping to earn a share of the purse. Last year Jared Mees won after starting from the third row. This year Jared won his heat, and led every lap of the 20 lap main event. Rounding out the top five were Henry Wiles, JD Beach, Sammy Halbert, and Rob Pearson. Additionally Halbert, Mees, Wiles, and Pearson all finished in the top seven at the Indy Mile on Saturday night. A total of 47 riders singed up for this years event including flattrack legend Chris Carr. Unfortuntately, Chris barely missed the main event, but later commented that he had a great time and will be back. The Bob Starke Indian Arrow Challenge also saw a repeat winner with Kevin Snyder winning for the second year in a row, followed by Jason Griffin, and Andy McRoberts. Full results can be found here:  http://midamspeedway.com/pages/Night%20before%20the%20Mile%202012%20results.pdf Ride Academy at Mid-America September 22-23rd   "To reach excellence you must be determined and willing to have an open mind to take advice and instruction". This was advice given by Mike Hacker, the man behind the magic of the RIDE Academy program. It takes a lot of steps to be able to reach your goals, to set yourself up to be in the chase and to win races. It is preparation and progression that makes you who you are. RIDE Academy was able to put on two schools so far this season before summer hit full swing. One was located at our home base in Virginia, and the other one at the Square Deal Riders Club in New York. In attendance, to share their knowledge and instruction, was the Boughner Racing/ AXO wearing RIDE Academy crew members: Johnny Lewis, Kenny Coolbeth, and Mike Hacker. The crew was more prepared than ever and it showed! With a sold out class, they reached each and every student setting them up to help reach their future goals on and off the track. RIDE Academy will be now heading west to Mid America Speedway, just southeast of Indy, to give a new group of students the same RIDE experience!   RIDE Academy will open the doors to all ages and skill levels at the Mid America Speedway 2-day school, scheduled for September 22/23. "We RIDE Academy instructors have been doing our own homework! We have built a program, that works for the two-day school, that allows progression of each and every rider no matter what age or skill level." said RIDE Academy Marketing Manager and instructor, Johnny Lewis. "From 50cc's to pros, we feel the most important thing about riding a motorcycle is always allowing yourself to progress. This involves listening to and observing others, keeping an open mind and developing relationships with people you trust. Doing so, will help you become the best rider you can be. The RIDE crew is 100% determined to be there for their riders to help with progression. Our success is your success!"   On Saturday, September 22nd, RIDE Academy will be supplying the bikes, ranging from CRF50s to CRF230s, to allow all riders to start off at a slower pace. This will allow everyone to process the drills and techniques shared over the first day of riding. The drills are there to get you in the right body positioning. This will help you in the advancement to your race bike for Day 2.   Sunday, September 23rd, RIDE Academy then advances the students to race bikes. It is recommended that you supply your own bike, but rental CRF250Fs and CRF450Fs are also available for the day. RIDE starts the day off by running your bike through the RIDE Academy "tech line", reviewing and discussing your current bike setup, and giving you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. RIDE Academy acknowledges that each rider has a preference for different setups and all riders have different riding styles. They will work with you to develop an adequate setup that will work best for your personal needs on the track. By the end of the second day, riders will be prepared for their next race and will have the opportunity to remain a part of the RIDE Academy schooling that never ends. RIDE considers itself a community and encourages it's former students to stay connected with the school, whether it's at the track or via Facebook, email, etc. RIDE Academy wants to hear your successes! RIDE loves to offer their students their support, even after the school is over, so don't hesitate to contact any of your instructors!   The RIDE Academy cost for the 2-day school is $500. This includes the bike rental for the first day, one lunch ticket per day and the RIDE experience. Day 2 bike rentals are $150, you just jump on and ride! Additional lunch tickets may be purchased for family/friends for $5 per ticket.   "We, at RIDE Academy, want to thank our wonderful supporters and our sponsors! Because of our sponsors, we are able to offer many discount opportunities on products to all of our students! It's a great feeling to know that we can give back to our students for showing their love for RIDE Academy and participating in our school!" said RIDE Academy Instructor, Johnny Lewis.   RIDE Academy tries to bring everyone the best experience possible at the school, on and off the track! The RIDE crew is working on a few activities for the evening after Day 1 for everyone to enjoy! This time RIDE is looking to show their appreciation to all of the dedicated women who attend the 2-day school with their rider. Alysha Lewis, wife of instructor Johnny Lewis and Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, will be giving free facials/color looks to all ladies interested during the weekend. "We ladies do so much for our men, and dedicate so much time to the motorcycle world, that it is sometimes hard to take some of that time for ourselves. I have something I can offer other women and I just want to show my appreciation to all of the other ladies at the school that are just like me, spending those two days supporting their men, brothers, fathers, etc. I want to give back to all of you beautiful women and give you your own personal fun experience at the track as well!" said Alysha Lewis, also RIDE Academy's Graphic Designer. RIDE wants to remind their students not to worry, even though they will not be receiving free facials, they will still be having just as much fun on the track, promise! School details will be provided by email once you have signed up.   To sign up for the next RIDE Academy at Mid America Speedway, please go to www.rideacademy.com and click "Sign Up Now!", then proceed to follow the instructions on the page. A confirmation email will be sent once the email is reviewed, as well as more information on the day. If there are any questions please contact RIDE Academy through the website and either Johnny Lewis or Mike Hacker will reply to your request.   Riding. Instruction. Determination. Excellence. RIDE Academy "Like" us on Facebook @ fb.me/rideacademytraining   About RIDE Academy   Riding. Instruction. Determination. Excellence. RIDE Academy is determined to change the world of flat track racing. We believe we have a formula that will lead many riders to success.We are here to extend our combined knowledge to fellow riders so that they can become the best they can be in a far less amount of time that it has taken each of us.   To reach excellence you must be determined and willing to have an open mind to take advice and instruction. We instruct on the the importance of maintaining the right body position, utilizing each control on your motorcycle, and using proper techniques to ensure you will be the most successful motorcycle racer you can be.

Thank you for your support of Mid-America Speedway. We hope to see you soon. Sincerely, Jim Terchila Mid-America Speedway