2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion Jared Mees ended up with the best finish of the American contingent of riders that headed across the pond to contest the 2nd annual Superprestigio Dirt Track Race held in Barcelona, Spain yesterday. Mees won all of his heats races in order to punch his ticket to the main event, but came up just shy of equaling 2013 AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker's inaugural win in the event held in January. Double MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was able to take the win after crashing out of last January's event while battling with Baker for the lead.
Mees, Shayna Texter and Baker were all great representatives at the event for the American-based AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship series, but Baker crashed early in the day during one of the practice sessions that saw the former champ take a nasty highside and dislocate his shoulder. Texter wasn't able to qualify through the hectic system in order to represent the Americans in the main event, but American Kenny Noyes, fresh off winning the 2014 FIM CEV International Superbike Championship, was able to bring his ride home in 3rd-place to round out the podium and show the world his title in Spain's high-ranking road racing series was not only not a fluke for the popular rider, but that he hadn't forgotten his flat track skills along the way.
In the shot above, Mees and tuner Kenny Tolbert put the finishing touches on changes to The Jammer's Honda CRF450R 'A' bike in the #1 Montgomeryville Cycle Center/National Cycle/Rogers Racing-sponsored pit area between the practice session and qualifying sessions held at the Peoria TT on August 11, 2013.
You can check out the final of the Superprestigio event here thanks to YouTube and you can also view all of the results here on the official website of the Superprestigio Dirt Track Race. AMA Pro Racing's press release can also be checked out below.
A big congrats to The Jammer, Jared Mees for a stellar 2nd-place finish, to 2013-14 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez for taking the victory in Barcelona yesterday, and to all of the contestants and representatives of the United States for giving it their all in one of the premier 'off-season' events of the year!
Jared Mees, Marc Marquez thrill international audience in Superprestigio flat track event
| BARCELONA, Spain (Dec. 13, 2014) - The world was able to witness the excitement of flat track racing on Saturday, and it was able to see reigning AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion Jared Mees come up just short in a thrilling battle with Spanish road racing superstar and two-time defending MotoGP champion Marc Marquez. Barcelona, Spain played host to the Superprestigio short track exhibition race, featuring some of the best riders from nearly every form of motorcycle racing in the world, including an American contingent representing AMA Pro Flat Track, the world's preeminent flat track racing series. Marquez held off a hard charge from Mees in the showcase's main event, the Superfinal. Mees settled for second in the race, which was broadcast around the world.  2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion Jared Mees displays his 2nd-place trophy after coming up just short of the win in yesterday's 2nd annual Superprestigio Dirt Track Race in Barcelona, Spain. Photo courtesy of AMA Pro Racing. "I had an amazing time, it was my first time in Spain," Mees said. "I can't say enough for everybody that invited me, Marc Marquez and everybody that put the event on. It was amazing, I had a lot of fun. ... I hope I can come back next year." Mees dominated both heat races and all three finals to win his Open class. But in the Superfinal, Mees got caught up behind a downed rider in the first corner and nearly stalled his bike while running wide to avoid the crash. He was in the middle of the pack for the first time all night and one spot in back of Marquez. Methodically and impressively, the two picked off riders before they found themselves in front. Mees drew even with Marquez's back tire by the final lap, but ran out of time before being able to make a move for the lead. He settled for a hard-fought and well-deserved second." Marquez is a large supporter and fan of flat track racing, and uses it, like many top road racers, to train. In January, the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion, Brad Baker, won the Superprestigio after a thrilling battle with Marquez. This time around, the practice Marquez put in specifically in hopes of winning the Superprestigio really showed. "He kept his wheels in line very well," Mees said. "Keeping the wheels in line is the faster way to go around the race track, so hat's off to him. He definitely had amazing style for being a road racer (primarily)." Baker suffered a shoulder injury in practice on Saturday morning and was unable to compete. Leading up to the event, he had been the fastest rider in practice. "First and foremost, I would like to say thanks to Jared. He came from America to here, and also Brad," Marquez said. "I was worried for (Brad) because the crash this morning was scary." AMA Pro Flat Track's Shayna Texter, the only female rider in the event, crashed in her first heat race and found herself in unlucky spots on the track during later heats. She eventually bounced back and finished fourth in her Last Chance Qualifier. Fellow American and 2014 FIM CEV SBK International Superbike champion Kenny Noyes was third in the Superfinal. All three riders on the podium are current champions in their respective series. Additional AMA Pro Flat Track flare was provided by flagger Kevin Clark, who was invited to return for a second time to the event. The thrilling exhibition stoked plenty of interest in the sport, and fans only have to wait until March 12-13 for the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season to get underway with a doubleheader at DAYTONA Flat Track. Like the Superprestigio, every AMA Pro Flat Track race in 2015 can be seen live atFansChoice.tv. |
| AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. |
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