American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 217 August 2017 | Page 64

Mees takes Round 10 win as
BRIEFS Harley score first podium
NEWS
Celebrating their 18th year in
business, electrical
components manufacturer
NAMZ/Badlands says it has
taken its website “to another
level by adding additional
features to make our
customers’ lives easier.” The
improvements include a
search bar that will allow
users to find OEM part
numbers throughout the site
for ease of identification and
purchase. The site has the
entire NAMZ product line,
updated photos, soon to be
added installation and
technical video links, updated
installation instructions and a
swag page -
www.namzccp.com
KTM took a One-Two with a new
record time in the premier
heavyweight motorcycle class at
the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb in
Colorado this year (June 24). The
two 1290 Super Dukes had been
prepared with readily available
factory parts. Former AMA
Superbike racer Chris Fillmore took
the win in his debut at the event.
J&P Cycles, “the world’s
largest aftermarket
motorcycle parts and
accessories retailer”, has
announced a multi-year
partnership with the City of
Sturgis, South Dakota, to be
the “Official Motorcycle
Aftermarket Retailer” of the
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Following a two-week layoff,
battle was rejoined in the
American Flat Track Twins
presented by Vance & Hines for
the Elgdridge, NY, Rolling Wheels
Half Mile - with Jared Mees
taking the win, having had to sit
out the last event for being a tad
overenthusiastic at the semi-
final start line (at the Lima Half
Mile/Round 9).
The win saw him regain the
championship lead from rival and
teammate Bryan Smith (No. 1 Indian
Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate
Scout FTR750).
On his No. 9 Indian Motorcycle Rogers
Racing Scout FTR750, Mees
obliterated all challengers en route to
claiming his fifth checkered flag of the
2017 campaign with a near five-
second margin of victory.
Mees faced early pressure from rival
Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Estenson
Logistics Harley-Davidson XR750) on
the race's opening lap, but quickly
asserted his authority - the victory
marking the 25th of Mees' career. It
also saw him complete an in-season
Grand Slam with triumphs across all
four disciplines (TT, Short Track, Mile
and Half Mile) in 2017, with eight
races still remaining.
Halbert’s second place was the best
result for any Harley-Davidson all
season long. Brad Baker (No. 6 Indian
Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate
Scout FTR750) picked up his seventh
podium result of the year, finishing
third; Jeffrey Carver Jr was fourth on a
Kawasaki Ninja 650, with Brandon
Robinson (No. 44 Harley-Davidson
Factory Flat Track Team XG750R
(sponsored by Vance & Hines and
Speed & Strength) making it two
Harleys inside the top five - edging
Lima winner Briar Bauman (Kawasaki
Ninja 650) by 0.119 of a second for
fifth.
Bryan Smith endured his worst finish
of the season in seventh. He
relinquished the points lead to Mees
as a result. After opening the year red
hot with four wins, a second and a
third in the season's first six races,
Smith now finds himself in something
of a cold streak – in his last four
outings, he's tallied up results of
fourth, third, sixth and seventh.
The other Harley-Davidson XR750s
finished eighth (Ryan Wells), 10th
(Kenny Coolbeth, Jr, sponsored by
Vance & Hines and Speed & Strength),
and 18th (Jake Johnson, sponsored by
Vance & Hines).
The series now moves on to the
Harley-Davidson Calistoga Half Mile
(Calistoga, California July 29th, the
third of the three consecutive mid-
season Half Miles) before landing in
South Dakota for two races in three
days during the Sturgis Rally – The
Buffalo Chip TT presented by Indian
Motorcycle (August 6) and The Harley-
Davidson Black Hills Half Mile at
Rapid City (August 8) – then moving
on to the Peoria, Illinois TT just five
days later, August 13.