Jared Mees has a two-race winning streak coming into this Saturday’s (July 7) rescheduled AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Grand National Twins Championship race at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois. Mees, who rides for Blue Springs/Screamin’ Eagle/Saddlemen Harley-Davidson, could become the first rider in six years to win three AMA Grand Nationals in a row should he earn victory in Joliet.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think we have a good chance at winning at Joliet, ” said a confident sounding Mees, a former AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year. “We seem to be finding the right set-up and I’m riding really well right now so I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t go into this race with the attitude that I can win this thing. ”
While Mees said he likes his chances at Route 66, he’s also being realistic about the championship picture at this early point in the season.
“With two wins and a third you’d think I’d have better than a five-point lead in the standings, ” Mees said. “That shows you just how competitive the championship is. I think it’s going to be like that all year. Right now Kenny Coolbeth and myself are at the top. I don’t see any way there’s going to be much separation in the points in the coming races. You think maybe a machine breaking down or a bad set-up or something might do it, but as experienced as both of our teams are I don’t see that happening. ”
Coolbeth rides for the powerful factory Harley-Davidson squad and he is trying to defend his 2006 championship. Coolbeth finished fourth the last time the AMA Grand National series raced at Joliet in 2005. Mees was sixth that night two years ago on the clay half-mile oval.
The winner in 2005 at Route 66 was Chris Carr. The seven-time AMA Grand National Champion has struggled so far this season, by his standards, but no one, especially his fellow racers, is counting out Carr even though he comes into this Saturday’s race ranked fifth. Carr is the last rider to win three Grand National Races in a row, back in 2001.
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