OKLAHOMA CITY— Progressive American Flat Track legend Jared Mees returned to the top of the podium at Remington Park in an overwhelming show of force in Saturday’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile II presented by KICKER.
It spoke volumes that even when utterly uncomfortable and unsatisfied on the cushion Mile the night before, Mees still managed to finish on the podium.
A happier Mees proved substantially better than that in the rematch, sweeping into the lead on the opening lap of the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event and never looking back.
Mees’ path to victory was made somewhat easier when Friday victor Brandon Robinson was slowed by an ailing clutch in his Semi and was forced to start from the back row of the Main as a result. Despite that start-line handicap, he still managed to power around the outside off the line and slot into fourth position in the early going.
Robinson then overtook Jarod Vanderkooi and Briar Bauman in successive corners and set his sights on race-leader Mees, who was 1.1 seconds up the track.
The best he could do, however, was match Mees’ pace for a stint. And eventually, the multi-time Grand National Champion broke Robinson’s pursuit altogether.
Instead, the Mission Roof Systems ace found himself under assault late by Bauman, who closed on his rear wheel in the race’s late stages. No matter how close Bauman got, however, Robinson was ultimately protected by a heavy roost that blasted the double defending Grand National Champ whenever he thought to attempt a move past into second.
The victory was Mees’ fourth in five attempts at the OKC Mile and his 18th Mile win in all.
Afterward, he said, “I’m back. Last night, I just wasn’t myself. I rode real tight and tense and my arms got locked up. I just wasn’t myself. I came in today and didn’t make many adjustments to the bike — a couple adjustments to the Öhlins shock — and just let her go.
“I just charged into the corners harder… I felt so good out there. I have to give a huge shout out to my entire team for backing me.”
Further back, Vanderkooi put together a fourth consecutive top-four result, while Robert Pearson overcame Brandon Price to claim the final spot in the top five.
Last season’s second- and third-ranked AFT Singles riders went head-to-head over first position in Saturday night’s 450cc thriller; Max Whale and Henry Wiles broke away from the pack from the start and proceeded to engage in a race-long duel for the win.
Friday dominator Wiles appeared to have the upper hand pretty much throughout — at least until Whale stormed in and executed a final-lap slingshot down the back straight. Both riders then desperately searched for traction while negotiating Turns 3 and 4 for the last time, their bikes bucking and weaving the entire way. Wiles came off the final turn just a bit stronger, but not quite strong enough — his attempt to draft back by failing by just 0.054 seconds at the flag.
A four-wide dogfight for third featuring Hunter Bauer, Mikey Rush, Dallas Daniels and Brandon Kitchen was ultimately won by the supremely consistent Daniels on his 18th birthday.
Cory Texter assumed full control of the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship fight with a third consecutive class win.
Unlike Friday night’s blowout, Texter had to fight it out to claim the checkered flag on Saturday. Early on, he appeared in danger of watching Chad Cose run off at the front. Powered by pent-up aggression after sitting out Friday night with a broken bike, Cose utilized an almost comically high line to overhaul Texter on a borrowed XG750R.
That line gradually went away from Cose, however, and the steady speed of Texter brought him back into contention. After a bit of back and forth, Texter retook the lead and shook free, seemingly destined to walk away to a fourth win in six races.
And that win ultimately came, but not until after surviving a late-race scrap with a charging Dalton Gauthier, who actually drafted into the lead with one minute remaining on the clock.
Texter immediately countered Gauthier’s move and eked out enough of a gap to prevent a second offensive en route to a 1.594-second margin of victory.
Cose narrowly held on to the final spot on the box, edging Dan Bromley by .295 seconds.