Andrea Wilson | April 27, 2018
Jared Mees Responds To American Flat Track Disqualification—Around 24 hours before bikes take to the track for round three of the 2018 American Flat Track season, a bombshell was dropped – the defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees was disqualified from the Atlanta Short Track for tire doping.
Jared Mees Responds To American Flat Track Disqualification
According to a release from AFT (see the story HERE), four tires from different machines were taken after the Atlanta Short Track and sent off to a lab for analysis. Three passed, the Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing tire didn’t. It tested positive for what the AFT Competitor Bulletin stated as: “a statistically- significant presence of several chemicals known to be used in motorsports to alter tire compounds, thereby enhancing performance. These include: Hexanedioic acid bis(ethylhexyl) ester, Dodecanoic acid and 1,3-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester.”
Unfortunately for Mees and his team, this isn’t the first time they have been mired in this sort of controversy. In 2015, Mees’ tire was scrutinized for having more wear than normal after the Duuoin Mile and later tested positive for “additional chemical compounds” (see http://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/577750-cycle-news-2015-issue-39-september-29/25). No penalty was issued in that incident because the tire in question was not in AMA Pro Racing’s possession after the DuQuoin Mile, rather it was taken for testing a week later at the Indy Mile.
This time was different. A more swift protocol was followed by the sanctioning body and there was a penalty: the win from Atlanta, as well as points and purse money associated with it, and a 12-month probation. So instead of leading the championship by a healthy lead, he now trails Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. by 11 points.
A controversy of this nature is a blow to any top athlete in Motorsports, but Mees is focusing on the task ahead of him: winning the Texas Half Mile Saturday night.
“Obviously, this is an unfortunate situation,” Mees said. “We understand and respect AFT’s process and are complying with the decision they have made. Now we are doing the one thing we can control: staying completely focused and prepared for this weekend’s race, and ensuring we continue what has been a very successful start to this season.”
With 16 rounds left in the season, there’s plenty of time for Mees to recoup his losses. In 2017, Mees managed to still take the title two rounds early after scoring zero points at the Lima Half-Mile because of his podium consistency.