The following is from Jared Mees…
We had two more rounds to go to complete the out West swing which were also the last two rounds of the year. After getting back last weekend from Ontario CA, I was getting a little burned out with the traveling. As I mentioned in one of my earlier reports, we really didn’t get too big of a break after Pomona, but these indoor ice races are a lot of fun once there.
The competition was the same as at Ontario the week before. I really thought Joe Kopp would come out, being so close to home, but he did not show up. Must have been Christmas shopping or something! Ha Ha! I won both of my Heats and was sitting on the pole. JR Schnabel was having a little bit of an off night for him. As he was struggling, my bike and I felt the best we have all season. For the Main Event I was really itching to take the Motion Pro Challenge. I had JR right behind me on the 2nd row and Kevin Anderson 2nd off pole on the front row. My gut told me to stay put. I ended up getting the hole shot and pulling out to a comfortable lead and winning the race. Later that night I felt I should have given it a shot, but for some reason wasn’t feeling it.
We drove down to Portland the next day. Over the years we have raced this facility, and it always was a packed house. So we were pumped to go back. In my first Heat race Jeremy ‘The Whiner’ DeRuyter was in there with me. I got the hole shot and was feeling good, but a downed rider caused me to lift off my line, giving DeRuyter a big advantage to make a lot of ground. He went for it going into turn 3 on the last lap and I felt a huge impact. I managed to stay up and won the Heat race, came around and Jeremy was lying on the ice. He was ok, so that was the important thing.
On the second Heat race I grabbed the start and was good to go. I was on the pole for the Main Event. JR was on the outside front row with Kevin 2nd off the pole.. Again I was kinda itching to take the Challenge. With the crowd pumping me up, it was close, but as I told the fans, I had some Christmas shopping to do still and needed my best chance at winning the Main. So I grabbed the hole shot and put in some fast laps, hitting my marks, took a peek over my shoulder, and saw I had a good lead. I slowed down the last couple of laps to bring it home. Now I can go buy myself a Christmas present.
It was a long night and an early morning rise for my flight. We didn’t get out of the arena until around 1:00 am, got a bite to eat and got a big 2 hours of sleep at the motel before having to get up. I think that is why I am getting a little burned out. When I got to the airport and checked in I was assigned a middle seat on the very very back of the plane. I thought to myself, “I am tired , I can’t stand to fly, and here I am on the back row, middle seat.” Talk about being burned out!! Oh, yeah, the plane was over-booked because of all the flight cancellations due to the big Eastern blizzard, so I was border-line getting a seat anyway. So I went to the ticket counter and asked them that if there was any window or aisle seat open, could they put me there. They started to board and as I got up there they handed me a ticked and said “I got you a lot better, seat 5D.” I get on the plane and usually have to go to the right. Heck, she had hooked me up with First Class and I got to make a left! So as I type this I am in my very first time First Class leather seat! I always guessed these seats reclined more!
We now have some time off for the holidays. So MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all. Best wishes to all fans. Talk to you next year.
Jammin’ Jared Mees #21
Special Thanks to my ICE Series CRF450 Partners:
Team Pro Honda Oils and Chemicals, Rogers-Lake Racing, Saddlemen, Briggs Auto, Montgomeryville Cycle Center, A&A Racing, KKMotorcycle Supply, Steve & Cindy Vizzo, Battley Cycles, Rod Lake, Digger 57, Kelly’s, Greedy Leathers, Maxxis, JE Pistons, Cometic Gaskets, Top 1 oils, VP Racing Fuels,Tsubaki, Motion Pro, Micha Racing, Arai Helmets, TCX Boots, Troy Lee Designs, K&N Filters, Supertrapp, Millennium Technologies, Vortex, Craig Pickett, E2 Voltage, Goodridge, Works Connection, RekluseClutches, Gene & Gail Cummings, Eddie Mulder, NGK, Esjot, Z Gallerie, Dodge Bros, Dick Winters, Utopia, Yoshimura R&D, WestCoast Hot Shoes, Jupiter Wheels, EBC, Ogio, Mikuni, Web Cam, Ancra, J&M Racing Frames, Pro Plates, Kold Kutter, Turn 1 Distributing. Crank Works Crank Shafts, Ezup, Twenty Six Suspension, Flash, G2, Penske Racing, Chicken Hawk, Ferrea Valves, J2 Motorsports, Royal Publishing Co., Applied Diamond Coatings, M&Z Anodizing, Brent Armbruster, Bristol Core, Universal Coatings,
