Indian Motorcycle rider Jared Mees took top honors at the Daytona TT American Flat Track season opener. Mees’ dominating performance was complimented by a 2nd place finish from Indian factory rider and 2016 Grand National Champion Bryan Smith.
All eyes were on Indian heading into the season opener after assembling a team featuring three of the sport’s most decorated riders and armed with Indian’s state-of-the-art Scout FTR750. The season-opening victory brought dramatic validation to Indian’s re-entry into the sport, reigniting the historic Indian Motorcycle vs. Harley-Davidson rivalry.
“Carrying the torch for the return of one of motorcycle racing’s most iconic and historic brands, makes this victory truly special for me,” said Mees. “We knew we had a special bike this year that would give us a real shot at every race this season, and to start off on top is huge. But this victory isn’t mine alone. The entire team was critical to this victory, and I couldn’t be more optimistic about our prospects for the remainder of the season.”
Piloting Indian’s new state-of-the-art Scout FTR 750, Mees finished first and third in the evening’s first two heats. The main event began with Mees taking lead in lap 1 heading into the first turn, and the three-time Grand National Champion never looked back. Meanwhile, Smith ran the majority of the main event in the fifth position before catapulting from fifth to 2nd over the final five laps, joining Mees on the podium. After such an impressive showing by the new Indian ‘Wrecking Crew’ in Daytona, it’s clear that Indian Motorcycle Racing will be a force to be reckoned with in 2017.
“With such a storied history of success in flat track racing, it was imperative that Indian bring every possible resource to bear to be successful, and to be atop the podium in Daytona is the ultimate validation for us,” said Gary Gray, Product Director for Indian Motorcycle. “This season is more a marathon than a sprint, and this is merely the beginning. While we’re proud to get off to such a great start, our eyes are fixed on a championship.”
Next race on the American Flat Track will be gought at the Atlanta Short Track on March 25.
