Friday 4 July 2014

Mees wins Lima

2012 champion Jared Mees was there when it mattered to win the Lima Half-Mile on a very rough and tough looking cushion track. Sammy Halbert, #7, had won the Dash for Cash (for fastest qualifiers) and had ridden away from the field in the main, when his engine let go... It looked like Bryan Smith would be the first non-XR750 to win a Pro half-mile Main since prehistoric times, but Mees hunted him down, passed him and cleared off.
Dash for Cash - Halbert, Baker, Bonsey, Smith, Mees, Bauman.
It finished Halbert, Baker, Mees.
Smith led a few laps of the main when Halbert pulled off, but couldn't hold off Mees. He faded towards the end and was passed by another Kawasaki, with Brandon Robinson (#44, below).

Jake Johnson seemed to really struggle and had to use a once-per-season get out of jail pass to make the main, when he didn't get out of his semi. It was a good gamble as he eventually came 5th in the main.

The standings are now 1. Coolbeth (who came a solid 4th at Lima) 2. Johnson. 3. Mees. 
Defending Champion, Brad Baker is in 10th in the championship after a DNF when his factory XR750 broke.

The next race is tomorrow, 5 July, Hagerstown Half-Mile. 

All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.

2 comments:

eastman.honda said...

Can you guys stop naming the winner in the headline? I'm following all the races onyYouTube after the fact, but I often forget the date til you guys remind me.

Stuman714 in Indy said...

Actually, Jake made the main via a last lap, last corner pass to start last in the main. He was able to save his provisional for later, should he need it.