18 minute read
COVER STORY: SKIN IN THE GAME
SKIN IN THE GAME
Flat track racers Jared and Nichole Mees take a gamble on race promotion
BY JOY BURGESS
“I
was in tears,” remembered ex-pro dirt track racer and now race promoter Nichole Mees of her and husband Jared’s first foray into the race-promotion business at the 2016 Lima Half-Mile.
“We’d bought the race in 2015 with the first event coming quickly,” she added, “and when June came around I was suddenly being pounded with questions I didn’t have good answers for, and things people didn’t like. I barely knew what I was doing and was just completely overwhelmed. People were cussing me out, and I really had no idea what we’d signed up for…and ended up locking myself in the bathroom to hide from it all.”
“Luckily,” she remembered with a smile, “Jared came with some good advice. He told me, ’Do your best and please who you can, but you’re serving 8,000 people and you’re not going to please all of them.’”
“My skin’s thickened up quite a bit since then,” Nichole said with a laugh.
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Six years later, they’re still promoting Lima…a race that continues to be a fan favorite. And for 2022 they’ve added another piece to their promotional pie — the legendary Springfield Mile, now a Labor Day weekend American Flat Track (AFT) double-header.
But you’ve gotta ask: Why are two supremely talented dirt track racers — Jared’s a shoe-in Hall of Famer for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, while Nichole made 32 Grand National Main Events in her time on Harley-Davidson XR750s — doing race promotion?
It’s a good question…
“It all started back around 2014,” Jared told us. “We were tight with Barb and Dean Gallup, who were the promoters at Lima back then.”
“They asked us if we’d ever thought about promoting Lima,” Nichole continued. “We’d done some media days for them, but Jared and I were both still racing, and we didn’t feel like we were ready for that sort of commitment yet.”
“Dean kept saying his time was coming,” Jared went on, “and he’d give us the first crack at Lima. The race got rained out in 2015, and they were over it. When rain falls, you’re losing money and it’s stressful, and that was the final straw for Dean.”
By 2016 Nichole had retired from racing and Jared thought taking over Lima was a good opportunity, so when he asked Nichole what she thought, she said, “Let’s go for it!”
“Lima holds a lot of sentimental value for me,” Jared added. “I won my first Grand National there in 2005.” He’s tallied an additional four wins at Lima through the years, and only AMA Hall of Famer Scott Parker has more victories on that very unique pea gravel cushion track.
The current No. 1 plate holder — who rides for the Indian Motorcycle Factory team — is undoubtedly one of the most talented racers to ever strap on a steel shoe. “I’ve won seven Grand National titles throughout my career so far,” Jared said, which is “Of today’s generation of racers, something that’s served Jared so well as a racer — and the reason he’ll continue to be successful as a promoter — is that he’s probably one of the most mentally organized racers I’ve ever come across.”
CHRIS CARR
SCOTT HUNTER
Jared kicking up the pea gravel at the Lima cushion track back in 2018. Right: Jared and Nichole’s daughter Hayden sang the National Anthem — much to the delight of the fans — at the 2022 AFT Lima Half-Mile.
GARY YASAKI
KRISTEN LASSEN
KRISTEN LASSEN
30 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST • SEPTEMBER 2022 JODI JOHNSON
JODI JOHNSON SCOTT HUNTER
JODI JOHNSON
Left: Nichole in 2017 running Lima just weeks after Hayden was born. Below: Nichole and Jared were the first husband and wife to ever race a flat track Main Event together.
DAVE HOENIG not far behind Scott Parker’s all-time record of nine.
Jared’s also won 63 Grand National races (at presstime), holds two X-Games Gold medals, has completed a dirt track Grand Slam — winning a Mile, Half-Mile, TT and Short Track — multiple times, and set the record for the most podium finishes in a single season with 17 — 10 of them were wins — in 18 events in 2017.
Nichole also had a significant flat track career, as one of only a handful of women to ever hold a national number in the sport. She not only made 32 Grand National Main Events, a significant feat in itself, but also finished 20th overall in her final season among the best dirt trackers in the world — at a time in professional flat track when it was a fight to even make it to a main event. She was named AMA Female Rider of the Year in 2003, and once beat the fastest boys in the land in a Dash for Cash sprint at the Springfield Mile. And she did all that aboard a ferocious Harley-Davidson XR750, the gnarliest, nastiest racebike for over four decades that many men were unable to tame.
“To this day,” AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Chris Carr said,” Nichole’s had the best finish ever for a female in the premier class — seventh place at Knoxville, Iowa, on Sept. 10, 2011. I finished right behind her in eighth place that night. She proved to the world that a woman could compete in one of the toughest sports…she could turn the throttle, and she did a great job.”
Does all that combined experience as racers give them an edge as promoters?
Carr believes so. “Of today’s generation of racers, something that’s served Jared so well as a racer — and the reason he’ll continue to be successful as a promoter — is that he’s probably one of the most mentally organized racers I’ve ever come across.”
“The qualities that have been responsible for both of their successes as racers have carried over,” Carr continued. “As a racer, it’s about scoring the most points. But to be a good promoter today it’s not just about how many tickets you sell. Your success is driven by the experience you provide those who buy the tickets. I think Jared and Nichole have a good grasp of that. They don’t just promote a motorcycle race…they promote an event.”
Nichole feels that their years spent racing give them an advantage, especially when connecting with the fans. “I spent a long time on the racer side dealing with fans,” she said. “It’s pleasant there…making conversation, signing autographs.”
“But on the promoter side” she added, “you’re dealing with fans — customers — that are frustrated because parking is too far away or you didn’t have the vendors they wanted. As a former racer I can make a connection with them. I often hear, ‘Am I really talking to Nichole Cheza Mees?’ Because many fans have seen me race and now they follow Jared’s racing, they make a connection with us, and a good connection with the customer makes things run a lot smoother.”
For Jared, his years of racing and time spent at tracks across the country make him want to give fans a good experience.
“We’ve gone racing at many different tracks,” Jared mentioned, “and we’ve seen things we think could be run better or stand out differently. One of the biggest ways to give the fans a good show is by providing a good racetrack. As a racer, I don’t enjoy racing on a bad track, so I work to try to make sure the track is as good as it can be.”
“Since we’ve been to Lima when it’s dry and dusty,” Nichole continued, “we try to think about how we can fix that. In the past they used to have one or two drags for the track, and prep took a long time. Now we run three to four drags, and one lap can prep the track immediately. Seeing it from
the racer side and going back to the drawing board to make changes and improvements makes a difference.”
But no matter how hard they work to provide a great track, there are always variables that present challenges.
“Rain delays are huge,” Nichole told us. “People give you a lot of crap when the track isn’t prepped. But if they predict three inches of rain, we’re not going to put all that calcium down on the track to get washed away. Of course, if the rain doesn’t come, you’re left struggling to get that calcium and water on the track to get it going at Lima.”
While track prep is one of the the same thing but on the promoter side now.”
“I also get the t-shirt designs going, handle food vendors, line up the beer and alcohol for the event, deal with the AFT contracts, and handle a lot of the day-of setup operations,” Jared continued. “Really, I wish you could see all that we do before the event even happens. It’s just Nichole and I doing trophies together, sorting and folding 1,100 t-shirts, and so much more.”
From American Flat Track announcer, flat track historian and former racer Scottie Deubler’s point of view, it’s thinking outside of the box that’s resulting in success for Jared
JARED MEES
GARY YASAKI
biggest and perhaps one of the most obvious things promoters deal with, there’s a whole lot more that goes into these events.
“American Flat Track handles the rider side of things,” according to Nichole, “But we make the decisions on track prep, the vendors we have, and bring in sponsorships to help pay the riders. Most people don’t understand the cost that goes into promoting an event. There’s not just the cost of the facility, but the money we pay AFT so they can bring the riders and the show. Then there’s all the advertising and additional expenses.”
While Nichole handles the ticketing system and customer service, Jared spends a lot of his time rounding up sponsorships and vendors. And once again, his years as a racer prove valuable.
“My entire career I’ve picked up the phone and wore out just about everyone through the offseason trying to get sponsorships gathered up for my race program,” Jared said. “And getting sponsors on board with Lima or Springfield…well that’s just and Nichole.
“Lima is old school racing, it’s been on the circuit since 1985, and it’s always the last Saturday in June, so it’s a good race to promote,” Deubler said. “But Jared and Nichole are taking it to the next level by thinking outside the box. They understand that it’s a show, and they try doing things differently. For example, this year they did something different by having the stars ride out during opening ceremonies, much like they do at an AMA Supercross. They’re always trying different things. They want what’s best for racers, but they understand that fans want a show.”
Nichole echoed that, noting that they don’t want the show to be just a motorcycle race.
“We want fans to have stuff to do, such as live music, so there’s something going on when there are breaks in the actual racing,” she said. “My main job is making the customers happy, so I tell them that I welcome their feedback. Tell me what you think because I want to make it better next year. Without the fans, we don’t have a show, and they’re the ones
32 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST • SEPTEMBER 2022 SCOTT HUNTER
JODI JOHNSON GARY YASAKI SCOTT HUNTER
Above: There’s a whole lot going on behind the scenes leading up to each Lima Half-Mile event to ensure fans get the best show possible.
supporting us and keeping it going.”
Jared and Nichole have come a long way since that first crazy year they promoted Lima — and the second year when they pulled it off just weeks after their daughter Hayden was born. But this year they’ve taken on yet another challenge.
“Usually at this point we’re thinking, ‘great, it’s over!’” Jared mentioned. “But this year…nope. We’ve gotta thrash again for Springfield.” And Springfield is a biggie, arguably the biggest of them all.
Both Jared and Nichole know the former promoters, Dave and Tamra Kiesow, well after racing at the Springfield Mile — “the world’s fastest dirt oval” — for so many years.
“I have a lot of respect for them,” Jared said, “and I put the bug in their ear that when they were ready to retire that we might be interested.”
“Right before COVID hit, they came to us and said they were ready to retire,” Nichole added, “and since we’d done such a great job with Lima, they wanted to know if we were interested in purchasing the Springfield Mile races. Jared said, ‘Yup!’ But I was a bit scared to take it over when we didn’t know
NICHOLE MEES
Nichole leading the pack on her HarleyDavidson XR750 at the Springfield Mile in 2015. Check out that front wheel orientation!
what the effects of COVID would be.” “With that unease about taking it on,” Jared continued,
“the Kiesows promoted Springfield for one more year, and at the beginning of 2021 we struck a deal to take it over in 2022. This Labor
Day weekend will be our first time to promote it.”
As with Lima, Springfield holds a lot of sentimental value for the couple. Both have raced to excellent results on the Springfield Mile, but it’s also the spot where Jared proposed to Nichole in 2012.
“I’d been asked to be a part of opening ceremonies,” Nichole remembered, “and I thought Jared had been acting weird but didn’t think anything of it. I went up for opening ceremonies and he proposed to me
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST • SEPTEMBER 2022 35 DAVE HOENIG
right there. He was always the guy who said he wasn’t getting married or having kids. I actually said into the mic, ‘Are you serious right now?’ He asked me, “Is that a yes?’”
In 2013, the two got married at…you guessed it, the Springfield Mile. “We had a very unique wedding,” Nichole said. “We went out and practiced and qualified that morning. After qualifying, we got dressed up and had a wedding out on the front straightaway with Scottie Deubler marrying us. Then we got back into our leathers and went racing. We even ended up in the Main Event together — the first husband and wife to do that.”
“Our daughter Hayden — named after
the late Nicky Hayden and his family — was also born the same weekend as the Springfield Mile,” Nichole continued, “so there’s a lot of history there and it’s so cool we get to take it over and promote it now.”
Of course, going from a one-race weekend to promoting a double-header weekend promises to be a big transition and challenge for the couple.
“Last year we knew we’d be taking the event over,” Nichole said, “so I spent the week with the Kiesows learning the ropes and how I can take what we already do at Lima and implement it at Springfield. Sure, we’ll probably make some mistakes and learn from them, but hopefully it won’t be as traumatic as the first year at Lima. We’ll work towards a smooth-running show, and what doesn’t work…we’ll make it work better.”
First Lima…and now the legendary Springfield Mile. What does the future hold for the couple and their company
Left: Jared proposes to Nichole at Springfield. Right: Mr. and Mrs. Mees took a lap around the Springfield Mile aboard Jared’s #1 XR750 after their wedding ceremony on the front straightaway.
JODI JOHNSON
DAVE HOENIG
Mees Promotions?
“We’d love to continue promoting events,” Nichole weighed in, “and I like it because it keeps me involved in the sport in a different way. But it’s a lot of work to make it successful. If or when Jared retires, I think things will have evolved more on the promotional side, especially since Jared has always been such a good businessman.”
Jared’s a bit more cautious looking forward to the future.
“It’s a tricky question,” he told us. “The future of Mees Promotions depends on how the sport shapes up in the next few years — whether we move forward, stay the same, or move backwards.”
When asked about the current state of professional flat track racing, he said “I don’t think it’s as good as it can be. I’ll leave it as that.”
“We’ve hit a point right now where the fire is getting low,” Jared continued, “and we need some gasoline to fire back off again. We need something
JARED MEES
spicy. I have ideas, but some are gonna hate them. On the promotion side of things, I’d like to keep going and expand. I already have a couple racetracks in mind I’d love to pick up, but there are things out of my control that need attended to before I can move to the next step.”
“I’m very nervous about Springfield and taking it on…it was a gamble. I love the sport, I love racing, and I love Springfield and Lima. But if the races aren’t successful, I’m not going to put everything I’ve worked so hard on over the years into it to lose out, so I’ve gotta keep it profitable and make sure it makes business sense to keep doing it.”
“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Nichole added. “Change takes time. I think if we all work together and keep listening to fans and riders, we can make the sport better.”
Fans, riders, sponsors, supporters… they’re all essential to the success of any promoter.
“We appreciate all the supporters, sponsors and all those who help weekof and during the event,” Jared said. “Without all that help it wouldn’t be possible. And thanks, especially, to the fans for supporting the two biggest races of the year. Without them we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
Sponsors, vendors, entertainment, food and alcohol, track prep, ticketing, customer service…there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into promoting a race. As Jared said about Springfield, “it’s a gamble.” Just like racing bar-to-bar at 100-plus mph on a dirt oval comes with risk, so does promoting these events.
Whether it’s inclement weather or having to refund thousands of tickets to fans because of a cancelled race —
which happened to Jared and Nichole when COVID hit in 2020 — a lot can go wrong.
“It’s challenging,” Nichole said, “but we love flat track and want to bring new fans to the sport. It’s why we work so hard.”
AFT announcer Scottie Deubler appreciates seeing racers step into race promotion. “Nichole and Jared,” he told us, “along with other current and former racers like Cory Texter, Brad Baker, Sammy Halbert, Rob McLendon and Bert Sumner, have found that promoting races is a great way that they can reinvest in the flat track community.”
“I love seeing today’s racers give back to the sport,” Duebler continued, “putting their own skin in the game. It’s in our blood!” AMA
Jared (1) leads a freight train of thundering twins at the legendary Springfield Mile — the “world’s fastest dirt oval.”
SCOTT HUNTER
