Indian Motorcycle Racing has secured its sixth consecutive American Flat Track (AFT) Manufacturer’s Championship, while its Wrecking Crew factory rider, Jared Mees, took home his eighth career Grand National Championship. Mees’ second and third-place finishes at the Volusia Half-Mile I & II finale were more than enough to cement his spot atop the leaderboard and retain the No.1 plate.
Meanwhile, teammate Briar Bauman’s double podium propelled him from fourth to second in the final standings – awarding the Indian Motorcycle factory team the top two SuperTwins spots for the fourth year in a row.
While new 2022 rule changes were implemented to restrict the performance of the Indian FTR750, the Indian Motorcycle factory team rose to the occasion and hit every curveball thrown its way. Mees credits his team for a phenomenal job all year, as they didn’t have a single mechanical failure. Mees finished with three wins and nine additional podiums.
Bauman, who was on a hunt to retake the No.1 plate from Mees, was competitive all year until a P16 at Cedar Lake Short Track II dropped him back in the leaderboard standings. While a shot at the championship may have been out of reach, Bauman’s fiercely competitive nature led him to a third and second-place finish, respectively, and firmly planted him second overall for the second year in a row.
Having won four of the last six SuperTwins championships aboard the Indian FTR750, Mees is now just one shy from his personal career goal to reach Scottie Parker’s record of nine championships. Mees has more than 60 career wins and multiple records.