Motorcyclists practice for Lima event

LIMA — The familiar roar of motorcycle engines echoed through the Allen County Fairgrounds on Monday afternoon.

About a dozen riders took to the track as part of the Lima media test and tune day that allows the riders to practice on one of the toughest tracks on the AMA circuit. The practice runs give them the chance to get a feel for the track as well as promote the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Lima Half-Mile race to be held June 25.

Jared Mees, one of the participants and promoter of the event, said Lima is one of the popular destinations on the AMA circuit because of the pea-gravel surface of the track, the 85-foot wide corners, as well as the large crowds that attend.

“This is old school cushion racing,” said Mees, the 2014 winner at the Lima event and a recent gold medalist at the Extreme X Games held in Austin, Texas, last week. “This is old school flat track racing at its best. We have some really awesome die-hard fans.”

Lima first hosted this event in 1984 and from the beginning it has been a mainstay on the AMA schedule that has attracted some of the top racers in the nation. Past greats such as Steve Morehead and Ricky Graham have all raced in Lima.

Mees, who grew up in Pennsylvania, said he likes racing in Ohio and his wife, Nichole, who grew up in Michigan, also raced in Ohio.

“I think the fans like the history of the track, being 30 years old, and the type of race track and how you move around from top to bottom,” Mees said.

Nichole Mees said tickets sales are going great and she said approximately 2,500 tickets have been sold which equates to nearly half the grandstands.

“This is really good because we are about three weeks out,” she said. “The last week or so the ticket sales have really picked up.”

The lure of the Lima race is that it is built for speed and hard-nosed racing. Many of the younger racers particularly like competing on the track and seem to thrive at the event. Mees described this track as one of the most physical and demanding tracks on the schedule and that makes for good racing.

“This type of track suits a younger man’s aggressive type of nature,” Mees said. “There is nothing wrong with an old dog coming here doing good but you are not surprised to see a young kid come in here and throw it sideways and go. It’s a man’s man track where you got to grab a handful and hang on.”

Brad Baker, out of Eatonville, Washington, endured the demands of the Lima track last year by taking top honors. Last season, Baker finished eighth in GNC1 competition, despite suffering from an injury at the Black Hills round. In addition to his win in the Lima Half-Mile, Baker notched a victory at the Indy Mile.

Baker attributes a number of factors to his victory. First and foremost he credits his team for properly setting up his motorcycle to take on the rigors of the Lima track. And second he loves racing on this type of track.

“This type of race track suits my style,” Baker said. “You can kind of let it all hang out and really be aggressive with the motorcycle and the way you ride. Pea-gravel cushion tracks allow me to ride pretty hard and that suits my style pretty well, so between having a good motorcycle and being one my favorite race tracks that is a good combination.”

Because it is one of his favorite race tracks and it favors his type of riding, he said he feels a little extra motivation to take top honors again. Beating Mees, who is one of his top rivals, is an additional incentive to win in Lima.

Baker said the rivalries among the racers are all good natured and there is a healthy competitiveness that fuels the riders’ desire to win.

As Baker readied himself for his practice runs, he would be checking out the suspension set-up, wheel base, and tire and wheel widths. Because it will be two more weeks before they race in Lima, Baker and his team will make the necessary adjustments and notes to have the motorcycle ready.

“We log it all down and we might even leave here with a better game plan before race day comes,” Baker said. “We just put it in our memory banks and come back here and try to be prepared.”

Davis Fisher was also taking advantage of the practice. As an 18-year-old, he is making the jump to the GNC1 competition. Fisher joins the Harley-Davidson “Screamin’ Eagles Factory team this year after two successful seasons in the AMA Pro Singles/GNC2 class where he won the 2015 GNC2 championship. In 2014 he finished second and missed the winning the championship by a single point.

Fisher, who has raced in Lima the past two years and came in second both times at the GNC2 level, knows this track is definitely one of the toughest on the schedule, but this year, he is racing with a new motorcycle so practicing on the pea-gravel was something that would allow him to see how the bike reacted.

“I think this track brings out the rider’s style,” said Fisher, who comes from a racing family. “It really test the rider’s physical endurance.”

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Brad Baker, who won the 2015 AMA Lima Half Mile event last year, rides during during a AMA Pro Flat Track test run at the Allen County Fairgrounds on Monday. The AMA Lima Half Mile event is June 25.
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2016/06/web1_AMA-RP-04-2.jpgBrad Baker, who won the 2015 AMA Lima Half Mile event last year, rides during during a AMA Pro Flat Track test run at the Allen County Fairgrounds on Monday. The AMA Lima Half Mile event is June 25. Richard Parrish | The Lima News

Davis Fisher tests his mortorcyle on the track at the Allen County Fairgrounds. Fisher finished second last year at the GNC2 level, will get his chance to make his mark at the GNC1 level
http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2016/06/web1_AMA-RP-05-2.jpgDavis Fisher tests his mortorcyle on the track at the Allen County Fairgrounds. Fisher finished second last year at the GNC2 level, will get his chance to make his mark at the GNC1 level Richard Parrish | The Lima News
AMA half-miler set for June 25 at fairgrounds

By Jose Nogueras

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Reach Jose Nogueras at 567-242-0468 or on twitter at @JoseNogueras1