Trading Places: Indian Motorcycle’s Jared Mees To Drive Jimmy Phelps’ Modified At Weedsport

Story By: CHRIS PUTMAN / AMERICAN FLAT TRACK – DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Racers are racers, right? The good ones all have dynamic skills, an amazing sense of traction and a single-focus determination to win.

But moving from two wheels to four – or from four to two – changes the game dramatically, and that’s exactly what’s about to happen on the evening of July 6 at Weedsport Speedway’s AFT Short Track Kickoff Party.

The deal is this: Indian Motorcycle’s Jared Mees and Weedsport Speedway GM Jimmy Phelps are going to trade places – trade vehicles, really – for a few laps during the kickoff party, right in front of fans, fellow racers and lots of cameras.

“I’m really looking forward to this awesome opportunity,” Phelps said. “Both of us are going to be way outside our comfort zones, so that will get the blood pumping. Weedsport Speedway has always been known as the ‘Home of Dirt Modified racing’, so what better way to kick off the weekend than watching one of the best on two wheels driving a Dirt Mod car. I can’t wait!”

Phelps has 25 years of racing these high-horsepower, 400-plus-cubic-inch-engined behemoths, and is quite good at it. But besides some off-road motorcycling as a kid, he’s not done much motorcycle riding of late, all of which makes him a little squeamish when he thinks about riding Mees’ 110-horsepower Indian FTR750.

“I’ve watched motorcycle dirt track racing over the years,” Phelps says, “but doing it is a different deal! Definitely going to be cautious out there. Hopefully, Jared will, too, and we’ll both end up with big smiles on our faces and give the crowd something exciting to watch.”

Mees isn’t saying much, and given the amount of horsepower a Dirt Mod car makes, maybe that’s prudent. “I’m just looking forward to the experience of driving a fast car on the dirt,” he says. It’s gonna be fun.”

Fun is definitely going to be the name of the game on Friday night. Because in addition to all the all the high-intensity, bar-bangin’ AFT Twins, AFT Singles and Harley Hooligans motorcycle racing on Saturday, Friday night’s Kick Off Party – featuring live music, an all-Harley stunt show, giveaways, craft beers, wine, food, autograph signings with the top riders and this Trading Places event – is gonna be a blast.

Tickets for Saturday’s racing will be available at the party, but the Kick Off Party itself is free to the public! So come enjoy yourselves!