Flat Track Racer Jared Mees Caught Tire Doping
Sportsmen using performance-enhancing drugs to improve their athletic performance is not uncommon. But have you ever heard of tires on steroids?
(Image taken from CycleNews)
Tire doping is a means to enhance the tires’ performance, and one way to do so is to chemically alter the tire. For example, a racer can do so by soaking the tire in chemicals to soften the rubber, as this helps provide an additional grip in the wheels.
This appears to be what flat tracker racing star Jared Mees has done. At the American Flat Track post-event tire sampling from the Atlanta Short Track, competitor Jared Mees was caught for using chemically altered tires.
All motorbikes in the American Motorcycle Association American Flat Track series are reportedly supposed to be fitted with the same Dunlop DT3, 19-inch tire. The Dunlop is chosen specifically for flat track racing as it provides optimized grip and helps to keep safer speeds while in the dirt.
(Image taken from My City Magazine)
However, Mees did not abide by the rules. According to the 2018 American Flat Track Rulebook, under section 3.8.b, “No chemical applications are permitted” on the vehicle's’ tires, as “an equipment violation that could potentially enhance the performance of a motorcycle used in competition” falls directly under the Category 1 offence.
The Pennsylvania native’s tires were one of the four tire samples that were taken for testing at an independent lab for chemical analysis. While the other three samples were deemed to be in compliance with the benchmark standard set by Dunlop, the tires from the machine rode by Mees were not.
In fact, several chemical compounds known to be used to alter tire compounds in motorsports were found.
For cheating in the competition, the respective punishments for Mees were meted out:
- Disqualification from the Atlanta Short Track
- Total loss of points from the event
- Total loss of prize money from the event
- Probation for 12 months