DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 22, 2015) – During the offseason, Nichole Mees announced she will no longer race motorcycles professionally after the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season. So fans wishing to see her race have limited opportunities to do so, starting with Sunday’s Springfield Mile.

Nichole is the wife of two-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees and she has been a competitor in AMA Pro Flat Track for nine years. As for her reasons for leaving the sport that’s been such a big part of her life, Mees intends on putting her Master’s Degree in Education to use.

“One of the biggest reasons for me deciding to quit racing is to allow myself more time to focus on another passion of mine, which is teaching,” said Mees. “It’s not that I’m not having fun anymore, I certainly am.”

Mees has proven she can race with the best flat trackers in the world and paved the way for other female competitors of the sport, such as Shayna Texter. Many other female riders are making names for themselves at the amateur level, and there’s no doubt they have been inspired by Mees’ vision and dedication to the sport of flat track racing.

“Back in the day, you didn’t see a lot of females competing in flat track,” said Mees. “Maybe one or two here and there, but they weren’t really around. Now I see dozens of them, spread out through all classes at nearly every amateur round that I attend and it’s great to see them out there. Whether people want to pursue it at the club or professional level, I think they should definitely give it a try. Other women should know that it’s not just a male sport even though it’s dominated by males.”

Mees is set to begin her final summer as an AMA Pro Flat Track rider, a stint that will include the legendary Springfield Mile this weekend and the prestigious Sacramento Mile May 30. Then, on June 4, Mees and 23 other AMA Pro Flat Track stars will race in X Games Flat Track at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, as the sport makes its debut in the wildly popular action sports showcase.

As for her thoughts on being chosen as one of the 24 riders to participate in the inaugural X Games Flat Track event, Mees is very much looking forward to the opportunity.

“I’m really excited about competing in the X Games,” she said. “It’s not only good for the riders of the sport, but it’s great for the sport of AMA Pro Flat Track as a whole. I am honored to be chosen to be one of the riders invited to compete there and I’m just going to go out there and make sure I’m mentally and physically ready. To come out with a medal in Austin would be absolutely huge.”

Fans can catch Mees in action this weekend at the Springfield Mile by tuning into FansChoice.tv. Fans that are interested in attending the spectacular event are encourage to call (217) 753-8866 or visit http://www.illinoismda.com/.