DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 17, 2014) - The world of motorcycle racing is still talking about this past weekend’s Superprestigio, and the three AMA Pro Flat Track heroes, Jared Mees, Shayna Texter and Brad Baker, who went to Spain to test the best in the world, are back and making their rounds with the media at home.

By now, most people know Mees lost a thriller in the Superfinal against MotoGP superstar Marc Marquez, Texter struggled with bad luck and being invited on such short notice, and Baker missed the race after suffering an injury in a crash Saturday morning.

But now that all three are back in the states, what’s the word on their European jaunt?

“One word, awesome,” Mees said.

Baker won the Superprestigio in January and was the wily veteran of international travel compared to Mess and Texter. So, for those two, the experience of traveling abroad to race was exciting.

“It was my first time over there,” Mees said. “I had never been out of the country except for Canada or Mexico. I didn’t know what to expect. Brad gave me the best lay of the land the best he could. I’m very happy, very excited, they treated me first-class.”

Texter had less than a week to procure a passport and figure out the logistics of getting herself and equipment to Barcelona. She said on Flat Track Weekly Radio, hosted by AMA Pro Flat Track announcer Scottie Deubler and her own brother, National No. 65 Cory Texter, that from the moment she got her invite, she didn’t have time to catch her breath until after her final race.

“It was the first time for me to leave the country and fly over the pond, it was a great experience,” Shayna Texter said on the show.

Even as the current AMA Pro Flat Track No. 1 plate holder, Mees was impressed by the magnitude of the event.

“The exposure level was at the highest that it could have ever been,” Mees said. “To line up against some of the guys, I would look at them, like (Tadeusz) Taddy Blazusiak, and I’m like, ‘Dude, you’re my hero, let me shake your hand.’ … Same thing with Marc Marquez. And the respect back, they’re like, ‘No man, you’re my hero, I’m amazed at how fast you can go.’

“It was good to showcase what we have against the best in the world. The end result, getting second to Marquez, but knowing a few more laps or a better start and things would have been different (was good).”

Texter might not have had the showing she was hoping for, but she admits her style is more suited for Half-Mile and Mile circuits. The 450cc Honda she was riding was equipped with 17-inch Michelin rain tires, as opposed to the 19-inch Dunlop spec tires she’s accustomed to.

“I think that was one of my biggest struggles all week, just getting the trust and the confidence in those things,” Texter said. “The 17-inch tires like to be laid over a lot more in lean angle, and I’m more of a two-wheel rider. I like my bikes more up and down and that really didn’t play into my favor. The more you lean the bike over, the better those things were. I got better as the week went on, but just not quick enough.”

Texter crashed twice in her heat races but fought back to take fourth in her Last Chance Qualifier.

“I crashed, I think, three times this year, and two times were in Barcelona, Spain,” Texter said.

The biggest crash, however, was Baker’s. The 2013 Grand National Champion high-sided entering Turn 1 and went down hard. He dislocated his left shoulder and said he lost consciousness briefly. He returned from the hospital in time for the event and received a huge ovation from the crowd before spectating.

“It gave me a little bit of a sick feeling not being out there and watching those guys have fun,” Baker said on the Flat Track Weekly Radio Show. “I think there would have been a little bit different outcome in that race if I was out there competing with them.

“My head is doing fine, I was knocked out for about 30 seconds after the crash, which was kind of scary. But I quickly came to. Didn’t really have any nauseous feelings or headaches or anything afterwards, so it was just a small concussion if I had anything.”

Baker could offer the unique insight of having seen the Superpresitigio first-hand twice. His review of the event, the fans and the riders couldn’t be much more positive, and points to the race continuing to grown in the future.

“As far as the riders stepping up their game, it was a whole different level this year,” Baker said. “Everybody has seen what I had going on earlier this year, and I definitely raised the bar for them a lot from January. Everybody worked on their equipment, worked on their teams, not to mention worked on their riding. The amount of intensity from the riders was a lot higher this year.”