Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds - Auburn, CA

2000 Fast Fridays
Fast Fridays
June 23, 2000
From Gary Roberts

Normally there is no Speedway action in Southern California on Friday nights, which enables Nor. Cal. fans the privilege of watching Ryan Fisher and Charlie Venegas. Not the case this week, since Speedway came back as a one off event at the old Ventura track. Their absence did not stop some great racing. The weather was absolutely perfect, hot, but not too hot, and very low humidity. The track as always was well prepared, with plenty of water having permeated it throughout the week, resulting in a perfect surface with multiple race lines, as Mike Faria proved in the Handicap Main.

Scratch Main
1. Mike Faria
2. Bart Bast
3. Bobby Hedden
4. Ian Ferris

This was definitely Mike Faria's night with a win in both Scratch and Handicap Main Events. In the Scratch he was first out of the gate and stayed there all race. Bart Bast was close behind on the inside, and Bobby Hedden tried the outside line with intermittent success, but finished a larger distance behind Bart. Youngster, Ian Ferris who has been riding extremely well this season made up fourth place.

Scratch Consi
1. Billy Janniro
2. Robert Curry
3. Chad Felicio
4. Don Webster

Following a fall in his scratch semifinal, Billy Janniro was relegated to the Consi, which he won with comparative ease. In an earlier Handicap Semifinal he fell very awkwardly after getting tangled on Rick Shafer's rear wheel. He tried to step off, got tangled up again, this time with his own bike, hit the wall, got run over, but proved exactly how tough he is by getting back out in the re-run. I bet he will be sore in the morning!

Handicap Main
1. Mike Faria
2. Robert Curry
3. Ian Ferris
4. Chad Felicio
5. Bart Bast
6. Billy Janniro

Mike Faria yet again demonstrated his extraordinary skills in getting past the whole field from the 50 yard line. He overtook everyone, on the outside, finishing up passing second man Robert Curry on the final bend. Someone commented that Billy Janniro's lack of success in this race was because the track was too smooth for him.

Apart from the Venegas and Fisher absence, there was a shortage of division one riders last night, reducing the number of handicap heats from four to three, and resulting in some names appearing in both Divisions one and two. It probably won't get any better next week with riders taking off for the July 4 weekend.

Handicap Consi
1. Don Webster
2. Paul Orlandi
3. Bobby Hedden
4. Rick Shafer
5. Steve Martynse
6. Marvin Sonnier

A very close race, with the first four going over the line with little more than a couple of bike lengths covering them. Ex flat track racer, Don Webster started racing Speedway at the start of last season, at the tender age of 32 and has picked it incredibly quickly. Looking good and steady, I believe this was the first time he has qualified out of the handicap heats at Auburn.

Division 2 Main
1.  Scott Olney
2. Matt Browne
3. George Snodgrass
4. Dave Booth
5. Vince Bertolucci
6. Jon Curry

A good win for veteran rider Scott Olney. Matt Browne made attempts to get past, but had to settle for second place. This was the second time Jon Curry and Matt Browne lined up along side one another in a race this week. Before that it was two years earlier, when they were Division 2 Junior Speedway riders.

Division 2 Consi
1. Mike Browne
2. Marvin Sonnier
3. Craig Boone
4. Ivan Sevart
5. Harlan Bast Snr. 
6. Mark Thomas

Matt Browne's father Mike took the win in this one, over multi-divisional Bakersfield rider Marvin Sonnier. Ivan Sevart looked hopeful to move up the field earlier on, until he lost ground after hitting the wall. He ended up having to battle it out with his grandfather Harlan Bast, for fourth place.

Division 3 Main
1. Billy Hiles
2. Greg Hooten Snr., 
3. Robert Mellor
4. Dave Baker

Also in the race were Ron Woodsford, Dennis Chandler, Devin DeFreece, Kelly McBane. Sorry, I missed the finishing order.

Newcomer Billy Hiles proved again what a hopeful prospect he is, making easy work of the third division main, now from the 10 yard handicap line. I would be surprised if this rider is not soon in second division.

Division 3 Consi
1. Bruce Baker
2. Geno Bellino
3. Les Veale
4. Bill Dixon
5. Kevin Fereira
6. John Knapp
7. David Lee

Bruce Baker, one of the "fabulous Baker brothers" as they seem to have got labeled, was well in the lead when the race was stopped. He had not problem in the rerun either.

Junior Division 1
1. Eric Carrillo
2. Bryan Yarrow
3. Greg Hooten Jnr.
4. JT Mabry
5. JJ Martynse

Yet another Division 1 trophy for the cabinet of Eric Carrillo. He got past main competitor Bryan Yarrow before the first corner, and made it look easy from there. Chris Kerr had mechanical problems so did not make it for his final week as an Auburn Junior. I look forward to seeing Chris out next week on a 500. Eric Carrillo should be coming up to his 16th birthday soon too.

Junior Division 2.
1. TJ Fowler
2. Scott Olney
3. Mark Carrillo
4. Danny Easley
5. Alex Marcucci
6. Brenton Bast

Following his recent promotion to second division, TJ Fowler, from the zero yard line continues to pick up trophies. Chris Olney, from the 10 yard line made a challenge for the lead early on, but settled for second.

Junior Division 3
1. Tom Fehrman
2. Jeff Butler
3. Paul Johnson
4. Chris Smith
5. Bruce Bast
6. Jay Rickets
7. Pete King
8. Michael Wade

A win for new rider this season, Tom Fehrman. It is encouraging to see the breadth and depth of future Junior Speedway riders.

More Speedway racing at Sideways Saturdays tonight, and a meeting of SOSS (Save our Sideways Saturdays) where posters and flyers will be distributed to volunteers, who are campaigning to get the facility more visibility.

Next week sidecars come back to Fast Fridays along with the annual backwards race. Each year preparation for this one gets more sophisticated, with first foot pegs, then silencers moving to the left, and now we are seeing right footed steel shoes.