Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California
Fast Fridays, Auburn, California USA - June 9, 2006
By Gary Roberts
A smaller than expected crowd of spectators saw a smaller than expected number of riders put on some good racing on a good race track. The reasons for the number of attendees ranged from long weekend out of town trips, graduation parties to injured riders (Bast and Easley).
This week’s winners were both former junior national champions, Bryan Yarrow and Matt Becker.
In the scratch main Bryan Yarrow got the inside gate position with Charlie Venegas in gate two. Making up the race were Tommy Hedden in gate three and Mike Faria on the outside. Yarrow gated super fast with Venegas close behind. Hedden and Faria followed a distance behind. After two laps the gap between the first two widened as Venegas settled for second place.
Becker's win in the handicap main comes only a month after coming back to the sport from a 7 year retirement. His 30 yard handicap put him on the same yardage as Colorado rider Buck Blair and in front of Sacramento's Bryan Yarrow, Reno's Mike Faria and Auburn's Tommy Hedden. The only rider starting ahead of him was Penryn's JJ Martynse. Becker gated ahead of Buck Blair and set out to catch Martynse. However Martynse got too sideways in the first turn and looked to be going down, so Blair and Yarrow laid their machines down. The race was stopped and re-run with Martynse on the penalty line. Again in the re-run Becker outgated Blair and rode smoothly, without a mistake, to win the race. Blair was second and Bryan Yarrow third. He is the fifth different rider to win a handicap main in the five events held this season.
Races took place last night without the familiar challenge of local rider Bart Bast. Bast was injured last week when he fell as a result of his throttle jamming open. He is scheduled for surgery to plate a broken collarbone and broken ankle. Over six hundred dollars was donated by fans last night. Everyone wishes him a speedy recovery.
Placerville's Matt Proto, another rider returning from a 10 year retirement from the sport won the division 2 main. For the second time in three weeks Newcastle's Tommy Fehrman won the division 3 main.
An interesting suggestion was put forward by Tommy Hedden at the riders' meeting. In light of the shortage of riders he suggested that the format used by the Grand and by Costa Mesa, of having a championship format scratch racing program for the division one riders be used. The reasons he cited were for safety. (more on that below). Charlie Venegas added the valid point that more scratch racing will sharpen up riders skills for the national championship. The referee agreed to discuss with the promoter.
Because of the shortage of division 1 riders Josh West was moved up to division 1 for scratch and handicap programs. The fact that he fell in both races demonstrated Tommy's safety concern for high yardage riders having to get past less experienced riders in handicap races. This is by no means a criticism of Josh West. It is a pattern that has become more common with the lack of division 1 riders.
 Unofficial results:
Scratch Main Event
1. Bryan Yarrow;
2. Charlie Venegas;
3. Tommy Hedden;
4. Mike Faria
Scratch Consolation Event
1.Buck Blair;
2. Matt Becker;
3. JJ Martynse;
4. Greg Hooten
Handicap Main Event
1. Matt Becker;
2. Buck Blair;
3. Bryan Yarrow;
4. Tommy Hedden;
5. Mike Faria;
6. JJ Martynse
Handicap Consolation Event
1. Alex Marcucci;
2. Greg Hooten;
3. Ivan Sevart;
4. Kenny Ingalls;
5.Devin DeFreece
Division 2 Main Event
1. Matt Proto;
2. Tyler Hansen;
3. Danny Turner;
4. Josh West;
5. David Fonts
Division 2 Consolation Event
1. Bill Warnock;
2. Danny Poli;
3. Harlan Bast Sr.;
4. Steve Lewotsky;
5. Les Veale
Division 3 Main Event
1. Tommy Fuhrman;
2. Johnny Frank;
3. Steve Rowett;
4. Jim Jensen;
5. Adrien Contrares
Division 3 Consolation Event
1. Clark Caravella;
2. Josh Everle;
3. Sean Billinstein;
4. Dennis Michel;
5. Lenny Bouressa
Youth Main Division 1
1. Bryce Starks;
2. Will Hilgenberg;
3. Cody Cicciarell
Youth Main Division 2
1. Tom Reich;
2. Jamison Dilkey
Gary Roberts - gary_rob@ix.netcom.com
| 
