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Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California
Venegas takes Fast Friday’s Championship
By Michael Kirby - Story & Photos
Fast Fridays - AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, September 11, 2009
Quietly Charlie Venegas has been gaining momentum each week at Fast Friday’s just as he said he would in week one of the 2009 Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway season, ready for the big races at the end of the season. Venegas was the fastest man on the track last week winning the scratch main event and Friday night and Venegas took the checkered flag in a big way Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds, winning the 2009 Fast Friday’s Track Championship. The event is one of the biggest championships of the season and his fourth consecutive Fast Friday’s track championship.
Sixteen of the highest scorers of the season lined up in a very exciting Division I scratch format that pitted each racer against each other at least once and from each starting gate position racing for points. The rules were simple, the racer with the most points after five heats at the end of the night is the track champion. Venegas, a seasoned veteran of speedway racing and Red Line Oil sponsored rider, won four of his five his heat races scoring 14 of a possible 15, beaten only once by 2008 USA National Champion Billy Janniro in heat two. “I’ve been leading up to this all year, and I’m happy with this win, at forty two years old not too many riders win a track championship at my age,” Venegas said. Janniro who ended the night with 13 points, tied with Bart Bast and Tommy Hedden, and took second in the championship after winning an exciting run off against Bast, and Hedden. Janniro had some unfortunate luck in heat one finishing third, his only misstep of the night. Bast who was the top point getter of the
2009 regular season finished second in the run-off behind Janniro taking third in the championship just ahead of Hedden who finished third in the run-off and fourth overall.
Also staged on the exciting Fast Friday’s program Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds was the 2009 AMA/USA Speedway Youth National Championship, pitting the best up and coming speedway riders the sport has to offer sixteen years and younger against each other for the national championship in scratch format points racing.
Fourteen year old Austin Novratil of Huntington Beach, had a perfect night winning all of his heat racing scoring 15 points. Novratil had some strong competition from area rider Amber Felicio who finished second with 13 points winning three of her heats races and finishing second in two. Auburn area resident Thomas Reich finished third with 12 points. Novratil joins an elite group of youth riders to win the youth championship, many going on to compete professionally in the sport.
Daniel Faria, son of speedway legend Mike Faria who for many years raced at Fast Friday’s, took the Division II track championship. The eight season top point holders raced against each other in Division II and Division III for respective track championships. Faria has been steadily improving his riding style winning consistently at Fast Friday’s. Danny Turner was second and Charles Haines was third in the Division II championship. The Division III track championship was won by Dustin Berdolt, Kjell Lovlien was second and Billy Vaughn was third.
Results
Division I Track Championship
Charlie Venegas 3,2,3,3,3-14
Billy Janniro 1,3,3,3,3-13/finished first in run-off second overall
Bart Bast 3,3,2,2,3-13/finished second in run-off third overall
Tommy Hedden 2,3,3,3,2-13/finished third in run-off fourth overall
Bryan Yarrow 1,3,3,2,1-10
Kelly Kerrigan 2,2,1,3,1-9
Chad Felicio 2,2,2,0,2-8
Matt Becker 3,1,2,2,0-8
Mark Carrillo 3,0,0,1,3-7
Greg Hooten 2,0,1,1,2-6
Bryce Starks 1,2,1,0,1-5
Shawn Eldrdege 0,1,1,1,1-4
Alex Marcucci 1,1,0,1,0-3
Ben Essary 0,0,0,1,2-3
Devin Defreece 0,1,1,0,0-2
Steve Lewotsky 0,0,0,0,0-0
Youth National Championship
Austin Novratil 3,3,3,3,3-15
Amber Felicio 2,3,3,2,3-13
Thomas Reich 3,3,3,0,3-12
Cody Cicciarelli 3,2,2,3,1-11
Rocco Scopellite 2,3,2,3,0-10
PJ Bryne 3,0,3,0,3-9
Tanner Kane 2,0,1,2,2-7
Maxwell Rumi 2,2,0,2,1-7
Jamison Dilkey 1,1,1,3,1-7
Tyler Warren 0,2,2,0,2-6
Kevin Black 1,1,2,2,0-6
Division II Track Championship
1-Daniel Faria, 2-Danny Turner, Charles Haines
Division III
1-Dustin Berdolt 2-Kjell Lovlien 3-Billy Vaughn
Photos By Michael Kirby
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