Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Janniro holds slim lead in National Championship
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, JULY 23, 2010

You just never know what to expect in speedway racing, and you can never count anything as for sure. Friday night’s opening round of the AMA/USA National Speedway Championship at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn was an exciting night of racing, from the first of 20 heat races to the exciting A Final. At stake for the best riders in the nation meeting in Auburn was the 2010 National Speedway Championship and a share of the $10,000 riders purse.

Billy Janniro came away sitting on top of the first meeting of the two round competition scoring 20 championship series points, but going into the final round on October 1, Janniro will his hands full with Charlie Venegas right on his tail with 19. The cagy Venegas, last year’s 2009 Fast Friday’s track champion, who is always a threat when the big races are on the line, scored a perfect 15 heat points winning all his heat races, moving into the final championship rounds with the highest heat points, earning a precious series bonus point. Sitting a few clicks back, Scott Brant finished the heat race portion of the program with 13 points, followed by Janniro and Auburn’s Bart Bast who both finished the heat races with 12 points.

Riders were seeded into four final AMA/USA National Championship series rounds according to their final heat race total points, which landed Janniro, Venegas, Bast and Brant into the A Final, with the potential of scoring the most championship points for the night.

Venegas was in the driver’s seat with 20 points and grabbed the inside lane one, Brant sat in lane two, Bast in lane three, and that left Janniro in the outside lane four. As the tapes went up Venegas continued his top form getting a good gate and got inside in turn one as Janniro, no stranger of getting a good gate from four, was right next to him just high and outside, as he worked the middle of the track. Janniro powered around Venegas on the outside, and pulled away from him by a half a bike length, in the second lap. Janniro made no mistakes and held on for the win, picking up 20 series points; Venegas was second and scored 18 series points and ended the first round with 19 points, including the bonus point for scoring the highest heat race points. “He (Janniro) knows I’m right there in the hunt, it was a good race, an awesome night,” said Venegas. Brant finished third and scored 16 championship points; Bast was fourth and scored 14 championship points. “After the year I’ve been having, and the high expectations for tonight, and to be blown out of the water in the heat races, Bart beat me first, then Charlie and Scott, and winning out of lane four, we pulled it off, I don’t know how, but we’re happy,” said Janniro.

Going into the final AMA/USA National Speedway Championship final round on October 1 at Fast Friday’s Gold Country Fairgrounds track in Auburn the stakes will be high and with the scoring so close, anything could happen, as Janniro continues his quest to win his second national championship.

Auburn’s Tommy Hedden won the B Final, finishing with 12 championship series points, Jimmy Fishback won the C Final finishing with eight points, and Brad Pappalardo won the D Final ending his evening with four series points after battling into the competition as a qualifying rider.

Results-Championship Series Points
A Final
1- Billy Janniro (20) 2- Charlie Venegas (18 +1 Bonus 19) 3- Scott Brant (16) Bart Bast (14)
B Final
1- Tommy Hedden (12) 2- Bryan Yarrow (11) 3- Eddie Castro (10) Tyson Burmeister (9)
C Final
1- Jimmy Fishback (8) 2- Bobby Schwartz (7) 3- Greg Hooten (6) 4- Kelly Kerrigan (5)
D Final
1- Brad Pappalardo (4) 2- Daniel Faria (3) 3- JJ Martynse (2) 4- Alex Marcucci (1)

Heat Race Results Round 1
Charlie Venegas 3 3 3 3 3 (15) (Received 1 bonus championship pt. for highest heat race pts.)
Scott Brant 3 3 2 3 2 (13)
Bart Bast 2 3 2 2 3 (12)
Billy Janniro 3 2 3 3 1 (12)
Tommy Hedden 2 1 3 3 2 (11)
Bryan Yarrow 2 0 3 2 3 (10)
Eddie Castro 3 2 0 2 1 (8)
Tyson Burmeister 2 3 0 0 2 (7)
Jimmy Fishback 1 1 1 1 2 (6)
Greg Hooten 0 2 2 1 1 (6)
Bobby Schwartz 0 0 1 1 3 (5)
Kelly Kerrigan 0 1 2 0 1 (4)
Daniel Faria 1 2 1 0 0 (4)
Brad Pappalardo 1 0 0 2 0 (3)
Alex Marcucci 1 1 0 1 0 (3)
JJ Martynse 0 0 0 0 0 (0)
Louis Kossuth 0 0 1 (1) Reserve rider

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Charlie Venegas had a great night, perfect in the heat race portion of Friday night’s AMA/USA National Speedway Championship and finished second to Billy Janniro, in the A Final scoring 19 championship series points.
	Billy Janniro struggled in the heat races of Friday night’s first round national championship but rebounded in the A Final with a win, scoring 20 championship points, going into the final round October 1.
	Auburn’s Bart Bast gets inside of Billy Janniro. Bast was one of only three riders to finish ahead Janniro in heat races.
	Charlie Venegas always seems to show up big in the important races as he did Friday night. Riding on top of his game, Venegas figures to be a threat and is sitting in good position with 19 championship points going into the final round October 1.
	Plenty of smiles and fun at the Fast Friday’s winners podium after the first round of the AMA/USA National Speedway Championship in Auburn Friday night. (L-R) Second place points finisher Charlie Venegas, trophy presenter Crystal Gause, first place points finisher Billy Janniro, trophy presenter Lizz Baker, and third place points finisher Scott Brant.