Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Bast Wins Scratch Main - leads in season points
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
Auburn, California - July 15, 2011

It's mid-season at Fast Fridays and Auburn's Bart Bast is just hitting his stride. The longtime local favorite won the scratch main event and pulled away from Billy Janniro in season track points. After July 8 Janniro led a very tight Division I season points lead with 1311 just one point ahead of Bast who had 1310. Janniro and Auburn's Tommy Hedden did not race Friday night's program at Fast Fridays, both racing in the Costa Mesa Fair Derby in Southern California. Bast had a great night and won all his scratch races including the main and was third in the handicap main event.

Welcomed back to Fast Fridays after a five-year absence was local speedway hero Chris Kerr. The 26 year-old Kerr cut his teeth on the Gold Country Fairgrounds track starting his speedway career in the junior program here. Kerr has been racing in Europe for the last five years most recently with the Wolverhampton Wolves and the Newport Wasps in the Elite and Premier Leagues. Kerr should add an interesting element to Division I for the remainder of the season.

Kerr worked his way to the scratch main event with a solid night of racing for his first full night at Fast Fridays in five years and lined up in lane four for the nights finale. Next to him in lane three was Bob Hicks, Charlie Venegas was in lane two and Bast was in lane one. Venegas rolled before the gate went up and was disqualified leaving Bast, Hicks and Kerr a little more room. From the gate Bast had the race, first to turn one and threatened only slightly by Hicks mid race, Bast pulled away from Hicks and Kerr for a convincing victory. Hicks was second and Kerr third.

The handicap main event was won by a hard charging JJ Martnyse, looking very polished at mid-season. Second was Hicks, who also finished second in the scratch main event. Keep an eye on Hicks who has been making the main events almost every week with second and third place finishes to be picking up a few first place main event wins in the future, Bart Bast was third.

Bryce Starks won the fourth round of the Challenge Elimination Series and will join Charlie Venegas, JT Mabry, Tommy Hedden and the winner of round five in a super championship run-off of the Challenge Elimination Series on September 2 at Fast Fridays. Starks defeated Daniel Faria, Greg Hooten, Alex Marcucci, and Devin Defreece in the one lap scratch races to grab the fourth spot in the championship series.

By a wide margin the Division II main event was won by Auburn resident Tyler Warren, his second Division II main event win since moving up from Division III in mid-June. "I blew up my bike up earlier this month, so I have been riding two different barrowed bikes, next week I should have my engine rebuilt ready to go," said Warren. Finishing second was Rachalle Kerr and third was Richard Fehrman. Fehrman leads the season points race for Division II with 469 followed by Michael Achilles with 409 after July 8.

Division III was won by Derik Denzin second was Billy Vaughn and third was Michelle Fehrman. Chris Casey has 480 season points in Division III and Kevin Chapman is at 449 points after the July 8 race.

The Youth A main event was won by David Mersaroli, and the Youth B main event was won by Luke Becker, followed by Colton Hicks in second and Daniel Casey in third.

On July 22 at Fast Friday's get ready for the annual North vs. South Challenge as top speedway riders from Southern California led by World Speedway Champion Billy Hamill will go up against the riders from the north. This team-racing event is one of the most popular events of the Fast Friday's season.

Results from Fast Friday's for 7-15-11

Division 1 Scratch Main Event
1-Bart Bast, 2-Bob Hicks, 3-Chris Kerr, 4-Charlie Venegas (Scratched)

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-JJ Martynse, 2-Bob Hicks 3-Bart Bast

Division II Main Event
1-Tyler Warren, 2-Rachalle Kerr, 3-Richard Fehrman

Division III Main Event
1-Derik Denzin, 2-Billy Vaughn, 3-Michelle Fehrman

Youth Division A
1-David Mersaroli

Youth Division B
1-Luke Becker, 2-Colton Hicks, 3-Daniel Casey

Photos Michael Kirby

	Bart Bast (center) surrounded by JJ Martynse (R) and Chris Kerr (L) in an early handicap heat race Friday night. Bast went on to win the scratch main event and Martynse later won the handicap main event.
	On a barrowed bike Tyler Warren won the Division II main event. Warren moved up from Division II in mid-June and has already won two Div. II main events.
	Chris Kerr (R) gets set for the Division I scratch semifinal heat Friday night. Kerr has returned to race in Auburn after a five-year career racing in Europe.
	Bart Bast celebrates his Division I scratch main event win. Bast is on top of the Div. I season point's standings.
	Bryce Starks won round four of the Challenge Elimination Series and will join Charlie Venegas, JT Mabry, Tommy Hedden and the winner of round five on Sept 2 in a championship run-off.