Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Fast Fridays
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, May 18, 2012

Week two of the Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway season will be remembered as one of the most exciting nights of the 2012 speedway season. Absent from the nights line-up were a few of the top division one riders, but the riders that showed up at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn Friday night came to race, and put on a excellent show.

Up from Southern California in the first of five appearances at Fast Fridays was the Extreme Sidecars Series. The team of Joe Jones and Johnny Glover took first place followed by the team of Chris Jones and Jimmy Olsen in second place. In third were Gerald Jackson and Dave German. Always Fast Friday's fan favorites, a total of five sidecar teams took on the Gold Country Fairgrounds dirt oval Friday night in a thrilling exhibition of sidecar racing action.

Veteran speedway racer Bobby Hedden returned for a once or twice a season racing appearance in Fast Friday's Division I program. Losing none of the competitive edge he's remembered for since retiring from speedway racing in 2005, Hedden won the handicap main event racing off the 30-yard line. Hedden beat Auburn's Bart Bast who finished second and Ryan Bast who finished third. In a exciting race PJ Byrne went through the racetrack wall coming out of turn three and after a few tense moments the tough 17 year old and walked away, and a single file restart ensued, with Hedden picking up the win.

Also in Division I action Auburn's Bart Bast was on fire, undefeated in all but one race for the night and remains on top of the Division I points tally. Bast worked his way into the night's scratch finale with two scratch heat race victories and lined up in lane four alongside Bobby Hedden in lane three, Tommy Hedden in lane two and Bob Hicks in the inside lane one. Bobby Hedden brushed against the tape before the start and penalized with extra yardage. At the start and right out of the gate Tommy Hedden got to the inside of the track in turn one and it was at two man race with Hedden doing a good job of holding off the hard charging Bast for most of the race. But coming out of turn four on the last lap of the race Bast made a gutsy inside move and with a burst of power moved past Hedden at the flag in a thrilling finish. "I was waiting for a mistake and I knew I couldn't go wide," said Bast after the race.

Repeating his week one-Division II first place victory, Derik Denzin was undefeated for the night and again took the checkered flag in the Division II main event, this week off the 10-yard line. Second was George Snodgrass and finishing third was Bryce Taddy. Denzin leads Division II in season points after week two.

Division III was won by Jamison Dilkey, Colton Duncan was second and Kevin Smith was third. After a series of bike breakdowns and mishaps the Division One Youth Division could not be completed.

Back next week to Fast Friday's is the popular Challenge Elimination Series as the racing action continues at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn.

Results from Fast Fridays 5-18-12

Division 1 Scratch Main Event
1-Bart Bast, 2-Tommy Hedden, 3-Bob Hicks, 4-Bobby Hedden

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Bobby Hedden, 2-Bart Bast 3-Ryan Bast

Division II Main Event
1-Derik Denzin, 2-George Snodgrass, 3-Bryce Taddy

Division III Main Event
1-Jamison Dilkey, 2-Colton Duncan, 3-Kevin Smith

Youth Division I
Race not completed

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Bobby Hedden made a return to Fast Friday's and won the Handicap Main Event. Hedden officially retired from regular speedway racing in 2005.
	Auburn's Bart Bast (near) had an excellent night with five first place finishes including his win in the Scratch Main Event.
	The team of Joe Jones and Johnny Glover (near) won the first round of the Extreme Sidecar Series Friday night. Racing with Jones and Glover is the team of Gerard Jackson and Dave German.
	Bobby Hedden leads Bart Bast in a handicap heat race. Hedden won the handicap main event and Bast finished second.