Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Bast and Hicks in main events
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, July 5, 2013

Two local boys showed they had what it takes to win at Auburn's Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. Auburn's Bart Bast and Bob Hicks pulled off Division I main event wins, Bast in the scratch main event and Hicks in the handicap main event. It was the first main event wins for both of these seasoned veteran riders. Both are consistent players in the main event races in both the handicap and scratch programs but until Friday night neither had notched first place finishes this season.

Bast has led the Fast Fridays points race for Division I all season. He finishes in the top three nearly every time he wheels onto the track. Friday night he faced three of the top riders at the speedway in the scratch main.

Billy Janniro, Tommy Hedden and Charlie Venegas all lined up next to Bast who drew the inside lane one. Venegas, eager for a good gate, rolled on the first start breaking the tape and was penalized ten yards. On the restart Bast was out of the gate fastest and got inside as Janniro tried everything to pass him. Janniro used all the horsepower he had to go high on the track to pass Bast who held his ground inside. Looking back to check on Janniro just once, he pulled away and took the checkered flag. Janniro was second, Hedden third and Venegas fourth. "I really didn't expect that one," said a smiling Bast after the race. "I've been on a cold streak so far this season with main event wins," he said.

Bast had locked up with his cousin Ryan Bast in a hard crash when they faced each other in a handicap semi-final heat earlier in the evening. Both came away all right but Ryan Bast was slow to get up laying on the track a few minutes.

In the race of the night Hicks had the crowd on their feet with a thrilling first place finish in the handicap main event. Janniro rolled at the start and was moved back to the 70-yard line. As the six lap race got underway, Janniro busied himself by working his way through traffic. Tyler Warren was having a great night in the handicap program off the zero line and was strongly holding onto the lead. Bast was up front challenging along with Hicks. Warren did a good job protecting his ground, but as the race wore on Bast and Hicks overtook him. As Bast and Hicks battled, Janniro had worked his way through the crowd was ready right behind them. It was really anyone's race going into the last laps. In a thrilling finish Hicks nudged ahead of Bast for the win. Bast was second and Janniro was third. "I knew if I could get out of the start good and could get four good laps I could hold onto the last two," said Hicks after accepting his trophy dripping with champagne.

The Extreme Sidecars made another thrilling appearance at Fast Fridays. Always a crowd favorite four two person teams rolled onto the track for a special sidecar program. The team of Dual Anderson and Ethan Smith on the 007 bike came out on top this week. From Southern California these teams make their way north to spin around the Fast Fridays track on 1100cc powered three wheelers. The team of Chris Jones and Johnny Glover was second followed by Bryan Motis and Chuck Heider.

In Division II action Louie Mersaroli continues on a tear winning his second main event win since moving up from Division III three weeks ago. Mersaroli and his brother David are surely in the mix in Division II. It's a close race for Division II season points with Chris Popanz leading with 348 points, followed closely by Nick Dion with 343 and Kevin Chapman with 341.

Division III newcomer Justin Mastalka is fast making his presence known. In just his third night of racing Mastalka won the main event after winning his heat race. Kyle Porteous was second and John Peters was third. Porteous leads in Division III season points. Luke Becker again took the Youth 250cc main event, Kyle Cunningham won the Youth 150cc main event. Robert Curry won the Run What U Brung main event.

Results from Fast Friday's for 7-5-13

Division 1 Scratch Main Event
1-Bart Bast, 2-Billy Janniro, 3-Tommy Hedden, 4-Charlie Venegas

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Bob Hicks, 2-Bart Bast, 3-Billy Janniro

Division II Main Event
1-Louie Mersaroli, 2-Paul Sanburn, 3-Nick Dion

Division III Main Event
1-Justin Mastalka, 2-Kyle Porteous, 3-John Peters

Youth 250cc Division Main
1-Luke Becker, 2-Gage Geist, 3-Colton Hicks

Youth 150cc Division
1-Kyle Cunningham, 2- Dylan Wagner, 3-Colton Hicks, 4-Logan Hedden

Run What U Brung
1-Robert Curry

Photos By Michael Kirby

	(Left-Right) Bart Bast, Tommy Hedden, and Billy Janniro line up for the Division I scratch main event Friday night at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway. Charlie Venegas also in the main event was moved back 10-yards for jumping to soon on the first start.
	Bob Hicks (left) and Bart Bast come out of turn two Friday night in the handicap main event. Bast and Hicks showed the crowd how it's done in a thrilling race. Hicks won the main event his first of the season.
	Auburn's Bart Bast (center) picked up his first Division I scratch main event of the season Friday night.
	The Extreme Sidecar team of Dual Anderson (driving) and Ethan Smith won the side car main event.