Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Bast beats Janniro in Scratch Main
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, August 9, 2013

You would have to give long odds if you're betting against Billy Janniro at Auburn Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway lately. Janniro has had a lock on the Division I scratch main event for the last four weeks, winning the event in convincing style. But Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds Auburn's Bart Bast found a way to take down the giant.

Bast, a speedway veteran of over 30 years and a Fast Fridays crowd favorite, was the last rider to beat Janniro in the scratch main event which he did on July 5. Friday night in the final race Bast drew lane four, Charlie Venegas was in three, Janniro set up in lane three, and Bob Hicks was in lane one.

After two restarts and Venegas being moved back 10 yards for a false start, the race got going and out of the gate it was a two man race. Bast was inside and Janniro was working the thick part of the track in the middle as usual. "I don't know we were riding two different lines, and I pretty much figured where he was going and I had to go somewhere else," Bast said. Bast guarded his line on the inside like gold and forced Janniro to stay high, once hitting the wall on lap four. "I didn't expect to catch him in the scratch main, but he was making a few little mistakes and it just kind of worked out for me," Bast said. "You just have to be ready when there's a chance." After hitting the wall Janniro turned off and Hicks took second, Venegas third and Janniro finished fourth. The win gives Bast two scratch main event wins for the season and he still leads the Division I season points race.

Janniro did not go home empty handed though picking up a win in the handicap main event. This race was also between Janniro and Bast in the end but Bast couldn't catch him. Bast was second and Tyler Warren who is still looking for his first handicap main event win of the season was third. Janniro has now has won a main event, scratch or handicap, for the last five weeks and twice won both the scratch and handicap main events.

Kyle Porteous after two Division III main event wins in the last two weeks moved up to Division II and capped his evening with a main event win. Porteous wasted little time letting the other Division II riders know he's a player. Division II is heating up and loaded with talent with any number of riders able to take the checkered flag on any given night. Michael Achilles was second and Paul Sanburn was third. After August 2 Chris Popanz leads Division II in season points with 579 followed by Nick Dion with 489.

John Peters won the Division III main event in a great race with Glenn Scott and Harlan Bast, Luke Becker won the Youth 250cc division main event ant Alex Martin took the Youth 150cc division main event. Jim Lewis won the Run What U Brung trophy.

The final spot in the Challenge Elimination Series was filled by Charlie Venegas. Venegas, who won three of the four run-offs and beat Ryan Bast in the final two lap contest, secured a place in the Challenge Elimination Championship on August 23 at Fast Fridays. Venegas will face Bryan Yarrow, Tommy Hedden, Bryce Starks and Billy Janniro in the championship final.

Results from Fast Friday's for 8-9-13

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

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Bart Bast, 3-Tyler Warren

Division II Main Event
1-Kyle Porteous, 2-Michael Achilles, 3-Paul Sanburn

Division III Main Event
1-John Peters, 2-Glenn Scott, 3-Harlan Bast

Youth 250cc Division Main
1-Luke Becker

Youth 150cc Division
1-Alex Martin, 2-Logan Hedden, 3-Kyle Cunningham

Run What U Brung
1-Jim Lewis

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Billy Janniro has a knack for squeezing every ounce of power from his bike at Fast Fridays. Janniro won the Division I handicap main event Friday night.
	Bryce Starks (left) and Bart Bast (right) run in a heat race Friday night. Bast, in an excellent final race, beat Billy Janniro in the Division I scratch main event, his second of the season.
	Roseville's Kyle Porteous recently moved up to Division II after back to back Division III main event wins and won the Division II main event.
	Luke Becker (left), Bart Bast (middle), and Alex Martin (right) celebrate their victories from the winner's podium. Becker won the Youth 250cc main event, Bast the scratch main event, and Martin the Youth 150cc main event.