Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Challenge Series Round 3
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
Venegas takes down Janniro
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, June 6, 2014

YouTube Video - By Anthony Bernardi

On a night at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway that was filled with more spills and thrills than a typical night of racing, Charlie Venegas found a way to beat Billy Janniro in the Division I scratch main event. Like a giant slayer, Venegas pledged last week to beat the unbeaten Janniro and in the fifth week of speedway action at the Gold Country Fairgrounds Venegas did just that in the night's finale.

Previously unbeaten in the first four weeks of the season, Janniro did not get a win in the handicap or scratch main events, something you don't see often. Venegas and Janniro lined up with Bart Bast and Bob Hicks in the scratch main event, Janniro in the outside lane, Hicks in three, Venegas in lane two, and Bast in the inside lane. Janniro got out front first, with Bast and Venegas getting real close to each other in the first turn. Bast and Venegas fought it out on the inside line and Janniro held a slim lead a little higher on the track. Venegas worked his magic and pulled past Bast and set his sights on Janniro. As Janniro worked the outside of the track Venegas held on inside and pulled ahead, outpacing the champ, taking the checkered flag. Bast took second as Janniro let off and Hicks finished third. Going into the first round of the AMA National Speedway Championship Series in Southern California, this should get interesting as these two veteran racers face each other again.

In the handicap program it was Tyler Warren who finally cracked the winners circle with a win in the handicap main. Warren has been knocking at the door for weeks waiting for his chance, and Friday night he got it. With a second place finish in his heat race and a first place finish in his semi-final, Warren was able to hold his line inside and beat Bast who just didn't have enough track to catch Warren. "I've been in Division I for two years, and I usually bobble on the last lap and people pass me but tonight I really wanted it," said Warren. "I think this is going to be a big confidence booster for me." Bast finished second and Janniro was third.

In Division II action it was Michael Achilles who also has been right there all season that held it together in the main event to beat Kyle Porteous and Kyle Marsalla. Achilles, who has had second and a third place main event finishes so far this season, added a main event win Friday night. The win puts Achilles to the top of the Division II points tally also. "For the first couple of weeks I was a little over excited and was trying too hard, but I made a few adjustments on my bike and started seeing a few open doors on the track and everything worked out," said Achilles. Porteous was second and Marsalla third. Laurence McNutt, also leading Division III in points broke into the winner circle for the first time this season in third division. Previously McNutt has had two thirds and one second place finish this season. Lars Kotrlik was second and Will McCloskey was third.

Auburn's Colton Hicks took control of the Youth 250cc program with a perfect night winning all his races including the main event. Blake Borello was second and Chase Guerrero third. Picking up his second Youth B 150cc main event win of the season, Cameron Krezman showed his racing skills with some gutsy moves to take the checkered flag. Aidan McNutt was second. In the Youth A 150cc main event Dylan Wagner was first and Logan Hedden was second. Jay Fadrini won the Run What U Brung main event.

Bob Hicks won the third spot in the Challenge Elimination Series round three and will join Tommy Hedden, Charlie Venegas, and the winners of round four and five in the championship round on September 12. Oddly, Billy Janniro one of the best off the line riders to ever race motorcycle speedway, has yet to clinch a spot and has finished second in all three rounds so far.

Fast Fridays Results for 6-6-14

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

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

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

Division III Main Event
1-Lawrence McNutt, 2-Lars Kotrlik, 3-Will McCloskey

Youth A 250cc Main Event
1-Colton Hicks 2-Blake Borello, 3-Chase Guererro

Youth A 150cc Main Event
1-Dylan Wagner, 2-Logan Hedden, 3-Landon Norton

Youth B 150cc
1-Cameron Krezman, 2-Aidan McNutt, 3-Landon Collins

Run What U Brung Main Event
Jay Fadrini

Challenge Elimination Series Round Three
Bob Hicks

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Division II's Michael Achilles picked up his first main event win of the 2014 season.
	Auburn's Colton Hicks was undefeated in the Youth 250cc program, including the main event.
	Aidan McNutt (left) and Cameron Krezman (right) get tight in turn one Friday night. Krezman picked up his second Youth 150 B main event win.
	Tyler Warren (front), Colton Duncan (middle) and Bobby Hedden (rear) in an early handicap heat race. Warren picked up his first ever Division I handicap main event win later in the evening.
	Charlie Venegas was able to figure out how to get an edge on Billy Janniro and hand him his first scratch main event loss of the season.
	Lawrence McNutt won the Division III main event, his first of the season.