Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California
AMA Speedway National Championship Series - Final
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway,
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Billy Janniro Perfect in Speedway Grand Final
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, September 19, 2014
YouTube Video By Anthony Bernardi
It was pretty clear last May that Billy Janniro would be standing on the winner's podium in September holding the number one plate winner of his fifth AMA USA National Speedway Championship. With four national championships under his belt and riding at top of his career, Janniro is almost impossible to beat on any track anywhere. It's how he did it that makes Janniro the best rider in America. Friday night in Auburn at the Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway at the Gold Country Fairgrounds Janniro was perfect at the Grand Final, the last of four rounds of championship speedway racing finishing the evening with 21 points. Janniro won every race he was in including his semi-final and the Grand Final race, winning a well deserved and nearly uncontested fifth championship.
Janniro came into the fourth championship round after winning all of the other three rounds at Costa Mesa (06/07/14), Ventura (06/28/14), and Industry Racing (08/09/14) tracks and only losing one race in the second round, meaning he won 27 of the 28 championship races staged in the four championship rounds. He was just one race off perfect throughout the entire series. Friday night Janniro brought 60 points into the evening after three rounds, followed by Southern California speedway phenom 17 year-old Max Ruml with 44 points who was the only rider of the 16 riders in the championship field to have a mathematical chance of beating Janniro for the championship. Local rider Bart Bast was third in points going into the final round with 35 points followed by Charlie Venegas with 33.
The evening got underway after a touch of introductory rider pageantry and individual introductions. In the second heat race of round one Ruml was involved in a crash with Tommy Hedden in turn three. Unable to finish the race giving him zero points for that round virtually handing Janniro the championship by mathematically eliminating himself from the championship with a Janniro win in round one. But with over $12,000 of prize money to be shared, guaranteed placement in next year's championship for the top eight finishers and the possibility of winning the fourth championship round there was still plenty to race for. "I had it kind of easy coming into tonight's race with needing just six points to win the championship," Janniro said. "But with the slick track and Bart (Bast) as fast as he is on a slick track, you never know what is going to happen."
After five rounds of heat racing the top eight riders in points in the final championship round squared off in two semi-final races with the first two riders from each race meeting in the grand final race. Semi-final one included Janniro with fifteen points, Chris Kerr with eleven points, Austin Novratil with ten and Bryce Starks with eight points. Janniro racing with the pressure off and a confidence that comes with five national championships under his belt cruised to a first place finish, followed by Southern California's Novratil, both transferring into the grand final. In the second semi-final Bart Bast brought 14 points, Charlie Venegas had 13 points, Max Ruml had seven and Tommy Hedden had ten. Bast and Venegas both got inside after turn one with Bast just ahead of Venegas and the two stayed close for the four laps finishing one and two and both working their way into the grand final.
In the grand final race the top four riders for the evening walked onto the track to pick their lanes. Janniro, being high points leader chose lane one. Venegas chose lane two, Bast took three and Novratil was left outside in lane four. Restarted because of a starting tape malfunction and increasing the tension, Janniro got off with a great gate, grabbing the inside. The riders were tight but Janniro slowly pulled away and put distance between himself and Bast who was in second. Janniro increased his lead over Bast and made his night perfect with a final first place finish. Bast finished second, Venegas third and Novratil was fourth. Asked about his racing future Janniro said, "As long as we're having fun we're going to keep coming out, I am enjoying my racing which is the biggest part of it. My whole family and many of my friends come out every week, so it more than just a racing thing, he said.
With the points all added up for the national championship a tie knotted Bast and Ruml in second place with 51 points each and a run off was required. Bast prevailed on his home track defeating Ruml who finished the national championship in third place.
In non-championship racing Friday night Dillon Ruml, current junior national champion, won the Youth 250cc main event, followed by Luke Becker who finished second. Sterling Martin topped the Youth A 150cc main event, Auburn's Cameron Krezman was second and Kyle Cunningham was third. Landon Collins won the Youth B 150cc main event followed by Anthony Dion in second and Gregory Moore finished third.
150cc B Main
1. Landon Collins 2. Gregory Moore, 3. Anthony Dion.
150cc A Main
1. Sterling Martin, 2. Cameron Krezman, 3. Kyle Cunningham
250cc Main
1. Dillon Ruml, 2. Luke Becker
2014 AMA USA National Speedway Championship Results 9-19-14
1-Billy Janniro 81, 2-Bart Bast 51 (run-off) 3-Max Ruml 51 (run-off) 4-Charlie Venegas 50,
5-Tommy Hedden 35, 6-Buck Blair 32, 7-Broc Nicol 31, 8-Eddie Castro 28 9-Austin Novratil 26
10-Bryce Starks 23.
2014 AMA USA National Speedway Grand Final Round Four 9-19-14
1-Billy Janniro 21, 2-Charlie Venegas 17, 3-Bart Bast 16, 4-Austin Novratil 12, 5-Chris Kerr 12, 6-Tommy Hedden 11, 7-Bryce Starks 9, 8-Max Ruml 7, 9-Broc Nicol 7, 10-Tyson Talkington 6, 11-Eddie Castro 6, 12-Russell Green 5, 13-Jason Ramirez 4, 14-Mike Faria 2, 15, Daniel Faria 2, 16-Rocco Scopellite 1
NOTE: Ryan took the results below that were posted by Steve Graham and compiled point totals for Round 4 and for the Series. Ryan Evans
ROUND 4
Billy Janniro 21
Charlie Venegas 17
Bart Bast 16
Austin Novratil 12
Tommy Hedden 11
Chris Kerr 11
Bryce Starks 9
Max Ruml 7
Broc Nicol 7
Eddie Castro 6
Tyson Talkington 6
Jason Ramirez 5
Russell Green 4
Dan Faria 2
Mike Faria 2
Rocco Scopellite 1
J.T. Mabry 1
Ht 1 Bast Kerr D Faria Scopellite
Ht 2 Hedden Castro M FariaRuml f/x
Ht 3 Venegas Novratil Ramirez Green
Ht 4 Janniro Starks Nicol Talkington
Ht 5 Venegas Bast Talkington Castro
Ht 6 Janniro Novratil Kerr Ruml
Ht 7 Starks Ramirez Mabry D Faria - M Faria tapes
Ht 8 Hedden Nicol Green Scopellite
Ht 9 Ruml Bast Nicol Ramirez
He 10 Kerr Green Castro Starks
Ht 11 Janniro Hedden Venegas D Faria (BILLY JANNIRO CLINCHES)
Ht 12 NovratilTalkington M Faria Scopellite
Ht 13 Janniro Bast Green M Faria
Ht 14 Kerr Ramirez Talkington Hedden
Ht 15 Novratil Nicol Castro D Faria f/x
Ht 16 Venegas Starks Ruml Scopellite
Ht 17 Bast Hedden Starks Novratil
Ht 18 Venegas Kerr Nicol M Faria dnf
Ht 19 Ruml Talkington D Faria Green
Ht 20 Janniro Castro Scopellite Ramirez
Semi Venegas Bast Hedden Ruml
Semi Janniro Novratil Starks Kerr
Final Janniro Bast Venegas Novratil
Runoff for 2nd Overall Bast Ruml
AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OVERALL (After 4 of 4 rounds)
1. Billy Janniro 81
2. Bart Bast 51 (Won runoff to determine 2nd overall)
3. Max Ruml 51
4. Charlie Venegas 50
5. Tommy Hedden 35
6. Buck Blair 32
7. Broc Nicol 31
8. Eddie Castro 28
9. Austin Novratil 25
10. Bryce Starks 23
11. Jason Ramirez 20
12. Gino Manzares 19
13. Tyson Burmeister 18
14. Tyson Talkington 16
15. Russell Green 15
15. Shawn McConnell 15
17. Chris Kerr 12
18. Rocco Scopellite 9
19. Bobby Schwartz 7
20. Dan Faria 4
20. Travis Henderson 4
22. Mike Faria 3
Ryan Evans
Photos By Michael Kirby
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