Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Challenge Series Round 2
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
Nicol and Janniro win mains
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, May 29, 2015

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

Five time AMA USA National Speedway champion Billy Janniro has been doing some of his best riding of the season proving that he still has what it takes to win big every night. Not finding the track conditions at the Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway to his liking so far this season “The Kid” still has found a way to win on a slick track that does not allow for much outside passing. Janniro picked up his second Division I scratch main event win in two weeks Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds track in Auburn. “I feel like my season has just began,” Janniro said half joking.

Janniro had quite a week flying back to New York’s Champion Speedway May 24 to win the scratch and handicap main events. Janniro also came out on top May 27 at Southern California’s Industry Racing winning the Connor Penhall Memorial Cup. Coming off these wins puts Janniro in a good position for the first round of the AMA Speedway National Championship Series May 30 at the Costa Mesa Speedway in Southern California. “It’s the national championship and our goal is to go there and win,” Janniro said. Drawing lane two in the scratch main event Janniro still got to the inside in turn one just ahead of Tommy Hedden who drew the inside land and like last week it was a two man race. Hedden tried everything he had to pass the champ but was unable to work the outside as Janniro held inside to take the win. Hedden was second, Bob Hicks third and Charlie Venegas was fourth.

Southern California’s Broc Nicol scored his second handicap main event win of the season Friday night at Fast Friday’s. Nicol flies up every Friday to race in Northern California at Fast Friday’s. Nicol was also impressive May 27 at Industry Racing coming in second to Janniro in the Connor Penhall Memorial Cup just two points behind Janniro. The seventeen-year old won the handicap main on week one and now moves back to the 30 yard line next week. “I come up every week to race here, I really like it, a great experience riding with new riders every week,” Nicol said. Nicol won his heat and semi to get to the main. “I’m struggling a little in the scratch program, it’s a slick track and it’s hard to pass, but I’m figuring it out week by week,” he said. Nicol is also in good position for the first round of the national championship series. “I’m really looking forward to the national at Costa Mesa.” Tyler Warren was second, and Greg Hooten was third in the handicap main. Both Warren and Hooten were impressive and had great efforts Friday night each winning their heat races to advance to their semi-final.

Auburn’s Tommy Hedden grabbed the second spot in the Challenge Elimination Series Championship on August 28 with a win in the series second round Friday night. Hedden outlasted Billy Janniro, Bob Hicks, and Broc Nicol in the one lap elimination races to join Bryce Starks and the winners of rounds three, four and five in the championship.

Auburn’s Jamison Dilkey climbed the winner’s podium for the first time this season in Division II. Off the 40 yard line Dilkey was second in his heat race to advance to the main event and beat Eddie Marsalla who was second, and Nick Dion who finished third. “I changed my gearing tonight, and dropped a couple of teeth and now I’m able to kick the rear end around going into the corners, Dilkey said.” Sixty-six year old Dorian Jewett, proving that age is just a number took the Division III hardware home Friday night. Jewett has two first place and a second place finish so far this season. Jewett finished ahead of Kurt Kornchuk and John Peters. Three of four Division III main events this season have been won by riders over sixty-five years old. Jewett has picked up two and Harlan Bast at seventy-nine won the main event in week one.

Continuing his low-keyed but dominating winning streak, Auburn’s Colton Hicks is nearly unbeatable in the Youth A 250cc division. Even starting off the 80 yard line this week the 13 year-old meticulously weaves through traffic knocking off one rider at a time to get to the lead and take the checkered flag every week this season. The only loss Hicks had this season was a second place finish in a heat race last week and he now adds another three wins from Friday’s performance. “I don’t put any pressure on him, he rides his bicycle and plays sports during the week to keep in shape,” said veteran rider Bob Hicks, Colton’s father. “I don’t tell him anything at the races, he has a pit guy and they talk, I might give him a tip on the track but that all,” he said. “The best thing about him is he gets straight A’s, he’s good about figuring things out problems.” Chase Guerrera was second, and Dylan Wagner was third. In the Youth B 250cc division Kyle Cunningham was first, Landon Norton second, and Sammy Tetrault was third.

Alex Martin, half of the Martin brothers racing twins, won the Youth A 150cc main event. Logan Hedden was second and Landon Collins third. In a tense battle between Colton Nelson and Cameron Krezman, Nelson pulled off his first Youth B 150cc main event win. The eight-year old Nelson, up from pee wees this season, has worked hard to improve his technique and put together a main event win to pick up a trophy this week. Cameron Krezman was second and Gregory Moore was third. Jay Fodrini won the Run What U Brung main event.
Fast Fridays Results for 5-29-15

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

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Broc Nicol, 2-Tyler Warren, 3-Greg Hooten

Challenge Elimination Round 2
1-Tommy Hedden, 2-Billy Janniro, 3-Broc Nicol, 4-Charlie Venegas, 5-Bob Hicks

Division II Main Event
1-Jamison Dilkey, 2-Eddie Marsalla, 3-Nick Dion

Division III Main Event
1-Dorian Jewett, 2-Kurt Kornchuk, 3-John Peters

Youth A 250cc Main Event
1-Colton Hicks, 2-Chase Guerrero, 3-Dylan Wagner

Youth B 250cc Main Event
1-Kyle Cunningham, 2-Landon Norton, 3-Sammy Tetrault

Youth A 150cc Main Event
1-Alex Martin, 2-Logan Hedden, 3-Landon Collins

Youth B 150cc Main Event
1-Colton Nelson, 2-Enzo Sorani , 3-Gregory Moore

Run What U Brung
1-Jay Fodrini

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Billy Janniro comes out of turn one in a Friday night heat race at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn. Janniro has won the scratch main event two weeks in a row.
	Reining national speedway champion Billy Janniro is coming off several high profile wins going into this weekend’s first round of the 2015 AMA National Championship Series in Costa Mesa.
	Southern California’s Broc Nicol picked up his second handicap main event this season Friday night.
	Auburn’s Colton Hicks continues to win in the Youth A 250cc division. Hicks has won all the Youth A 250cc main event this season.
	Auburn’s Colton Nelson moved up from pee wees this season to the Youth 150cc division and won his first Youth B 150cc main event Friday night.
	Tommy Hedden won a spot in the Challenge Elimination Series Championship August 28 winning round two.
	Jamison Dilkey won the Division II main event.
	For the second week in a row Billy Janniro won the Division I scratch main event. Pictured for the start are (left-right) Charlie Venegas, Bob Hicks, Janniro and Tommy Hedden.