Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Challenge Series Round 4
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
Janniro win all at Fast Friday’s
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, July 10, 2015

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

There is a reason Billy Janniro sports the big number one on his back each night he pulls on his racing suit and rolls up to any start line in any speedway race. Mid-season at the Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn the five time and current AMA USA National Speedway champion has hit his stride in a big way and Friday night Janniro was nearly unbeatable showing all why he wears the number one.

Picking up double main event wins in the handicap and scratch programs again for the second week in a row, Janniro won every time he started his bike except for one handicap heat race in which he placed second. The “Kid” also picked up a win in the Challenge Elimination Series and even won a heat race in the Run What U Brung program on a borrowed dirt bike. And it’s not just that he won both main events it’s the manner he won-in convincing, commanding fashion, dominating both races.

In the scratch main event Janniro was undefeated in his heat and semi-final races and drew lane three in the finale. Facing some of the best at Fast Friday’s Janniro lined up against Tommy Hedden in lane one, Bart Bast in lane two and Charlie Venegas in lane four. On a track that has improved to Janniro’s liking, Janniro got inside of Venegas on turn one and nudged him outside a little giving him nowhere to go causing him to slow down and drop back. Janniro turned on the gas pulling ahead of Hedden and Bast who were battling for second and third. By lap four Janniro increased his lead by five bike lengths and on his back wheel crossed the finish line. Hedden was second just ahead of Bast and Venegas coasted across the finish line in fourth. “Something going on I’m starting to go fast, the bike is set up, we’re changing little things here and there and it’s working,” said Janniro. “The track was really slick at the beginning of the season, that kind of equalizes it out for everybody but once there is a little bit of traction on the track like tonight that makes it better for me, I can go out and hit the dirt,” he said.

Equally dominate in the handicap program Janniro, starting on the 60 yard line, Janniro weaved through traffic but by the fourth lap it looked like Tyler Warren might pick up the win. But by working the outside track Janniro just powered around Warren and Bart Bast to seal the deal and again with his signature wheelie took the checkered flag. Bast was second and Warren third.

In the fourth round of the Challenge Elimination Janniro also came out on top winning a spot in the championship round on August 28. In the one lap scratch races where the best gate rules Janniro outlasted Louie Mersaroli, Thomas Reich, Tyler Warren and faced Daniel Faria in the final two lap race to secure a spot and join Bryce Starks, Tommy Hedden, Charlie Venegas and the winner of round five in the championship round.

In Division II Eddie Marsalla picked up his third main event win of the season. Marsalla won the Division II main the first and second week of the season and is a solid competitor every week in division two. Louie Mersaroli, who had a busy night riding in several programs, picked up second place and Lawrence McNutt was third. Division III was won by newcomer John O’Leary in only his second race at Fast Fridays. O’Leary debuted last week and pulled off the DIII win. Peter Pecorilla, also new to speedway was second and John Peters was third.

The Youth A 250cc division was won by Blake Borello, his first of the season, Dylan Wagner finished second and Chase Guerrero was third. Richie VanderMeeden won the Youth B 250cc main event, also his first of the season after several strong second place finishes. Anthony Dion was second and Landon Norton was third. Cameron Krezman stood tall on the winner’s podium for the fourth time this season after winning the Youth A 150cc main event. Krezman has finished in the top three nine of the ten weeks at Fast Fridays so far this season. Enzo Sorani was second and Landon Collins was third. Grass Valley’s Anthony Dion topped the Youth B 150cc division with a win in the main event. The 11 year old Dion beat second place Aidan McNutt and third place Colton Nelson to the finish line.

In only his second outing at Fast Friday’s Terry Graham won his second Run What U Brung main event. “Tonight and two weeks ago are the first times I have rode on this track, in fact I have not raced on a speedway track since 1978 at Cal Expo,” Graham said. “Two weeks from now I am being loaned a bike and I will start in division three in the speedway program,” he said. The trophy dash was won by Robert Curry, followed by Rick Shafer and Lawrence McNutt.

In the Fast Friday’s point’s race after last week, Billy Janniro leads Division I with 1212 followed by Bart Bast with 1158, then followed by Luke Becker with 886. Division II is led by Eddie Marsalla with 453, and Lawrence McNutt has 375 in second place. Dorian Jewett tops Division III with 448 followed by Harlan Bast with 424.

Results for July 10 2015

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

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Bart Bast, 3-Tyler Warren, 4-Gage Geist

Division II Main Event
1-Eddie Marsalla, 2-Louie Mersaroli, 3-Lawrence McNutt

Division III Main Event
1-John O’Leary, 2-Peter Pecorilla, 3-John Peters

Youth A 250cc Main Event
1-Blake Borello, 2-Dylan Wagner, 3-Chase Guerrero

Youth B 250cc Main Event
1-Richie VanderMeeden, 2-Anthony Dion, 3-Landon Norton

Youth A 150cc Main Event
1- Cameron Krezman, 2-Enzo Sorani, 3-Landon Collins

Youth B 150cc Main Event
1- Timmy Dion, 2-Aidan McNutt, 3-Colton Nelson

Trophy Dash
1-Robert Curry, 2-Rick Shafer, 3-Lawrence McNutt

Challenge Elimination Series (Round Four)
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Tommy Hedden, 3-Tyler Warren, 4-Thomas Reich, 5-Louie Mersaroli

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Billy Janniro, for the second week in a row, won both Division I main events at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn. Janniro also locked up a spot in the Challenge Elimination Series championship in August by winning round four.
	Billy Janniro does his signature wheelie with the checkered flag after winning the scratch main event Friday night at Fast Fridays.
	Cameron Krezman (left) and Enzo Sorani (right) in a Youth A 150cc heat race. Krezman ended up winning the main event and Sorani finished second.
	Eddie Marsalla won his third Division II main event of the season.
	Timmy Dion won the Youth B 150cc main event.
	Rich VanderMeeden won his first Youth B 150cc main event of the season Friday night at Fast Friday’s.
	Blake Borello circles the Fast Friday’s track on his victory cool down lap with the checkered flag after winning his first main event of the season.
	Current AMA USA National Speedway Champion Billy Janniro is on a roll at Fast Friday’s winning both the handicap and scratch main events two weeks in a row at Fast Friday’s in Auburn.
	(left-right) Louie Mersaroli, Billy Janniro, Daniel Faria and Tyler Warren go into turn one during the fourth round of the Challenge Elimination Series. Janniro won the event grabbing the fourth spot in the championship round on August 28.