Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

AMA Youth National Championships
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, August 14, 2015

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

In a very exciting full racing program at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn Friday night the 2015 AMA Youth National Speedway Championships in the 150cc and 250cc classes were decided. Sixteen riders in the 150cc class and 11 riders in the 250cc class competed for trophies that were nearly has tall as the riders and the coveted AMA number one plate. The best young riders in the nation and the future stars of speedway racing in America duked it out through an aggressive program to see who would be champion. Youth riders scored 3 points for a first place finish, two points for second and one point for third throughout the races. Also included in Friday night’s program filled with 58 races was a full night of Division I, Division II and Division III racing.

Capping a tremendous season in a division he basically owned all season, Auburn’s Colton Hicks won the 2015 AMA Youth 250cc National Speedway Championship with a perfect night. Coming off a championship 250cc win in the Silver Cup in Southern California last Sunday, Hicks won every race he was in and finished the heat races with a perfect 12. Southern California’s Sebastian Palmese also finished with 12 points but the two did not meet until the national final race. Hicks usually races off a deep handicap during his weekly races but in the national competition he was at the tapes for the starts.

In the final the four riders with the most points lined up in a winner take all race to be crowned 2015 AMA 250cc Youth National Speedway Champion. Palmese with 12 points won the draw and chose lane one. Hicks chose lane two, Blake Borello was in three and Kyle Cunningham was in four. From the gate, Hicks had the jump and the lead. Off the line Hicks is unbeatable and this race was no different. Lap by lap Hicks increased his lead over Palmese who gave chase. Hicks continued to increase his lead and took the checkered flag for the championship followed by Palmese, then Kyle Cunningham. Borello slid out on lap three and did not finish. Pit crew and friends ceremonially threw the thirteen year old Hicks in the air, smiles on all faces. “I am pretty stoked about the win, it was a lot of work,” said Hicks. “I was confident after last week’s win (Silver Cup) that I could win again,” he said.

The 2015 AMA 150cc Youth National Speedway championship was also very exciting. This championship would be decided by total points at the end of five rounds of racing. A run-off would be needed only if there was a tie after 20 heats. The Martin brothers were neck and neck throughout the evening with Slater Nightcap and Auburn’s Cameron Krezman was holding his own. The final tally could’ve gone anyway with these four riders. When the dust settled after 20 rounds it was Sterling Martin who hung on and won the championship with a perfect 15 points. His brother Alex Martin finished second in one race and tallied 14 points and took second place. Lightcap with 13 points was third and Krezman grabbed 12 points for fourth. Sterling Martin got the pit toss and he and his brother delivered a one-two punch keeping first and second place in the family. “It’s pretty cool to be a champion, I knew that if I didn’t crash I had it in the last race,” said the 10 year old Sterling Martin. Sterling and his brother Alex are Salinas residents and travel to Fast Fridays for most races.

Shadowed a little by the youth championships Fast Fridays did have division races, and Bart Bast picked up his second scratch main event win of the season. Bast took advantage of the number one lane and a great start to keep out ahead of Billy Janniro to grab the win. “The start was the key, the track was pretty blown off, even Billy (Janniro) could not make up for the way the track was,” said Bast. “There were just so many races on the track tonight,” he said. Janniro was in lane four and on a track that was well worn by the full program, Janniro did not have enough dirt on the track to pass Bast on the outside. Bast held his own against Janniro who was on the outside and Tommy Hedden who was nipping at his heels on the inside. Hedden finished second, Janniro third and Broc Nicol was fourth.

Visiting from Southern California, Dillon Ruml got it done in the handicap main event. Ruml was able to keep in front of his older brother Max Ruml for the win. Dillon Ruml had a 20 yard start advantage on his brother, but the two brothers went at it hard. Dillon Ruml won, Max Ruml was second and Billy Janniro off the sixty yard line was fourth. Both Ruml’s entered the handicap main event with first and second place finishes in their heat and semi-final races.

The Division II main event was won by Jamison Dilkey. Dilkey, riding in both the division one and division two programs finished second in his heat race to get to the main event. Second place went to Shawn Eldredge and third was Lawrence McNutt. For the second week in a row Peter Pecorilla was first in the Division III main event. Pecorilla will now get another 10 yards added to his handicap for his efforts, and will now start on the 20 yard line. John O’Leary was second and John Peters was third.

If you like speedway racing action you got your money’s worth Friday night. Along with the regular racing program, these youngsters really went at it hard and it will not be long until you see these boys up in the adult divisions tearing it up with the big guys. These riders are the future of speedway racing, and by the looks of the level of competition these youngsters put out Friday night American speedway is in good hands.

2015 AMA 250cc Youth National Speedway Championship Results
1 - Colton Hicks 3 3 3 3 3 - 15
2 - Sebastian Palmese 3 3 3 3 2 - 14
3 - Kyle Cunningham 2 2 2 2 1 - 9
4 - Blake Borello 0 3 3 3 0 - 9
5 - Dylan Wagner 1 2 2 1 - 6
6 - Jake Isaac 2 2 2 2 - 6
7 - Chase Guerrero 3 0 0 2 - 5
8 - Landon Norton 1 1 1 2 - 5
9 - Anthony Dion-2 1 0 1 - 4
10 - Sammy Tetrault 1 1 0 1 - 3
11 - Richie VanderMeeden 0 0 1 - 1

2015 AMA 150cc Youth National Speedway Championship Results
1 - Sterling Martin 3 3 3 3 3 - 15
2 - Alex Martin 2 3 3 3 3 - 14
3 - Slater Lightcap 3 2 3 2 3 - 13
4 - Cameron Krezman 3 3 2 2 2 - 12
5 - Enzo Sorani 2 1 2 3 3 - 11
6 - Landon Collins 1 3 3 0 2 - 9
7 - Luke Whitcomb 2 2 2 1 2 - 9
8 - Sam Hagon 0 2 1 2 1 - 6
9 - Aidan McNutt 1 1 1 2 1 - 6
10 - Gregory Moore 3 1 1 1 0 - 6
11 - Timmy Dion 0 2 2 1 0 - 5
13 - Logan Hedden 0 0 0 3 2 - 5
14 - Glenn Geist 1 0 1 1 0 - 3
14 - Charlie Trana 1 1 0 0 1 - 3
15 - Sammy Waddill 2 0 0 0 0-2
16 - Keelan Venegas 0 0 0 0 1-1

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

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Dillon Ruml, 2-Max Ruml, 3-Billy Janniro

Division II Main Event
1-Jamison Dilkey, 2-Shawn Eldredge, 3-Lawrence McNutt

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

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Some of the trophies up for grabs at the national championships were as tall as the riders trying to earn them.
	The AMA 250cc Youth National Speedway Championship final start. Riders (left-right) Kyle Cunningham, Blake Borello, Colton Hicks and Sebastian Palmese line up with the championship on the line. Hicks won the race and the championship.
	AMA 150cc Youth National Speedway Champions celebrate on the winner’s podium Friday night. With the number one plate (center) is Sterling Martin, his brother Alex Martin (left) finished second and Kyle Cunningham (right) was third. Helping the boys celebrate are the Fast Fridays trophy girls.
	Sterling Martin’s winning form. Martin won the 2015 AMA 150cc Youth National Speedway Championship Friday night.
	Slater Lightcap (left) and Sterling Martin (right) race against each other in the 150cc youth national championships. Martin won the championship and Nightcap finished third.
	Colton Hicks won the Junior 250cc Silver Cup last weekend in Southern California, and followed it up winning the 2015 AMA 250cc Youth National Speedway Championship. It was two weekends-two championships for the 13 year-old Hicks.
	Auburn’s Colton Hicks proudly displays his AMA number one plate after winning the 2015 AMA 250cc Youth National Speedway Championship Friday night at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn. Hicks was perfect for the night winning the championship.
	Auburn’s Bart Bast won his second scratch main event Friday night at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway.