Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Harley Night
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, August 21, 2015

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

The big boys took to the track Friday night at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway’s special Harley-V Twin night. Only four riders took to the track to race their big bikes but the motorcycle parking area was full of motorcycles whose riders showed up to watch the powerful motorcycles race on the 1/8 mile track at the Gold Country Fairgrounds normally reserved for smaller, lighter speedway bikes.

Spun out of the popular Run What U Brung program, the Harleys and V-Twins ran two heat races and one main event, with only one crash. The bikes are big and heavy and a sight to see sliding around the tight turns. Mitch Gallagher of Reno Nevada, a first time rider to Fast Friday’s, won all the heats and the main event. Local Run What U Brung rider Jay Fodrini was second and Division III speedway rider Cameron Beck was third in the Harley main event.

Current AMA National Speedway Champion Billy Janniro who is having another stellar year picked up his ninth Division I scratch main event of the season. Janniro is also leading in points in the national championship series after three of four rounds with 57 points followed by Max Ruml with 48 points and Broc Nicol at 40 points. The 35 year-old is still proving that experience can trump youth in the speedway world. Ruml is 18 years and Nicol is 17 years old and thought very impressive riders Janniro’s years of riding still give him the edge over these talented up and coming champions. Janniro also leads in points in the Fast Friday’s track championship race with 1984 points to Bart Bast’s 1869 after last week’s racing.

Janniro faced Bob Hicks, Bart Bast and Tommy Hedden. Janniro drew lane one and Hicks out of lane two rocketed out of the gate after a restart and followed Janniro into the inside on turn one and rode just inches from the “The Kid” for two laps of the four lap finale. Hicks had a great race gnawing at Janniro from inches away but slowly Janniro pulled away for the checkered flag. Bast and Hedden battled behind Janniro and Hicks for third place. Hicks took second, Bast was third and Hedden fourth.

Bart Bast followed his scratch main event win last week by winning the handicap main event this week. With two scratch main event wins this is the first week the rock solid Bast has won the handicap main event. Riding off the 50 yard line Bast held off Janniro who finished second and hard riding Tyler Warren who finished third in the handicap main event. Bast was perfect in the handicap program winning his heat and semi-final races before winning the main event.

Lawrence McNutt won the Division II main event for the first time ever. McNutt is a weekly regular at Fast Fridays and moved up to second division this year and rides in the Run What U Brung program. “It’s my first division II win ever, it’s my first division II year, I’ve been getting tips on my riding, and I was finally able to stay out front, not mess up, and block the entire pack from passing me,” said McNutt. “I’m a happy camper, I’m third in the points and not much behind Nick Dion, I think I can pass him,” he said. McNutt led for the entire race, leading Rick Shafer who finished second and Eddie Marsalla who finished third across the finish line.

Visiting for the east coast and never being on a speedway bike before this week, seventeen year old Dalton Brisbois won the Division III main event. With an extensive background in flat track racing the move to a speedway track was not a giant stretch and Brisbois made it look easy. “Glenn Scott and Nor Cal Truck gave me the opportunity to race here and I took it,” Brisbois said. “I’m a flat tracker, but this was fun, I wasn’t that comfortable in my heat race, but came into the pit and talked to some of the more experienced riders and came out in the main and held them off,” said Brisbois. Brisbois, from Massachusetts, took his rider test early in the evening proving he could handle a speedway bike, was third in his heat race to transfer to the main event. Jeremy Estes was second and Cameron Beck was third.

Colton Hicks continued his winning ways after brilliant riding in last two weeks, winning the 250cc Youth Silver Cup on August 9 and last week’s 250cc Youth National Championship win at Fast Fridays. Hicks won the Youth 250cc A main event Friday night riding off the 70 yard line. Kyle Cunningham was second, and Landon Norton was third. Anthony Dion was first in the 250cc Youth B main event, Sammy Tetrault was second and Rich Vandermeeden was third. In a race filled with a few spills Cameron Krezman prevailed to win the Youth 150cc A main event, followed by Logan Hedden in second. Sammy Waddill won the Youth 150cc B main event. A crowd favorite “The Bullet” held on against Colton Nelson who finished second and Aidan McNutt who was third. Michael Achilles won the Trophy Dash.

Next week will be a championship week at Fast Friday’s when the AMA Under 21 Speedway National Championship and the Challenge Elimination Series Championship will be staged. Great speedway racing for area fans, a must see.

Results for 8-21-15

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

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

Division II Main Event
1-Lawrence McNutt, 2-Rick Shafer, 3-Eddie Marsalla

Division III Main Event
1-Dalton Brisbois, 2-Jeremy Estes, 3-Cameron Beck

Youth A 250cc Main Event
1-Colton Hicks, 2-Kyle Cunningham, 3-Landon Norton

Youth B 250cc Main Event
1-Anthony Dion, 2-Sammy Tetrault, 3-Richie VanderMeeden

Youth A 150cc Main Event
1- Cameron Krezman, 2-Logan Hedden, 3-Timmy Dion

Youth B 150cc Main Event
1- Sammy Waddill, 2-Colton Nelson, 3-Aidan McNutt

Harley-V Twin Main Event
1-Mitch Gallagher, 2-Jay Fodrini, 3-Cameron Beck

Trophy Dash
1-Michael Achilles, 2-Charlie Haines, 3-Lawrence McNutt

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Newcomer to speedway racing Dalton Brisbois won the Division III main event. With a history of flat track racing Brisbois, on a speedway bike for the first time and visiting from Massachusetts, put it together for the win.
	Mitch Gallagher won the Harley Night-Twin V main event. Gallagher won both heats and the main event.
	Lawrence McNutt won the Division II main event, his first of the season.
	“The Kid” Billy Janniro celebrates his ninth Division I scratch main event win of the Fast Friday’s season.
	Billy Janniro is set for the Division I scratch main event in lane one.
	Coming off a Division I scratch main event last week Bart Bast won the Division I handicap main event this week.
	Cameron Krezman won the won the Youth A 150cc main event.