Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

Final Points Night - Sidecar Series Final
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, September 4, 2015

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

The 2015 Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway season is winding down with only two more nights of championship racing before the USA vs. The World season finale on October 9. Friday night’s action at the Gold Country Fairgrounds included a full racing program, and was the last night to accumulate points for the track championship next week in all divisions. Also on the program was the Challenge Elimination Series Championship and the fifth season visit of the Extreme Sidecars and their series final.

The racing was fast as riders in all divisions hunted for more points to put them in the Fast Fridays track championships. The top 16 finishers in Division I and the top eight finishers in Division II and Division III after 17 weeks of racing will be included in the championship rounds.

Division I was led by Billy Janniro, who is arguably having the best season of his career. The current national champion just keeps racking up winning championships, and finished with 2404 season points ahead of Auburn’s Bart Bast who finished with 2284 points. Tommy Hedden finished third with 1802 and Bob Hicks finished fourth with 1522. Janniro also rounded out his evening with another scratch main event win and came out on top winning in the Challenge Elimination Series championship.

In the Challenge Elimination Series championship Janniro faced four other series round winners. The format is the five riders race a series of one lap scratch races eliminating the last place finisher until the last two riders race in a two lap final for the championship. Bob Hicks was the first to go, followed by Charlie Venegas who rolled and was excluded. Tyler Warren was next to go leaving just Tommy Hedden to try to get a better gate on Janniro. The “Kid” did not disappoint as he led Hedden in both laps to the win. Janniro also won the scratch main event overpowering Hicks, Venegas and Daniel Faria who finished in that order. In the final night of regular program racing Janniro won his tenth scratch main event. He has made 15 main events during the season.

The Division I handicap main event was won by Louie Mersaroli. Mersaroli, along with his twin brother David have just about grown up on the Auburn track and Friday night Mersaroli grabbed his first handicap main event. Riding in both Divisions I and Division II most of the season, Mersaroli who rides off the zero line held off Daniel Faria and Tommy Hedden in his win. “I just held my line, stayed on the pole and did the best I could,” said Mersaroli. “It was an overall good night.”

The Division II season point’s race was won by Eddie Marsalla with 843, Lawrence McNutt with another division two main event win Friday night finished second with 730 points and Nick Dion was third with 712. In the main event Friday night McNutt seems to have figured it out picking up his second main event win in three weeks. Newcomer this season to Division II, Rudy Laurer was second and Shane Szuh was third in the main event.

In the always exciting and unpredictable program, Division III’s Cameron Beck won the main event. Les Veale was second, and Paul Good was third, all adding desired points to their season tallies. “It was a lot of luck, my second win of the season,” Beck said. “This was my first season, I got a wild hair, bought a bike and I went for it. It’s a good time, super challenging and definitely the best two wheeled ride I have ever had,” said Beck. In the Division III track championship points race John Gauthreaux finished first with 736 points. Right behind him the ironman and Bast family racing leader Harlan Bast finished second with 727 points. The 79 year-old Bast finished just nine points behind Gauthreaux easily making the final eight for the track championships. John Peters finished the season third with 671 points and Les Veale was fourth with 613 points.

The Extreme Sidecars made five appearances this season at Fast Friday’s concluding their visits with the Extreme Sidecars Series Final Friday night. Always exciting these two rider 1000cc three-wheeled chariots are thrilling to watch and the sidecar teams always put on a great show. Winning the sidecar main event and season finale was the team of Bryan Motis and Cody Brant. Other teams participating were Joe Jones/ Tom Summers, Robert Curry/Laurie Curry, Stuart Glass/Jack Straw and "Smiley" James Kinne/Chuck Heider.

Colton Hicks won the Youth A 250cc main event. Dylan Wagner was second and Kyle Cunningham was third. Cameron Krezman continues to win and has yet to lose a race since moving to a 250cc bike and into the Youth B 250cc program for the first time last week. Krezman won the main event, Anthony Dion was second and Sammy Tetrault was third. Timmy Dion topped the Youth A 150cc Youth Division winning the main event. Sammy Waddill was second and Glenn Moore was third.

Next week at Fast Fridays will be a special night during the Gold Country Fair. The Fast Friday’s track championship racing program will start one hour earlier at seven o’clock. Track champions will be crowned in all divisions. Fair admission gets you into racing action at McCann stadium.

Fast Fridays Results for 9-4-15

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

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Louie Mersaroli, 2-Daniel Faria, 3-Tommy Hedden

Division II Main Event
1-Lawrence McNutt, 2-Rudy Laurer, 3-Shane Szuh

Division III Main Event
1-Cameron Beck, 2-Les Veale, 3-Pauly Good

Youth A 250cc Main Event
1-Colton Hicks, 2-Dylan Wagner, 3-Kyle Cunningham

Youth B 250cc Main Event
1-Cameron Krezman, 2-Anthony Dion, 3-Sammy Tetrault

Youth A 150cc Main Event
1- Timmy Dion, 2-Sammy Waddill, 3-Gregory Moore

Extreme Sidecars Main Event
1-Bryan Motis/Cody Brant

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Auburn’s Louie Mersaroli smiles with the Fast Fridays trophy girls on the winner’s podium Friday night. Mersaroli won the Division I handicap main event for the second time this season.
	The Extreme Sidecars made their final 2015 season appearance at Fast Fridays Friday night. The sidecar main event was won by the team of Bryan Motis/Cody Brant. Starting the main event was (left-right) Robert Curry/Laurie Curry, Motis/Brant, Joe Jones/Tom Summers and "Smiley" James Kinne/Chuck Heider.
	The sidecar team of Bryan Motis and Cody Brant won the sidecar main event.
	Louie Mersaroli won the Division I handicap main event.
	Lawrence McNutt won his second Division II main event in three weeks adding to his season points tally. McNutt finished second in the season points race in Division II.
	Billy Janniro (left) rides against Tommy Hedden (right) in a heat race. Janniro won the scratch main event, the Challenge Elimination Series Championship and finished in first place in the season points at Fast Friday’s.
	Colton Hicks won the Youth A 250cc main event.
	New to speedway racing, Cameron Beck won his second Division III main event. Beck finished the season fifth in Division III points and will make the track championships next week.