Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Auburn, California

USA vs The World
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
The World takes USA in Season Finale
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, October 9, 2015

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

It was payback time and this year’s World team collected with a big statement at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway’s 2015 season finale at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn Friday night. The 14th annual international meeting of the USA vs. The World was a spectacular night of fast paced scratch team racing. The near capacity crowd was on their feet most of the evening as one of the most experienced World teams ever assembled beat a very talented USA team 63-48.

This year’s World team consisted of Martin Smolinski of Germany, Peter Karlsson, Mikael Max and Magnus Karlsson of Sweden and Mads Korneliussen of Denmark, all veteran speedway riders on the international circuit with long racing championship resumes. If that wasn’t tough enough the team was rounded out by eighteen-old American rider Max Ruml, from Southern California who is fast building a very impressive championship resume for himself recently finishing third in the 2015 AMA National Speedway Championship series.

The USA team led by 2015 AMA National Speedway champion Billy Janniro and Bart Bast, Tommy Hedden, Bob Hicks, Charlie Venegas and Luke Becker. A powerful team, all but Becker was on last year’s team when they beat The World in a real nail biter 55-53. The format paired the riders in team pairs that raced in six rounds, scoring 3 points for a win, 2 points for second, 1 point for third and no points for fourth. At the end of eighteen heats the team with the most points wins bragging rights for a year.

The scoring was close for the first round of three heats and tied at 9-9. In heat four the USA led 13-11 after a strong showing by Janniro and Becker who combined for four points, but that was the last lead the USA team would see. Heat eight brought a Smolinski and Peter Karlsson five point combination punch over Hedden and Bast who scored just one. That moved the score to 29-19 for the World. The World continued to lead and in heat 13 the USA team down 42-30 used their tactical joker designating Janniro in that position to pick-up double points for that heat. The tactical joker can be used by a team down six points or more, but just once during the evening. Janniro took full advantage of the maneuver winning the heat and scoring six points, the World added three and the score sat at 45-36. The experience of the professional veterans on the World team was just too much for the USA team to overcome. Even with the World riders adjusting to the much shorter track here in American did not handicap this year’s World team.

When the dust settled after heat 18 at the Fast Friday’s track the World had won the 2015 USA vs. The World contest with the final score of 63-48. The overall tally now sits at 10 wins for the USA and 4 wins for the World. Janniro was the high scorer of the evening with 20 points and even without the extra three joker points Janniro easily outdistanced all the riders. Swedish speedway champions Peter Karlsson and brother Mikael Max were the high scorers for the World team with 13 each. “It’s was enjoyable to win, and I am really happy to be on the winning world team and finally make it here to race. It’s a show you know, but we really wanted to win,” said Peter Karlsson. Karlsson was visiting California for the first time and very impressed with our area. “I don’t know if you realize how lucky to live here in such a nice place like this, it’s really a good place I must say,” he said.

It was a wonderful night of international speedway racing brotherhood, with no riders leaving the track losers as the crowd thoroughly enjoyed each and every effort.

USA vs. The World Scoring 10-9-15

Final Score - The World 63 - USA 48

The World
Martin Smolinski     0 2 2 2 3 2   11
Peter Karlsson       2 3 3 1 1 3   13
Mikael Max           3 2 0 3 2 3   13
Mads Korneliussen    2 0 3 1 1 0    7
Max Ruml             0 3 2 3 0 3   11
Magnus Karlsson      2 2 1 0 3 0    8

USA
Billy Janniro            3 3 3 3 6 2   20
Luke Becker            1 1 0 0 0 1    3
Tommy Hedden         0 0 0 0 2 0    2
Bart Bast              1 1 1 2 1 1    7
Bob Hicks              1 1 2 2 2 1    9
Charlie Venegas         3 0 1 1 0 2    7

Youth 250cc
1-Colton Hicks 2-Cameron Krezman

Youth 150cc A
1-Sterling Martin, 2-Alex Martin, 3-Enzo Sorani

Youth 150cc B
1-Sammy Waddill, 2-Colton Nelson

Run What U Brung
1-Jay Fodrini

Photos By Michael Kirby

	World Team riders (top L-R) Mads Korneliussen, Peter Karlsson, Magnus Karlsson and (bottom L-R) Max Ruml, Martin Smolinski and Mikael Max celebrate their 63-48 USA vs. The World victory Friday night at Fast Fridays.
	The World and USA team riders pose for a picture with Fast Friday’s owner David Joiner (center) before Friday night’s action go underway.
	Martin Smolinski from Germany (front) rides against Auburn’s Bart Bast in Friday night’s action at the annual USA vs. The World.
	World team member Peter Karlsson of Sweden scored 13 points for his team.
	Magnus Karlsson of Sweden scored 8 points for the World team.
	Billy Janniro gets set for a heat race. Janniro was the high scorer of the evening with 20 USA points.
	The USA’s Tommy Hedden (center) leads Denmark’s Mads Korneliussen (right) and teammate Bart Bast (left) out of turn two Friday night. The world won the annual competition 63-48.