Fast Fridays Speedway

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California

Speedway Challenge Series
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
Janniro and Faria take Main Events
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, May 27, 2016

YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi

After a rain cancelation on May 20 the action at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway was back in on track Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn. Rarely have races been canceled due to rain but a late afternoon thunderstorm dumped almost an inch of rain that made the track unusable and unsafe.

Friday night all the players were back and ready to roar. Billy Janniro who is leaving next week to race in Europe for a few days came back in fine form, winning the Scratch main event and grabbing the second spot in the Challenge Elimination Series championship with a win in round two. Janniro has made the scratch main event each week of the 2016 Fast Fridays season. Janniro also carried with him a win and perfect score from the first round of the four round AMA National Speedway Championship Series May 14 in Southern California.

This week it was Auburn’s Tommy Hedden that gave Janniro the most trouble in the scratch main event. Again Janniro drew the number one lane for the second week in a row and easily beat Hedden, Bart Bast and Tyler Warren to the inside line in turn one. From there it was just who was going to challenge. This week Hedden stepped up fell in line behind Janniro to give chase. In turn three though Warren got a little too close to Hedden’s back tire and both riders fell. Warren was slow to get to his feet and did not make the restart. Hedden again put up a good fight after the restart but was unable to close, and Janniro picked up his second scratch main event win of the season. Hedden held close and finished second, Bast finished third. “I got gate one and just hope for the best, and it worked out,” Janniro said.

Janniro proved he has lost nothing off his starts with a win in round two of the Challenge Elimination Series. First to go in the one lap scratch races was Broc Nicol, next Tommy Hedden rolled off the track. Luke Becker was third to be dropped leaving Tyler Warren to take on the national champ in the final two lap race of the series. Warren was having a great night, but was no match for Janniro who cruised to the finish and took the second spot in the championship round on September 2.

Daniel Faria who has been forced to run on a borrowed motor since the season began, put his new motor to good use Friday night on its first night out with a win in the Handicap main event. Faria was second in his heat race and cinched his semi final to advance to the main event. There working off the 20 yard line for the last time, kept ahead of a hard charging Russell Green to pick up his first main event win of the season. “We just got the new motor back from down south and have been on a borrowed motor for two weeks, and finally got ours to race on tonight and everything worked out great,” Faria said. Green was second and Luke Becker was third.

Oh boy, Division II is really heating up, and it was Eddie Marsalla who was able to survive the main event and take the checkered flag. Jamison Dilkey took a nasty spill crashing into the wall hard and after a talk with the medics slowly got up. A staggered restart was required and Lawrence McNutt who was leading at the time was at the head of the line. Dilkey was next, Michael Achilles was third, Marsalla was fourth and Shawn Eldredge followed. Somehow in the remaining few of laps in the race Marsalla was able to get out in front and win the race. McNutt was second and Achilles took the bronze for third week in a row in the Division II main event.

Second on May 13 in the Division III main event Ray Holt Jr. Jr. of Rancho Cordova was able to up his game a little and keep ahead of Casey Cornilsen to take the trophy. These two guys seem to be trading placing on the podium from week to week. It was Cornilsen who won the Division III main event on May 13. Look for a great season from these two competitors.

In the youth divisions the action was also non-stop. Junior AMA National 250cc Speedway Champion Colton picked up another win in the Youth 250cc A division. “I was riding a new bike that I just got today, so I was trying that out,” Hicks said. Hicks handicapped to the 60 yard line weaved through traffic to pass Kyle Cunningham for the win. Cunningham, who was able to beat Hicks in their heat race, could not hold Hicks back in the main event even with 50 yards of handicap distance. Cunningham was second and Landon Norton was third. In the Youth 150cc A Division Landon Collins broke through with his first win of the 2016 season. Alex Martin was second and Enzo Sorani, who was in a crash during the main, event was able to restart and finished third.

New to the area and to Fast Friday’s Dominic Colindres dominated the Run What U Brung program on his first night in Auburn. Colindres easily distanced himself from the other riders in an outstanding display of flat track racing in the Run What U Brung program. Rick Goldrup also a newcomer to Fast Fridays finished second and Shawn Eldredge was third. PJ Byrne was first in the Trophy Dash.

Fast Fridays Results for 5-27-16

Scratch Main Event
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Tommy Hedden, 3-Bart Bast

Handicap Main Event
1-Daniel Faria, 2-Russell Green, 3-Luke Becker

Division II Main Event
1-Eddie Marsalla, 2-Lawrence McNutt, 3-Mike Achilles

Division III Main Event
1-Ray Holt Jr. Jr., 2-Casey Cornilsen, 3-Cameron Beck

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

Youth B 250cc Main Event
1-Aidan McNutt, 2-Gregory Moore, 3-Sammy Tetrault

Youth A 150cc Main Event
1-Landon Collins, 2-Alex Martin, 3-Enzo Sorani

Youth B 150cc Main Event
1-Colton Nelson, 2-Chase Kangas, 3-Sammy Waddill

Run What U Brung
1-Dominic Colindres, 2-Rick Goldrup, 3-Shawn Eldredge

Trophy Dash
1-PJ Byrne, 2-Shawn Eldredge, 3-Eddie Marsalla

Challenge Elimination (Round 2)
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Tyler Warren, 3-Luke Becker, 4-Tommy Hedden, 5-Broc Nicol

Photos By Michael Kirby

	Auburn’s Landon Collins picked up his first main event win of the season in the Youth A 150cc main event.
	Billy Janniro cinched wins in the Scratch main event and won the second round of the Challenge Elimination Series.
	Daniel Faria broke into the win column with a victory in the handicap main event.
	Run What U Brung first timer, Dominic Colindres won the heat race and main event.
	Jamison Dilkey took a hard spill in the Division II main event that required a restart in the main event. Lawrence McNutt was in the lead at the time of the crash and started first followed by Dilkey.
	Auburn’s Colton Hicks took the Youth A 250cc main event starting off the 60 yard line.