Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California
Auburn, CA, USA - June 16
A very hot day in Auburn also brought some scorching racing and at the end of the evening it was veterans Billy “The Kid” Janniro and Bart “Simpson” Bast taking home top honors from Fast Fridays.
The Scratch Main Event was reduced to three racers when Louie Mersaroli went through the tapes. Janniro led the field in to turn one on the restart with U.S. National Under 21 Champion Luke “Little Missile” Becker right behind him. Becker tried to make things interesting for a couple laps but Janniro stretched his lead after that. The defending and seven-time AMA U.S. National Champion was first to the checkered flag, Becker came across second, and Bast finished third.
Eddie Marsalla started at the tapes and led the first half of the Handicap Main Event. Marsalla drifted wide exiting turn four the fourth time and Mersaroli charged up the inside for the lead. Mersaroli had Bast planted on his back tire as he took the white flag. He held the lead through turns one and two as well as on the back straight. He went a little of the pole and it was enough to allow Bast a run up the inside and they drag raced to a close finish. Bast was declared the winner, Mersaroli had to settle for second, Becker finished third, Daniel Faria was fourth, Marsalla finished fifth, and Janniro was sixth after a fall early in the race.
Blake Borello put together five perfect laps and easily won the Second Division Main Event for the second consecutive week. Lawrence McNutt was second, Charlie Haines finished third, Shawn Eldredge was fourth, Mike Achilles finished fifth, and Matt King was sixth.
Mac Henderson led the Third Division Main Event in to turn one. Tim Dion went under him but slid off in turn two. Ray Holt Jr. Jr. took advantage of Tim Dion’s misfortune and assumed the lead. Holt still led at the white flag but had Aaron Sorani closing fast. Sorani slid under Holt entering the final corner and took the victory. Holt was second, Casey Cornilsen finished third, Henderson was fourth, Pete Pecorilla finished fifth, and Tim Dion remounted to finish sixth.
Colton Hicks blistered the track en route to the Junior 250 Main Event victory. Cameron Krezman finished second and Anthony Dion was third.
RESULTS
Mini 150 Main Event
22 - Enzo Sorani
Junior 250 Main Event
24 - Colton Hicks
26 - Cameron Krezman
16 - Anthony Dion
Third Division Consolation
126 – Jake Estes 0
146 – Joey Rosselit 0
359 – Les Veale 30
196 – Steven Sagen 0
151 – Joe Maumee 0
Third Division Main Event
202 - Aaron Sorani 30
353 - Ray Holt Jr. Jr 20
116 - Casey Cornilsen 40
209 - Mac Henderson 0
294 - Pete Pecorilla 20
117 - Tim Dion 10 (fell, remounted)
Second Division Consolation
233 – Nick Dion 50
305 – Brian Leventon 0
Second Division Main Event
271 - Blake Borello 10
275 - Lawrence McNutt 30
135 - Charles Haines 40
357 - Shawn Eldridge 60
355 - Mike Achilles 50
91 - Matt King 50 (fell, remounted)
Handicap Consolation
321 – Russell Green 40
40 – Tommy Hedden 50
8 – Bryan Yarrow 50
357 – Shawn Eldredge 0
233 – Nick Dion 0
91 – Matt King 0
Handicap Main Event
87 - Bart Bast 50
188 - Louie Mersaroli 40
22 - Luke Becker 50
105 - Daniel Faria 30
394 - Eddie Marsalla 0
1 - Billy Janniro 60 (fell, remounted)
Scratch Consolation
40 – Tommy Hedden
321 – Russell Green
105 – Daniel Faria
8 – Bryan Yarrow
Scratch Main Event
1 - Billy Janniro
22 - Luke Becker
87 - Bart Bast
188 - Louie Mersaroli (tape exclusion)
Ryan Evans
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Sidecars Round 2
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway,
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Sidecars Return - Janniro and Bast win mains
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, June 16, 2017
What a difference a week makes. Last week at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn fans were pulling on sweaters and jackets for race night. Friday night with fans in tank tops and t-shirts the motorcycle racing continued to be scotching hot. The Extreme Sidecars brought their special brand of racing to Auburn in their second Northern California appearance keeping fans on the edge of their seats with round two of their 2017 season at Fast Fridays.
Billy Janniro, on the eve of the first round of the AMA Speedway National Championship Series in Ventura, tuned up with a win in the scratch main event. Janniro repeated his win from last week only this week his foe was Luke Becker. Louie Mersaroli, anxious to get a jump on Janniro, Becker and Bart Bast, was disqualified for leaving early and breaking the tapes off the line. On the restart, Janniro out of lane one, grabbed the inside slot and held on leading Becker and Bast on the four lap final. Becker fought for a lap or two against the national champ but fell back settling for second. Bast was third. In Ventura, Saturday Janniro will begin his quest for an eighth AMA Speedway National Championship.
Bart Bast picked up the win in the handicap main event. Bast, who is handicapped on the 50 yard line, was locked in a pretty good battle with Louie Mersaroli for most of the six lap race. As in most cases though there is no substitute for experience and Bast used his 40 plus years of racing resume beating Mersaroli. Mersaroli, who has been on a tear this season making one or both main events each week, did not go down easy and had a great race against Bast finishing second with a courageous effort. Luke Becker was third.
Moving back to the ten yard line was no problem for Blake Borello in Division II. Moving up to Division II for good last week after a strong showing in Division III, Borello won again for the second week in a row this time off the ten yard line. Moving up each week, Borello had no problem taking the main event and looks like even finding a new home on the 20 yard line next week will probably not be a problem either. Borello’s controlled smooth riding style could soon land him in Division I. Lawrence McNutt was second and Charlie Haines was third.
Aaron Sorani was first this week in Division III. The big battles here have been between Sorani and Ray Holt Jr. Jr. Both men have traded off winning this division’s main event in the first five weeks and always seem to be the one-two finishers in Division III. Holt was second this week and Casey Cornilsen was third.
Always in fine form, Auburn’s Colton Hicks took the Youth Speedway main event. Again Hicks was perfect winning his two heat races and the main event. The win was not without a hitch as Anthony Dion gave it his all in an attempt to beat Hicks. Dion snuggled up to Hicks in turn three nearly bumping into him. Hicks rocked a little but recovered for the win. It was his second main event win in a row and his third for the season. Cameron Krezman was second and Dion was third. Kyle Cunningham picked up the Youth Consolation main event, Landon was second and Aidan McNutt was third.
Real exciting was the Extreme Sidecars who made their second of five appearances of the season at Fast Fridays. Making race night at Fast Fridays a little more exciting the sidecars bring a special brand of racing to Auburn’s tricky dirt oval. Five teams ran the second round of their series with spectacular racing that included a couple of unbelievable mishaps. The riders walked away after a few minutes with the medical personnel finishing the program. The team of Joe Jones and Tom Summers won the main event. “This was number two out of five trips up here, you can’t complain about coming up here, you have beautiful country,” said Jones. “We went to the river today, and came here with a bunch of great fans, you can’t go wrong.” Fan favorites whenever they journey north, a packed house enjoyed their riding styles.
Fast Fridays Results for 6-16-17
Scratch Main Event
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Luke Becker, 3-Bart Bast, 4-Louie Mersaroli
Scratch Consolation
1-Tommy Hedden, 2-Russell Green, 3-Daniel Faria, 4-Bryan Yarrow
Handicap Main Event
1-Bart Bast, 2-Louie Mersaroli, 3-Luke Becker 4-Daniel Faria, 5-Eddie Marsalla, 6-Billy Janniro
Handicap Consolation
1-Russell Green, 2-Tommy Hedden, 3-Bryan Yarrow, 4-Shawn Eldridge, 5-Nick Dion, 6-Matt King
Division II Main Event
1-Blake Borello, 2-Lawrence McNutt, 3-Charlie Haines, 4-Shawn Eldridge, 5-Mike Achilles, 6-Matt King
Division III Main Event
1-Aaron Sorani, 2-Ray Holt Jr. Jr., 3-Casey Cornilsen, 4- Mac Henderson, 5-Peter Pecorilla, 6-Tim Dion
Youth Main Event
1-Colton Hicks, 2-Cameron Krezman, 3-Anthony Dion, 4-Enzo Sorani
Youth Consolation Main
1-Kyle Cunningham, 2-Landon Norton, 3-Aidan McNutt, 4-Dakota VanderBroeder
Pee Wees
1-Colton Arbogast, 2-Daniel Tesca, 3-Nick Hohlbein
Extreme Sidecars (Round 2)
1-Joe Jones/Tom Summers, 2-Smylie Kinne/David Salke, 3-Jeremy Galein/Eric Hernandez
Photos By Michael Kirby
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