Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California
2017 USA vs. The World
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway,
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Gold Country Fairgrounds
USA vs. the World
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, October 7, 2017
YouTube Video - by Anthony Bernardi
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway closed out another successful season with an epic meeting pitting the USA vs. the World Saturday night. It is a classic meeting of world class European riders crossing the pond to race against our boys on our home track. The race is very popular for local fans yearning to see professional world riders in action. Thousands of speedway fans filled the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn to catch the 2017 edition of this international grudge match.
The USA again topped the World 58-53 but the score was close throughout the evening and could have gone either way. The win nearly matches last year’s USA 58-55 win. The event is the 17th annual international meeting at Fast Fridays and the win-lost record now sits at 12 wins for the USA and 5 wins for the World. The World had wins in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2015.
The USA has a slight edge with the home field advantage and racing on a track much smaller than the larger European tracks. Also, the European riders travel thousands of miles and ride on borrowed bikes. The race is strictly for fun and bragging rights as the riders all have a good time joking with each other until the tapes go up and the riding becomes very completive.
This year the USA team was again anchored by eight time AMA Speedway National Champion Billy Janniro. Along with Janniro veteran riders Tommy Hedden, Bryan Yarrow and Bart Bast joined the team. Luke Becker and Russell Green added a youthful edge to the team.
The World team included for the third year Peter Karlsson of Sweden. Also for Sweden were Peter Ljung and Robin Aspegren. Rasmus Jensen and Mikkel Michelsen represented Denmark, and Carlos Venegas joined for the United States. As his brother Mikael Max did last year, Karlsson announced that this would be his last professional race closing out a world racing career that has spanned 27 years. “It is always nice to come here and race, it’s a great place, it’s beautiful and a great opportunity for all of us,” Karlsson said. “I have ridden all over the world and now the USA.”
The format is team scoring, riders paired and racing 18 scratch heat races scoring three points for a first place finish, two points for a second place finish, one point for a third place finish and no points for fourth place. The team with the most points at the end of the 18 rounds wins. The scoring was tight through the first three heats with the USA leading by just two points. It remained tight until the sixth heat when the team of Bast and Green combined first and second place finishes for five points bringing the score to 21-15 in favor of the USA.
But in the eighth heat the World team of Karlsson and Jensen combined their own first and second place finishes for five points over Hedden and Yarrow and tied the score at 24-24. That was the last time the score would be that tight. Green and Bast again kicked the score back up for the USA with another one-two finish in heat nine bringing the score to 29-25. It looked like the USA had it in the bag leading for another six heats until the World brought it close again in heat 14 when Michelsen and Venegas finished first and second and brought the World to within two points at 43-41 with the USA still leading. With the USA leading 55-47 after heat 17 the World inserted their Joker for the last heat race. This maneuver allows a team a one-time rider to ride as the Joker and double finish points if one team is six points or more behind. The World used Ljung and he came through with a win doubling his score to six and bringing the final score to a 58-53 win for the USA.
For the USA Billy Janniro was the high scorer with 14 points, followed by Russell Green who had a fantastic night with 12 points. “It was amazing, I have worked all year for this and it finally came together for me,” said Green. “It was everything I looked forward to, it was a blast racing against some of the best riders in the world competing at their level,” he said. The World was led by Peter Ljung with 12 points and followed by Rasmus Jensen and Carlos Venegas with 10 points each. It was a great night of racing with an international feel for fans and riders and a fitting way to close the 2017 speedway season for Fast Fridays.
There was a Youth program that was run alongside the USA vs. the World program and it was won by current AMA 250 Youth National Champion Sebastian “Big Daddy” Palmese. Palmese was undefeated winning all his races included the youth speedway main event. Landon Collins was second, Dylan Wagner was third and Timmy Dion fourth. Kyle Cunningham won the youth consolation main event. Chase Kangas was second, Anthony Dion was third and Landon Norton was fourth.
2017 USA vs. the World Results
USA 58 the World 53
Series Total: USA 12 wins - The World 5 wins
USA 58
Billy Janniro 2 3 2 3 3 1-14
Russell Green 1 2 3 3 1 2 -12
Bart Bast 2 3 2 1 2 1-11
Tommy Hedden 2 3 1 1 1 2-10
Bryan Yarrow 0 1 0 2 0 3-6
Luke Becker 1 1 0 0 0 3-5
The World 53
Peter Ljung (Sweden) 1 0 1 3 1 3+3-12
Ramus Jensen (Denmark) 3 1 2 1 3 0-10
Carlos Venegas (USA) 0 2 3 2 3 0-10
Robin Aspegren (Sweden) 3 2 1 0 2 0-8
Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark) 3 0 0 0 2 2-7
Peter Karlsson 0 0 3 2 0 1-6
Youth Main Event
1-Sebastian Palmese, 2-Landon Collins, 3-Dylan Wagner, 4-Timmy Dion
Youth Consolation
1-Kyle Cunningham, 2-Chase Kangas, 3-Anthony Dion, 4-Landon Norton
Photos By Michael Kirby
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David Joiner, Fast Friday’s owner David Joiner (center) stands with the World and the USA teams before the racing began. The World team (left standing) Carlos Venegas, Mikkel Michelsen, Rasmus Jensen and Peter Karlsson, (kneeling) Peter Ljung and Robin Aspegren. The USA (right standing) Billy Janniro, Tommy Hedden, Bryan Yarrow, Bart Bast (kneeling) Luke Becker and Russell Green. |
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Having a fantastic night Russell Green was very pleased with the 12 points he scored for the USA. |
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Peter Karlsson of Sweden has ridden for the World team in the last three years of the USA vs. the World competitions. Karlsson announced that this race would be his last ending a 27 year professional world racing career. |
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Mikkel Michelsen of Denmark riding for the World team gets a little air coming out of turn two. Michelsen scored 10 points for the World Saturday night. |
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Coming out of turn one is (left-right) Russell Green USA, Robin Aspegren Sweden, Peter Ljung Sweden and Bart Bast USA. |
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Eight time national champion Billy Janniro led the USA and all scorers with 14 points. |
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