Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Blake Borello tops in Iron Man 25 Lap Race
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, July 16, 2021
Auburn California has long been known for its endurance events whether it be running, biking or equestrian events, but Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway staged their very own endurance feat. The annual and popular 25 lap main event showcases the strengths of the riders that typically make six trips around the track, extending that to 25 laps with doubled handicaps.
Don’t know if age has anything to do with the physical endurance that is required in an event like this but 20 year old Georgetown resident Blake Borello took home the Fast Friday’s Iron Man title this year. Sixteen riders took to the track at the beginning of the night’s finale. Borello, usually handicapped on the 40 yard line took his starting place on the 80 yard line. The tapes when up and as the laps ticked away riders dropped off because of spills, mechanical problems or they were lapped. Borello followed the 2019 iron man winner Louie Mersaroli in the final laps and it looked like Mersaroli had it locked until his bike ran out of fuel.
These bikes are designed for normally riding four to six laps and running maybe two minutes or so and have very small fuel tanks. Unfortunately for Mersaroli with a half lap to go five minutes into the race he sputtered to a crawl and Borello took advantage of his disadvantage and sped to the tape. Mersaroli got off his bike and ran it across the finish line for second place followed by Bart Bast in third. A great finish as the crowd chimed in with huge applause.
Charlie Venegas got onto the main event win scoreboard as the fastest man of the night in the scratch main event. Venegas a veteran of over 33 years of racing and racing accomplishments too long to list was prefect in the scratch program winning his heat, semi final and the main event. As the lane one winning streak continues, Venegas drew the inside lane and got an exceptional good gate getting to the inside line in turn one and never looked back. Billy Janniro fell out in lap two leaving Russell Green and Bryan Yarrow to pursue Venegas. He held steady with about a two bike length lead taking the flag followed by Green in second, Yarrow third and Janniro in fourth. The steak continues in week seven, all scratch main winners this season have come out of the inside lane one.
Greg Moore has a streak of his own going in Division II. Moore has won the Division II main event the last three weeks in a row and also in week one. This week Moore topped Derik Denzin who was second and Rees Todd who finished third. Moore also is flirting with Division I with a ride this week in the handicap program. Watch for Moore to be a regular in Division I before the season ends.
Tim Rott won the Division III main event. Rott also won the Division III main event in week five. His steady riding style carried him into the main after a third place finish in his heat race and off the ten yard line he stayed ahead of Jeff Powell in second and Dean Newnham in third.
Alex Martin ran away in the Youth 250 division winning all his heat races and the main event. Martin sailed around the track and finished the main event ahead of Catherine Moore who finished second and Chase Kangas who was third.
In the Youth 150 division newcomer to Fast Fridays but not to motorcycle racing, Kensei Matsudaira from Southern California won the main event. Matsudaira won the first heat race, finished second to Nick Hohlbein in his second heat and figured out the track for another win in the main event. Hohlbein was second and James Hutchinson was third. “The track is cool and I had to learn quickly how to ride it for my first time here,” Matsudaira said. “I then focused on getting a good start and the hole shot in the main.”
Fast Fridays Results for 07-16-21
Scratch Main Event
1-Charlie Venegas, 2-Russell Green, 3-Bryan Yarrow, 4-Billy Janniro
Scratch Consolation
1-Bart Bast, 2-Anthony Dion, 3-Rheten Todd, 4-Blake Borello
25 Lap Main Event
1-Blake Borello, 2-Louie Mersaroli, 3-Bart Bast, 4-Billy Janniro, 5-Rees Todd, 6-Rheten Todd 7-Daniel Faria
Division II Main Event
1-Greg Moore, 2-Derik Denzin, 3-Rees Todd, 4-Dylan Wagner, 5-Fred Cook, 6-John Peters, 7-Daniel Faria,
Division II Consolation
1-Will McCloskey, 2-Jeff Powell, 3-Marc Denniston
Division III Main Event
1-Tim Rott, 2-Jeff Powell, 3-Dean Newnham, 4-Marc Denniston, 5-Sebe Denniston
Division III Consolation
1-Richard Perkins, 2-Ray Holt Jr., 3-Mike Newnham, 4-Les Veale, 5-Brian Leventon
Youth 250 Main Event
1-Alex Martin, 2-Catherine Moore, 3-Chase Kangas
Youth 150 Main Event
1-Kensei Matsudaira, 2-Nick Hohlbein, 3-Jameson Hutchinson
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