Fast Fridays Speedway

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California

North Vs South
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
North Tops South in Classic Challenge
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, July 15, 2022
Story and Photo by Michael Kirby

(L-R) Daniel Faria - Slater Lightcap - Tim Gomez - Gino Manzares - Aaron Fox - Max Ruml - Dave Joiner - Billy Janniro - Louie Mersaroli - Bart Bast - Blake Borello - Rees Todd - Rheten Todd.

For 31 years now this classic grudge match has been going on between speedway riders from Northern California and speedway riders from Southern California. Friday night the most popular event of the season the annual North .vs South Challenge continued at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn Ca. Going into the 31st version of this great event the North held the lead in the series 19-11 over the South teams. The South had claimed bragging rights for the last two years with victories over the North but not his season. The North team was able to stop the skid with a 72-66 win over the South.

This year the North team line-up included ten-time AMA National Speedway Champion Billy Janniro, Louie Mersaroli, Bart Bast, Blake Borello, Rees Todd, and Rheten Todd. The South brought up current 2021 AMA National Speedway Champion Max Ruml, Slater Lightcap, Tim Gomez, Gino Manzares, Aaron Fox and rounding out the field Danny Faria. It's a team racing event with riders paired from the North and paired from the South in scratch heat races. Finishes are scored by points and the team with the most points at the end of 18 heat races, and an B and A Main event is the winner.

There are some rules, a Joker can be used by a team that is down by six or more points and substitute riders can also be used but a rider can only be a joker or substitute once. The racing was fast, and the riders gave it their all, evident by the more than usual number of crashes. After three heats the score was tied 9-9. After six heats the score was still close, but the North pulled ahead a little 20-16. Heats seven through nine go a little better for the North as they increased their lead to 31-23 behind first place finishes by Janniro and Borello for the North. In heat races 10-12 the South kept the score within ten at 41-31 with excellent rides by Ruml and Manzares who each had first place finishes, but the South was still behind. Heat 11 was a great race between Manzares and Borello who rode inches away from each other to the finish line with Manzares picking up the three points for the South and Borello picking up the second place two points for the North.

In heat 14 with the South trailing 44-34 they took advantage of the deficit score to use their Joker and make one substitution. Manzares came in as the Joker a move that would double his score in that heat and Ruml came in for Gomez. The move proved to be pivotal as Manzares working with Ruml as a team, won the race scoring six points and Ruml was second adding another two points and eight total points for the South in that one heat race bringing the score to 45-42 just three points off the North.

Heat 17 was another excellent example of team racing and one of the nights best races when the North's Janniro and Mersaroli took to the track against the South's Manzares and Gomez. Working together Janniro and Mersaroli were able to keep Manzares from passing blocking and leaving him no room to pass for a one-two finish and five points. After the 18 heat races the North led the South 61-50.

In the B Main event Bast and Borello came out for the North and Fox and Faria came out for the South with the scoring increased. Fox picked up four points and Faria two for the South and Bast added three for the North leaving the score 64-56 going into the A Main event. With scoring now doubled Ruml and Manzares rolled out for the South and Janniro and Mersaroli rolled up to the gates for the North. With a good showing the South could have evened the score and Ruml did his best winning the main picking up six points. Janniro and Mersaroli combined for eight for the North and Manzares added three for the South, but they came up short with the final score ending at 72-66. Ruml was the high scorer overall chalking up 23 points for the South and Janniro was the second high scorer with 19 points for the North.

Overjoyed by halting the South's two North-South Challenge wins in a row and increasing their series lead to 20-11 in the series the North team took the podium with smiles accepted their trophies spraying champagne on bystanders as they celebrated. But next year is another year and the South will surely again come knocking as the longest running challenge in American Speedway continues.

In the Youth divisions Charlie Trana won the Youth 250 division main event and Matthew Wright won the Youth 150 division main event.

North vs. South Challenge Results 7-15-22
North 72 South 66

North 72
Billy Janniro 3 3 3 0 3 2 5-19
Louie Mersaroli 2 0 1 2 2 3 3-13
Bart Bast 2 1 1 1 1 3 3-12
Blake Borello 1 2 3 2 2 2 0-12
Rheten Todd 0 3 2 3 1 1-10
Rees Todd 1 2 1 2 0 0-6

South 66
Max Ruml 0 3 3 3 3/2 3 6-23
Gino Manzares 3 0 2 3 6 1 4-19
Aaron Fox 3 1 0 1 1 1 4-11
Danny Faria 2 2 2 0 0 0 2-8
Slater Lightcap 1 0 0 1 0 2-4
Tim Gomez 0 1 0 0 0 -1

B Main
1- 46 Aaron Fox
2- 87 Bart Bast
3- 105 Dan Faria
4- 27 Blake Borello

A Main
1- 5 Max Ruml
2- 14n Billy Janniro
3- 24 Gino Manzares
4- 188 Louie Mersaroli

Michael Kirby Photos
	The North team celebrates their victory over the South in the 31st North vs. South Challenge at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway. (left-right) Rees Todd, Rheten Todd, Billy Janniro, trophy presenter Emily Dominguez, Bart Bast, Louie Mersaroli and Blake Borello.
	Matthew Wright won the Youth 150 main event.
	2021 AMA National Speedway Champion Max Ruml was the overall point’s winner and led the South team with 23 points.
	Charlie Trana won the Youth 250 main event.
	Gino Manzares had a strong night for the South with 19 points and a third place finish in the A Main event.
	Billy Janniro (front) led the North team with 19 points and was second in the A Main event. Pictured with North racing partner Louie Mersaroli (188), together the pair pulled in 42 combined points for the evening.
	A Main 1- Points doubled in the A Main event as the South tried to score enough points to pull off a victory. (L-R) Billy Janniro N, Max Ruml S, Louie Mersaroli N, and Gino Manzares S.