Fast Fridays Speedway

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California

Sidecars Round 1
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, May 24, 2024
Story and Photos by Michael Kirby

(L-R) Charlie Trana won the Division I Handicap and Hunter Castillo won the Support Class

On the third week of the 2024 Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway season fans welcomed the Extreme Sidecars to an already exciting speedway program and were treated to an amazing night of racing. Sponsored by Turttle's Auto Glass these five teams of racers with ice water running in their veins raced their custom designed 1000cc three-wheeled racing machines on the tricky dirt oval at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. Cheered on and enthusiastically welcomed by their loyal Fast Friday's fans the Extreme Sidecars put on a great show of gutsy speedway racing.

The Extreme Sidecars will make five appearances at Fast Friday's this season including the AMA Extreme National Sidecar Championship on August 31. To see these teams come out of the pits and wheel up to the start line and as the tapes go up the roar of their engines gunning into the first turn is something to see, hear and feel inches away from each other fighting for the lead out of turn one. A fan favorite for years at Fast Fridays, many fans showing up just to watch these racers fly around the track with the monkey rider on the back hanging off the trike moving around the track at breakneck speeds.

The five two person teams on their 1000cc three-wheeled bikes ran in four thrilling heats then all the teams lined up for their main event finale. The team of Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer took the checkered flag in a great race leading most of the race but heavily pursued by the other teams looking for a mistake and a chance to pass. Boyd and Lindauer won two of their four heat races the took the main event. Current AMA Extreme Sidecar National Champion Joe Jones with veteran rider Johnny Glover was second and Smylie Kinne and Chuck Heider were third. Hats off to all the sidecar teams that made the trip to Auburn and put on a fantastic show.

In the also exciting two-wheeled speedway racing program Billy Janniro, who has won the first two scratch main events in week one and two, was given a run for his money by Louie “Ironman” Mersaroli. In a tight race that was restarted because of a gate malfunction saw Mersaroli out front after getting the best gate of the four final riders from lane one. Mersaroli, out front was challenged by Janniro who started in lane three and was working the outside lane of the track trying to get around Mersaroli but just could not quite pull it off. Mersaroli held his ground and won his first scratch main event of the season. Janniro was second and Russell Green was third.

Charlie Trana topped the field in the handicap program winning his first handicap main event of the season. Trana rode perfect in the handicap program winning his heat race and semi-final heat to transfer to the main event. Green, who had a great night also winning both his heat and semi-final races finished second and Bart Bast was third.

Hunter Castillo took the Support Class main event for the second week in a row. After battling Mike Newnham to take second place he made a dramatic move at the finish line to pass Tisiah Prout Jr. and take the checkered flag in the main event. Prout was second and Newnham was third. Antonio Coffman won the Support Class Consolation race, John Gauthreaux was second and Giovanni Tonti was third.

Young Riley Rearick remains unbeaten this season not only in the Youth 150 main events, but Rearick has yet to lose any of his heat races so far this season and is dominating the Youth 150 program. He chalked up this third Youth 150 main event win this season Friday night. Hudson Jones, son of Extreme Sidecar pilot Joe Jones, gave Rearick a challenge racing at Fast Fridays for the first time this season but the hometown boy continued his winning streak. Jones was second and Leeann Emerson was third.

Darren Armbruster won the Youth 250 main event for the second week in a row. The current AMA Youth 250 National Champion is seriously challenging each week Brady Landon who is a very skilled rider and the racing between these two racers should be fun to watch all season. Landon was second in the main event and Jameson Hutchinson was third.

Next week at Fast Fridays the Team Challenge continues with round two of the season long team racing grudge match. Team Law Tigers leads Team IFC 12-6. Season rider points standings of each division can be found at the Fast Friday's website fastfridays.com

Results for 5-24-24

Division I Scratch Main Event
1-Louie Mersaroli, 2-Billy Janniro, 3-Russell Green 4-Charlie Trana (DNF)

Division I Scratch Consolation Event
1-Bart Bast, 2-Blake Borello, 3-Timmy Dion, 4-Gregory Moore

Division I Handicap Main Event
1-Charlie Trana, 2-Russell Green, 3-Bart Bast, 4-Louie Mersaroli, 5-Blake Borello, 6-Billy Janniro

Division I Handicap Consolation Event
1-Gregory Moore, 2-Chase Kangas, 3-Timmy Dion, 4-Will McCloskey

Support Class Main Event
1-Hunter Castillo, 2-Tisiah Prout, 3-Mike Newnham, 4-John Peters, 5-Catherine Moore, 6-Brian Leventon

Support Class Consolation
1-Antonio Coffman, 2-John Gauthreaux 3-Giovanni Tonti, 4-Les Veale

Youth 250 Main Event
1-Darren Armbruster, 2-Brady Landon, 3-Jameson Hutchinson, 4-Caden Cavrikas, 5-Wesley Rearick

Youth 150 Main Event
1-Riley Rearick, 2-Hudson Jones, 3-Leeann Emerson

Extreme Sidecars Main Event (Round One)
1-Wade Boyd/Eric Lindauer, 2-Joe Jones/Johnny Glover 3-Smylie Kinne/Chuck Heider, 4-Jason Fritz/Tiffany Lippien

Michael Kirby Photos
	Louie Mersaroli won the Division 1 Scratch Main.
	Hunter Castillo took the Support Class main event for the second week in a row and earned a victory lap around the track with the checkered flag.
	Young Riley Rearick remains unbeaten in the Youth 150 mains.
	The Extreme Sidecar team of Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer won the Extreme Sidecar main event. One of five sidecar teams to visit Fast Fridays Friday night the teams put on a great racing show.
	Charlie Trana (left) won the Division I handicap main event, his first main event win of the season.
	Darren Armbruster (left) won the Youth 250 main event for the second week in a row. Armbruster shown here in a heat race with Caden Cavrikas.
	Riley Rearick is on a tear picking up his third Youth 150 main event win of the season. Rearick has yet to lose a race at Fast Friday's this season.
	Louie “Ironman” Mersaroli snapped Billy Janniro's winning streak winning his first scratch main event of the season.
	Antonio Coffman won the Support Class consolation main event.
	The start of the Extreme Sidecar main event. Number 88, the team of Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer took the top honors with the win.