Fast Fridays Speedway

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California

Challenge Series
Fast Friday's Motorcycle Speedway, Gold Country Fairgrounds
Janniro Doubles Agains
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, August 12, 2016

Billy Janniro won both the Handicap Main Event and the Scratch Main Event Friday night in Auburn at the Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway.

Billy Janniro could do no wrong Friday night in Auburn at the Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway. Janniro just electrified the Gold Country Fairgrounds track with an undefeated night of racing before heading to Southern California to defend his national championship in the third round of the AMA Speedway National Championship Series at Industry Racing’s Grand Arena.

Janniro dominated with wins every time he rolled onto the track in both the handicap and scratch programs, riding his signature wheelies across the finish line. Janniro’s totals for the season are seven scratch main event wins, two handicap main events wins and twice he has won both the scratch and handicap main events in one evening. He looks well prepared for the upcoming third national championship round. “Tonight is just making sure my mind is in there for tomorrow night, (Saturdays third round national championship), Max (Ruml) has been doing pretty good down there so I just have to show up and do better,” said Janniro. “He’s just nine points behind me.”

In the scratch program Janniro drew the outside lane, and faced Bryan Yarrow in one, Tommy Hedden in two and Bart Bast in lane three. As the tapes went up Janniro got a good gate and flew to the inside on turn one and just held on powering down the straight aways with his front wheel lifting off the track. Yarrow who fell in line second, dogged him closing the gap between them almost able to pass Janniro in the corners only to be out distanced in the straight away. Though they were close, and Yarrow did all he could the champ sailed across the finish line. Yarrow finished second, Bast third and Hedden fourth.

In the handicap program Janniro had to work a little harder handicapped on the 60 yard line. He has six laps to find his way through and around the lower yardage riders to win. Janniro won his heat race and the semi final before lining up for the main event which also included heavyweights Luke Becker, Bart Bast and Broc Nicol. It was PJ Byrne though, having argueably one of his best nights of racing at Fast Fridays, that would give Janniro the most trouble. Riding off the 10 yard line Byrne showed great poise and held his own under pressure from Janniro for the duration of the race. Byrne had Janniro, but a late surge at the finish line that gave Janniro just a slight edge in the near photo finish. Janniro was awarded the win, Byrne was second and Becker was third.

The final spot in the Challenge Elimination Series was filled by Russell Green Friday night. The challenge elimination format is five riders racing in a series of one lap races with the last place finisher eliminated after each lap. The final two riders race a two lap race to determine the winner. In the final round to fill the fifth spot in the championship it was Green, Tommy Hedden, Broc Nicol, Bryan Yarrow and PJ Byrne. Yarrow was the first to fall; Byrne was next followed by Hedden leaving Nicol and Green to race off in the two-lapper. Green was on the inside and Nicol way out in lane four. It was a close race for one lap when Nicol shut down forgetting it was a two lap race giving Green the win and the championship spot. Green now will go against Charlie Venegas, Billy Janniro, Daniel Faria and Luke Becker in the Challenge Elimination Championship at Fast Fridays on September 2.

\Jeremy Estes repeated his last week’s main event win in Division II. Estes tore it up in Division III earlier in the season with four main event wins before being moved up to Division II where he has now won a total of three main events-two in a row. Lawrence McNutt was second and Nick Dion third. Tim Dion won his first ever main event in the Division III main event program. Part of the Dion racing family at Fast Friday’s Dion finally broke into the winner’s column Friday night. “It’s my first main event win here at Fast Fridays, I’ve been racing for four years but haven’t made it that many meets,” Dion said. “Tonight it was a great start and the right tire.” Dion was second in his heat race to advance to the main event. Cameron Beck, last week’s Division III main event winner was second and Les Veale was third.

Kyle Cunningham picked up the win in the Youth 250 A main event, his second of the season. Cameron Krezman was second and Landon Norton was third. Landon Collins won the Youth 250 B main event followed by Greg Moore in second and Aidan McNutt in third. The lone Youth 150 rider, Sammy Waddill riding with the Youth 250 B riders was awarded the Youth 150 main event winner. Newcomer to the Fast Fridays Run What U Brung program, Michael Mannion won the main event. Shawn Eldredge was second and Matt King was third.

Fast Fridays Results for 8-12-16

Scratch Main Event
1-Billy Janniro, 2-Bryan Yarrow, 3-Bart Bast, 4-Tommy Hedden

Scratch Consolation
1-Luke Becker, 2-Russell Green, 3-Charlie Venegas, 4-Broc Nicol

Handicap Main Event
1-Billy Janniro, 2-PJ Byrne, 3-Luke Becker, 4-Bart Bast, 5-Broc Nicol, 6-Russell Green

Handicap Consolation
1-Dalton Leedy, 2-Daniel Faria, 3-Charlie Venegas, 4-Bryan Yarrow, 5-Tommy Hedden, 6-Eddie Marsalla (fell)

Challenge Elimination Series (Round 5)
1-Russell Green, 2-Broc Nicol, 3-Tommy Hedden, 4-PJ Byrne, 5-Bryan Yarrow

Division II Main Event
1-Jeremy Estes, 2-Lawrence McNutt, 3-Nick Dion, 4-Shawn Eldridge, 5-Mike Achilles, 6-Eddie Marsalla

Division II Consolation
1-Cameron Beck, 2-Matt King, 3-William McCloskey, 4-Brian Leventon, 5-John Peters (fell)

Division III Main Event
1-Tim Dion, 2-Cameron Beck, 3-Les Veale, 4-Mac Henderson, 5-Harlan Bast, 6-Casey Cornilsen (fell)

Division III Consolation
1-Hunter Morris, 2-Joseph Rosselit

Youth 250 D-1 Main Event
1-Kyle Cunningham, 2-Cameron Krezman, 3-Landon Norton, 4-Colton Nelson, 5-Dylan Wagner, 6-Anthony Dion

Youth 250 D-2 Main Event
1-Landon Collins, 2-Sammy Waddill, 3-Greg Moore, 4-Aidan McNutt, 5-Timmy Dion (retired)

Youth 150 Main Event
1-Sammy Waddill

Run What U Brung
1-Michael Mannion, 2-Shawn Eldredge, 3-Matt King

Photos By Michael Kirby

	2015 National Speedway Champion Billy Janniro holds his trophies for winning both the handicap and scratch main event wins for the second time this season.
	Billy Janniro was undefeated in both the scratch and handicap programs Friday night at Fast Fridays.
	Russell Green (left) won the last spot in the Challenge Elimination Series round five and will be entered into the Challenge Elimination Championship September 2 at Fast Fridays. Pictured racing against Green in a challenge elimination heat is Broc Nicol (center) and Tommy Hedden (right).
	Tim Dion won the Division III main event.
	Auburn’s Kyle Cunningham won the Youth 250 A main event, his second of the season.
	Auburn’s Landon Collins won the Youth 250 B main event.