Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Janniro and Hooten Notch Wins
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 12, 2009
Billy Janniro and Greg Hooten notched exciting wins Friday night at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn. The Gold Country Fairgrounds track was alive with thrilling motorcycle speedway action as a full card of races and the second appearance of Joe Jones and his band of daredevil sidecar racers provided fast paced action all night. Janniro again put another Scratch Main Event win under his belt at Fast Friday’s and Greg Hooten found his way to the podium for the first time this season with a thrilling Handicap Main Event win.
Janniro had an outstanding night of racing working himself into both the handicap and scratch mains as he adjusted to a bike supplied by his sponsors while his motorcycles are being fine-tuned to better suit the race tracks in California. The 2008 AMA USA National Speedway Champion has returned this year from a successful racing career in Europe with the Coventry Bees and is now racing at tracks in both Northern and Southern California. “My bikes are set up for the tracks in Europe and I’ve been struggling with them over here,” said Janniro. “We’re in the process to setting them up and fine tuning the bikes for the tracks here.” Janniro drew lane three for the scratch main with Fast Friday’s favorite Bart Bast in lane one, Greg Hooten in lane two and last weeks scratch main winner Charlie Venegas drawing the outside lane four. With Bast right on Janniro’s rear tire the entire race Janniro mistakes were few and Bast could not find a way around Janniro. Bast finished second, Hooten was third and Venegas finished fourth.
In an exciting Handicap Main Event Hooten was able to hold on to a thrilling finish to find his way to the winner’s podium for the first time this season. Having a great night from the forty-yard line Hooten was pitted against Ben Essary also on the forty, Mark Carrillo at zero, Devin Defreece on the ten, Bast from the fifty and Janniro way back sitting on the sixty. A crash on lap three caused a staggered re-start and after Janniro left the track for a few minor engine adjustments referee Dane Besneatte re-started riders Hooten first, Bast second, Janniro third, followed by Essary, Venegas and Defreece. As the race got going again Hooten, Bast and Janniro went at it for on the final two laps as Hooten found the inside land first and held on. With one lap to go Janniro’s bike got away from him and he went down along his hopes of being the first Fast Friday’s rider of the season to win both the handicap and scratch mains. Hooten held on to take the checkered flag, Bast finished second and Essary finished third.
The crew of sidecar racers found there way to Auburn again Friday night in the mist of a very busy week of racing, putting on a thrilling program. The veteran team of Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen again took the main event. The teams raced at City of Industry on Wednesday, Fast Friday’s Friday night, and will find themselves back in Southern California Saturday night at Costa Mesa. “The circuit is tough, with lots of driving between races,” said Jones.
Bringing fans up to date in national speedway action, on Saturday June 6th at Costa Mesa California the first round AMA/USA Speedway National Championship Series round one was staged with Greg Hancock having a perfect night with 21 points. Hancock is out to become the first rider to win eight USA National Speedway Championships and now sits tied with speedway legend and Auburn area resident Mike Bast at seven national championships each. Billy Janniro would like to repeat as the 2009 USA National Speedway Champion and is three points back with 18, and Foresthill’s Kenny Ingalls has 16. The National Series continues with round two July 10th and the final round October 2nd both to be staged at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway Gold Country Fairgrounds track.
Results
Division 1 Scratch Main Event 1-Billy Janniro 2-Bart Bast 3-Greg Hooten 4-Charlie Venegas
Division 1 Handicap Main Event 1 Greg Hooten 2-Bart Bast 3-Ben Essary
Division 2 Main Event 1-Daniel Faria 2-Tori Hubbert 3-Richard Fehrman
Division 3 Main Event 1-Kendra Warren 2-Billy Vaughn 3-Kjell Lovien
Division 1 Youth Main Event 1-Amber Felicio 2-Thomas Reich 3-Cody Cicciarelli
Division 2 Youth Main Event 1-PJ Byrne 2-Kevin Black 3-Ryan Vaughn