Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
Janniro and Essary Repeat Winners
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, MAY 15, 2009
Billy Janniro took the Scratch Main Event at Auburn Toyota’s Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway Friday night for the second time in two weeks repeating his opening night win last week. Janniro’s wasting little time adjusting to the shorter track at the Gold Country Fairgrounds as he hones his game back home after four years of professional racing in Europe, and is now competing weekly at Fast Friday’s. Lining up at the tape in lane four for the Scratch Main Event, along side Foresthill’s Kenny Ingalls in lane three, Auburn’s Bart Bast in lane 2 and Auburn’s Tommy Hedden in lane1, the main was loaded with talent. Janniro was the first man inside on turn one and didn’t look back as he kept the inside lane and showed his distinctive racing style powering out of each turn and leading the entire race. The hometown boys gave Janniro a race but just couldn’t catch him as Hedden finished second, Ingalls third and Bast was fourth.
Janniro is still struggling from the sixty-yard line in the handicap program but did pick up an impressive win in the Handicap Semi-Final. Four riders lined up on the fifty-yard line. Bart Bast, Kenny Ingalls, Chad Felicio, and Tommy Hedden all sat on the fifty with Kell Kerrigan at zero yards. As the tape went up Bast grabbed the inside lane on turn one. Bast kept all riders at bay for four laps staying inside until Janniro passed him in a gutsy move coming from the outside and catching him on the inside, picking up his first handicap win of the season in a exciting race. Bast finished second, Hedden third, and Felicio was fourth.
Young rider Ben Essary is causing quite a stir at Fast Friday’s as he picked up his second Handicap Main win for the second week in a row after losing another 10 yards and starting on the 30 this week. Working through the pack in an exciting race Essary took the lead on the third lap and held on for the win ahead of Bryan Yarrow who finished second, Bart Bast in third, and Tommy Hedden in fourth. Nicknamed the “Buzzsaw” by track announcer Mike Rooney, Essary in only in his second season on the 500cc bike, and is turning heads. “I’m feeling a little more confident getting over the first week gitters, and trying to ride smart, that helps a lot,” said Essary. The seventeen-year-old Rio Oso resident started riding in the youth divisions in 2004 and moved up to the big bikes just last year and is showing everyone that he is a real competitor. “It’s definitely a good way to start the season,” Essary said before taking the winners podium for the trophy presentation. “Right now I’m happy and wore out but having lots of fun.”
Essary also won the first Challenge Elimination Series of the season and earned a place in the Challenge Elimination Series Championship to be held on September 4th. The Challenge Elimination is a series of one-lap races with the last man leaving until two riders are left and one is eliminated in a final two-lap run-off. Essary will face off against the next four Challenge winners in the series championship. Essary topped Charlie Venegas, Alex Marcucci. Tommy Hedden, and then beat Kenny Ingalls in the two-man run-off.
In the Division II Main Charles Haines took first, Steve Lewotsky finished second, and Tori Hubbert was third. Division III Main was won by again this week by Dustin Berdollt, Mark Legarra was second, and Kjell Lovlien finished third. Thomas Reich won the Division I Youth Main, Amber Felicio took second and Cody Ciciarelli was third.
It was a perfect Auburn night as the exciting 2009 season of Fast Friday’s gets underway for the second week at the Gold Country Fairgrounds.
Results
Division I
Scratch Main-Billy Janniro-1, Tommy Hedden-2, Kenny Ingalls-3, Bart Bast-4
Handicap Main-Ben Essary-1, Bryan Yarrow-2 Bart Bast-3
Division II Main-Charles Haines-1, Steve Lewotsky-2, Tori Hubbert-3
Division III Main-Dustin Berdollt-1, Mark Legarra-2, Kjell Lovlien-3
Division I Youth Main-Thomas Reich-1, Amber Felicio-2, Cody Ciciarelli-3
Division II Youth Main-Jamison Dilky-1, Ryan Vaughn-2, PJ Byrne-3
Photos
0324-Billy Janniro getting off the sixty-yard line in an early handicap heat race.
0332-Chad Felicio and Tommy Hedden get a good start off the back 50-yard line in the Handicap program. Both Felicio and Hedden had good nights racing with Hedden finishing second in the Scratch Main Event.
0423- Ben Essary (L) and Bryan Yarrow battle for inside space in the Handicap Main Event. Essary is having a great season start winning the Handicap Main for the second week in a row. Essary also won the first round of the Challenge Elimination Series.
0442 Ben Essary on the winner’s podium accepting his trophy for first place in the Handicap Main Event. Trophy girls Shylo Quick (L) and Jocelyn Ban Orden (R).
0437 Billy Janniro in winning form in the Scratch Main Event. Janniro won the main and was the fastest man at the track for the second week in a row.
0426 Thomas Reich finding his groove at Fast Friday’s with a Division I Youth Main Event win.