Max Ruml is the 2026 AMA National Speedway Champion. Great racing at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn Ca.

September 19, 2026

Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway

Auburn Ca.

Michael Kirby Story and Photos

Saturday night’s second round of the AMA National Speedway Championship was one for the books. It was an exciting night of racing staged professionally by Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway. At the end of a very exciting night Max Ruml emerged as the 2026 AMA National Speedway Champion.

The win was hard fought and Ruml earned every bit of his title. Ruml, was the national champion in 2022 and in 2023. Broc Nicol is the current AMA National Speedway Champion this season and was also the champion in 2024. Nicol finished third this season in the championship. Young Brady Landon finished second in this season’s race for the championship, his first year riding a 500cc motorcycle in Division I after winning the Youth 250cc national championship last year.

The AMA National Speedway Championship this season was conducted in two races, the first round at Industry Hills Speedway in Southern California on August 8. Points from that race are accumulated and carried over to the second and final round that was held at Fast Fridays Saturday night in Auburn Ca.

The format is 20-four rider scratch heat races with 15 seeded riders racing against each other at least once from different gates. Points are earned for each race. Three points for a win, two points for a second-place finish, one point for a third-place finish and zero for a fourth-place finish. After the 20 heat races the top eight riders with the most points are seeded into two semi-finals, and the scoring increases to 4-3-2-0. The first and second-place finishers for each semi-final move on to the Grand Final. The rider at the finish of the Grand Final that has scored the most points combined from both rounds is declared the national champion.

Max Ruml won the first round and brought 26 points into the final round. Brady Landon finished with 22 points from round one and Broc Nicol had 20 points. During a rider parade the riders were introduced to the full crowd at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. The races then got underway. Maybe it was just being antsy to get going but Ruml hit the tapes before they went up in heat four and was excluded losing a possible three points. As the heats were over it was Nicol that was in the driver’s seat for points in round two with 15 perfect points at the end of the 20 heats. Landon was second with 13 points and Ruml was in third with 11 points. Added to the round one points Nicol and Landon were tied with 35 points with Ruml trailing with 32 points.

Semi-final one Nicol, Hancock, Justin Almon and Levi Leutz were seeded. Nicol led all the way from the gate with a first-place finish and picking up four points, Hancock was second adding three points to his total, Almon was third picking up two points and Leutz fourth.

The second semi-final seeded Landon, Ruml, Chris Kerr and Russell Green. Ruml won this race, Landon was second, Kerr was third and Green was fourth. Now the score of the leaders had Ruml with 15 for the round and 41 total championship points, Nicol had 19 for the second round and 39 championship points and Landon had 16 second round points and 38 total championship points.

The first and second-place finishers in both semi-finals advanced to the Grand Final. The scoring again increased to eight points for first, six points for second, five points for third and four points for fourth. Nicol, leading in points in the second round chose first and took lane four, Ruml took three, Hancock was in two and Landon had gate one which he immediately took to hardening the dirt in his lane with his hotshoe.

Now is when I don’t think anybody could foresee what was coming but right out of the gate the first of four starts began. In start one in turn two Landon and Nicol hooked up and crashed and after ten minutes or so got up dusted off and headed back to the start line. Restart two had similar results with Nicol and Landon again tangling up and both going down. It was the same scenario in restart three with Nicol and Landon at the center of the action.

In the final restart all the riders lined up again and this race progressed past the second turn with Ruml in complete control leading Landon, Nicol and Hancock. On the final lap though in turn three Nicol ran up on Hancock and both riders went down and Landon was forced to go wide and into the wall. Referee Steve Lucero called the race at that time and with Ruml already past the finish line was declared the winner picking up eight points. Positions when the race was called determined the finishing order of the other three riders. Hancock got second-place and six points, Landon was third place with five points and Nicol was disqualified for causing the crash and received zero points.

The victory gave Ruml eight more points and a total of 23 for the night and added with his points for from round one his total for the championship was 49 points earning him the 2026 AMA National Speedway Championship.

Brady Landon having a fantastic first season riding in Division I finished second in the national championship with 43 combined point from round one and round two. His career with be interesting to watch and see where this young man will go in speedway racing. Nicol had a great night racing and some excellent moves on the track and is a tough never-give-up competitor finishing third in the national championship with 40 points.

Along with the championship program there was also a Youth 250cc, Youth 150cc program along with the pee-wee’s.

Next week, on Saturday September 26 the championship racing continues at Fast Fridays with the AMA Extreme Sidecars National Championship and the AMA Youth National Championships.

Results from 9-19-2026

2026 AMA Speedway National Championship (Two Rounds):
1-Max Ruml 49, 2-Brady Landon 43, 3-Broc Nicol 40, 4-Wilbur Hancock 29, 5-Aaron Fox 25, 6-Justin Almon-21, 7-Russell Green 15, 8-Levi Leutz 14, 9-Billy Janniro, Chris Kerr, Darren Armbruster-12, 10-Timmy Dion, Louie Mersaroli-11

AMA Speedway National Championship Round 2 Grand Final:
1-Max Ruml, 2-Brady Landon, 3-Broc Nicol, 4-Wilbur Hancock

Championship Round Two Points:
1-Max Ruml 0 2 3 3 3 4 8-23
2-Brady Landon 3 3 1 3 3 3 5-21
3-Broc Nicol 3 3 3 3 3 Bonus Point 1 4-20
4-Wilbur Hancock 2 3 2 3 0 3 6-19
5-Justin Almon 2 2 3 2 1 2-12
5-Chris Kerr 3 2 3 1 1 2-12

Youth 150cc D1/D2 Main Event:
1-Liam Falcon, 2-Mason Howell,3-Luke Seeger

Youth 150cc D3 Main Event:
1-Kaydence Craw, 2-Kinsley Stephenson, 3-Mason Latham

Youth 150cc Consolution Event:
1-Kaidin Boyd-Bews, 2-Hank Hanaway, 3-Chance Farrow

Youth 250cc D1 Main Event:
1-Wesley Rearick, 2-Justin Gist, 3-Jameson Hutchinson

Youth 250cc D2 Main Event:
1-Colton Cooper, 2-Baylee Evans-Seeley, 3-Leala Farrow