July 17, 2026

Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway

Auburn Ca.

Michael Kirby Story and Photos

What a night of fantastic racing at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn Ca. The North vs. South Challenge renewed its epic series for the 35th time and what a show it was. Not on a battlefield but on the tricky dirt oval at the Gold Country Fairgrounds.

The event showcased some of the best speedway racing over the years in this long running series. The event is the longest running speedway team racing event in California and maybe America. The best riders from Southern California faced off against the best riders from Northern California in a challenge that happens once a season and has for decades. It is popular with the riders for the competition it presents and draws a huge crowd of fans that wait all season for this race.

The North squad again came out on top of the South team by surprisingly the exact same score as last season’s match-up, 69-66. Both this seasons score and last season’s score have been the closest on record, just three points separated these two talented teams. The overall record for the series now sits at 23 wins for the North and 12 wins for the South.

The North team members were impressive with eleven-time AMA National Speedway Champion Billy Janniro, Darren Armbruster,Timmy Dion, Brady Landon, Danny Faria and Russell Green. The South team members, equally talented were 2025 AMA National Speedway Champion Broc Nicol, Louie Mersaroli, Wilbur Hancock, Chris Kerr, Levi Leutz and Justin Almon. High scorer for the North was Brady Landon who scored 19 points and the high scorer for the South was Broc Nicol who also scored 19 points for his team.

The championship program consisted of 18 scratch races, two riders from each team per race, with riders scoring three points for a win, two points for a second-place finish, one points for a third-place finish and zero points for a fourth-place finish. If a team is six points or more down, they can use a Joker to double a riders score one time in the meeting. After the 18 scratch heats the riders elect two pairs of riders to go into a Bonus round and then two more to go into the Grand Final. The scoring increases in these races giving the teams a chance to really turn the tables on their opponents.

The score throughout the evening was so close, just a few points separated the teams score and the meeting could of went either way. The racing was so fast and the adrenaline running so high there were many spills and lay-downs with each team trying to add points to their team’s tally. All the riders were pushing each other to the limit and riding on the edge as fast as they could.

After the first three heats the score ended tied at 9-9. Mersaroli picked up three points with a win for the South and Landon and Green had first place finishes for the North. In heats four, five and six the South led by a slim two points 19-17 behind first place finishes by Hancock and Leutz for the South. Landon picked up another first-place finish for the North.

Heats seven, eight and nine had both teams scoring first and second place finishes combining for five points each, the South in heat seven with Nicol and Mersaraoli delivering the one-two punch. The North in heat eight and nine with Armbruster and Janniro and Landon and Dion delivering first and second-place finishes. Score after nine heats still close 28-26 North. For the South, Leutz had a crash in heat nine in turn one and unfortunately could not continue. Substitute South riders filled in for him for the rest of the evening.

Something you don’t see often, Janniro spun around and fell in turn three along with Armbruster. After a short time on the track both riders were able to get up but Janniro was excluded from heat ten for causing the crash. Again, after heats 10-12 the teams were separated by just two points this time the South led 37-35. Nicol and and Kerr had first place finishes for the South and Faria had a first-place finish for the North. In heats 13-15 the South raised the bar scoring 10 points to the North’s eight points. The score after these heats put the South still in the driver’s seat ahead 47-43.

Heat 16 was a great race, Nicol led the race at a really fast pace with Green hot on his tail for the entire race making a final push at the finish line and just missed taking the win from Nicol but finishing second as the crowd roared approval for both the riders and the effort they each turned in. The score after heat 16 was the South up 51-45 allowing the North to use the Joker. Janniro was designated for the task which he took full advantage of scoring a win and six points in heat 17. The score after the last heat race (18) had the South leading 57-54 going into the bonus final races.

In the first bonus round the scoring increased to four, three, two and zero for finishes. The South feeling on solid ground with a three-point lead sent Hancock and Almon to the start line. The North sent Janniro and Dion as their representatives. Janniro delivered a win for the North and Dion a third-place finish scoring six points for the North. Almon came in with a second-place finish and three points, Hancock was fourth and no points. The score going into the Grand Final was knotted at 60-60. It could not have been a better setting as the tension was running high. The entire evening and bragging rights for the next year on the line with one race deciding the match.

Out to the start line came Nicol and Merseroli for the South and Landon and Green for the North. It all boiled down to this one race. The team that scored the most points in this race would be the challenge winners. The scoring increased to six points for the win, five points for second-place, four points for third place and zero for fourth.

Nicol, smooth and fast from the gate, led with young Landon giving chase, again an extremely fast race for all the riders. Nicol led the entire race though Landon did keep him honest with an aggressive challenge, but he could not catch the champ and Nicol finished first and Landon second, Green was third and Mersaroli was fourth. So even though Nicol won the race the combined score of Landon and Green for the North with nine points to the South’s six points put the North over top the final score resting at 69-66.

The match-up was one for the books. The teams that the Fast Friday’s staff put together were well-matched and from the start it was going to be excellent night of racing. The riders and the fans equally enjoyed the exciting evening of first-class speedway racing.

There was also a youth program and of course the pee-wee’s had a few heats. Jameson Hutchinson won the Youth 250cc D1 main event and Leeann Emerson won the Youth 250cc D2 main event. Mason Howell won the Youth 150cc D1 main event, Dexter Orlando won the Youth 150cc D2 main event and Kayeden Boyd-Bews won the Youth 150cc D3 main event. Complete results are listed below for the North vs. South challenge and the youth programs.

Next week, July 24, the Team Challenge returns to Fast Fridays with round five of the six round series. The series has gotten close as Team IFC took the lead after trailing Team Law Tigers for the first three rounds. The score now sits at Team IFC leading 38 to the Team Law Tigers’ 37 points.

North vs. South Challenge Results 7-17-26

North 69 South 66

North 69:

Brady Landon 3 3 3 0 2 3 5-19
Billy Janniro 2 0 2 0 3 6 4-17
Russell Green 3 2 0 1 3 2 4-15
Timmy Dion 1 2 2 2 0 2-9
Darren Armbruster 0 1 3 1 0 0-5
Danny Faria 0 0 1 3 0 0-4

South 66:

Broc Nicol 1 0 3 3 3 3 6-19
Justin Almon 2 2 1 2 1 2 3-13
Louie Mersaroli 3 1 2 2 1 2 1-12
Wilbur Hancock 0 3 1 1 2 2 1 0-10
Chris Kerr 2 1 0 3 1 1-8
Levi Leutz 1 3 0 0 0 0-4

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

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

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

Youth 150cc D2 Main Event:
1-Dexter Orlando, 2-Chance Farrow, 3-Gavin Evans-Seeley

Youth 150cc D3 Main Event:
1-Kayden Boyd-Bews, 2-Kaydence Craw, 3-Mason Latham