Sidecar racing at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn Ca.
August 29, 2026
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Auburn Ca.
Michael Kirby Story and Photos
This week at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway was the first week that the races have moved to Saturday nights for the rest of the season to accommodate various school schedules. Also, this week was the return of the extraordinary Extreme Sidecars teams to the Fast Friday’s tricky dirt oval in Auburn Ca. It is the fourth and last appearance at Fast Fridays before the AMA Extreme Sidecar National Championships on September 26. It is then that Fast Fridays will host the race that will crown the 2026 sidecar national champion.
These sidecar teams have to be seen to be believed. If you have not witnessed these wild races imagine three-wheeled 1000cc motorcycles driven by a driver with a rider (monkey) moving from side-to-side on the back keeping the rear or the motorcycle grounded to the track. No brakes and from zero to sixty miles per hour in seconds off the start line and all of the teams converging in the tight turn one. What could go wrong? Very exciting fast paced racing.
Four sidecar teams made the trip to Auburn to race in three heat races then a main event. The teams Saturday night were Robert Curry and Laurie Curry, Matt Walters and Jonny Estrada, Jason Fritze and Elizabeth Hanson and Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer. The competition was tight and the last night to tune-up for the upcoming championship.
The first three heat races for the sidecars showed the skill of Boyd and Lindauer as they picked up the first three wins. The Curry’s who were the 2022 AMA National Sidecar Champions had mechanical problems with their motorcycle and were not able to finish the first or second races. Walters and Estrada followed Boyd and Lindauer to the finish line finishing second in both of the first two races. Fritze and Hanson were third.
Heat three brought similar results though the Curry team did get their bike running and they finished in third-place. Boyd and Lindauer were again first and Walters and Estrada finished second. Then it was on to the main event.
All the bikes lined up on the start line. Out of the gate the Curry’s had the lead ahead of Boyd and Lindauer for the entire race. At the finish line after the Curry’s had won the main event and Boyd and Lindauer were second a mishap happened at the finish line. The team of Walters and Estrada came off the track and into the starting gate and hay bales that protect the race officials in the infield. It is rare but these things do happen and luckily no one was hurt this time just shook-up and some damage to the motorcycle. Most racers just pass it off as “Thats racing.” Hats off to all the sidecar racers who come out and lay it all on the line in this unique sport.
In the two-wheeled speedway action Brady Landon picked up another scratch main event. The win is Landon’ fifth scratch main event win of the season. This young rider has really made an impact at Fast Fridays and remember this is his first season on a 500cc motorcycle racing in division one. Landon was the 2025 Youth 250cc national champion last season.
Lining up with Landon for the main event was current national champion Broc Nicol, past 11-time national speedway championship Billy Janniro and Darren Armbruster. Pretty tough competition. Out of the gate Nicol led the way for for three laps and on the third lap with just half a lap to go to the finish line, Landon made a brilliant move to the inside and with a burst of throttle passed Nicol to take the lead and the win. Nicol was second, Armbruster was third and Janniro was fourth.
Fast Fridays “Iron Man” Louie Mersaroli won the handicap main event. It was his first main event win of the season. Riding off the 20-yard line Mersaroli was invincible in the handicap program winning his heat race and semi-final heat to advance to the main event. A crash between Russell Green and Danny Faria in the second lap with Mersaroli leading forced a restart. Again Mersaroli took the lead and held on with serious challenges by Broc Nicol and Wilbur Hancock to take the win. Hancock was second and Nicol was third.
Sean McAndrew topped the Support D2 division main event. It is McAndrew’s first main event win in the Support D2 division since moving up from the Support D3 division this week. He was perfect for the night winning all his races including the main event. Antonio Coffman was second and Brandon Hendrickson was third.
Jeff Schoenstein won the Support D3 main event, his fourth main event win. Schoenstein was second in his first and second heat races, then went on to win the main event. Tim Dion was second and Sebe Denniston was third.
Jameson Hutchinson won the Youth 250cc D1 main event, his ninth main event win of the season and again he was perfect in all his races. Caden Cavrikas was second and Wesley Rearick was third. Colton Cooper was first in the Youth 250cc D2 main event, his fourth main event win in his division. Leeann Emerson was second and Baylee Evans-Seeley was third.
Preparing for the upcoming AMA Youth Championships the Youth 150cc D1 and the Youth 150cc D2 divisions ran together this week. This will help the riders in this division when Fast Fridays hosts the 2026 AMA Youth 250cc and 150cc national championships on September 26. Mason Howell won the main event., Liam Falcon was second and Logan Kerr was third. There was a consolation race and Brady Wills was first, Hank Hanaway was second and Kaiden Boyd-Bews was third. Kaydence Craw was first in the Youth 150cc D3 division main event. Kinsley Stephenson was second and William Bruce was third.
Also, Saturday night was the last night for riders in Division I, Support D2 and Support D3 divisions to accumulate points in the points race for track champions. Next week, September 5 the top riders in each division will be seeded in a championship round to decide the 2026 Fast Fridays track championships. Also the Pee-Wee’s will have their track championship.
All of the divisions are very close. As of last week leading Division I is Billy Janniro with 1479 points, Broc Nicol has 1443 points and Darren Armbruster has 1242 points. Support Division D2 is led by Marc Denniston with 639 points, followed by Brandon Hendrickson with 629 points and Catherine Moore with 592 points. Real tight is the Support Division D3 with Sean McAndrew leading by just three points over Sebe Denniston with 650 points to Denniston’s 647 points. In third-place is Tim Dion with 583.
Results from Fast Fridays 8-29-26
Scratch Main Event:
1-Brady Landon, Broc Nicol, 3-Billy Janniro, 4-Darren Armbruster
Handicap Main Event:
1-Louie Mersaroli, 2-Wilbur Hancock, 3-Broc Nicol
Support Division D2:
1-Sean McAndrew, 2-Antonio Coffman, 3-Brandon Hendrickson
Support Division D3:
1-Jeff Schoenstein, 2-Tim Dion, 3-Sebe Denniston
Youth 150cc D1/D2 Main Event:
1-Mason Howell, 2-Liam Falcon, 3-Logan Kerr, 4-Luke Seeger
Youth 150cc D3 Main Event:
1-Kaydence Craw, 2-Kinsley Stephenson, 3-William Bruce, 4-Mason Latham
Youth 250cc D1 Main Event:
1-Jameson Hutchinson, 2-Caden Cavrikas, 3-Wesley Rearick
Youth 250cc D2 Main Event:
1-Colton Cooper, 2-Leeann Emerson, 3-Baylee Evans-Seeley
Extreme Sidecar Series (Round Four):
1-Robert Curry/Laurie Curry, 2-Wade Boyd/Eric Lindauer, 3-Jason Fritze/Elizabeth Hanson
