August 4, 2023

Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway

Auburn Ca.

Michael Kirby Story and Photos

            An enthusiastic crowd welcomed the Extreme Sidecars back to the Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway Friday night in Auburn Ca. The visit was the fourth time this season for sidecars in Auburn. Again, these wild three wheeled pairs took to the Fast Fridays tricky dirt oval at break neck speeds to the delight of Fast Fridays fans. The next time the Extreme Sidecars teams come back to Fast Fridays will be on September 2 for the 2023 AMA National Sidecar Championship. The sidecars ran three heat races and then all five sidecars were then in an exciting main event.

            On this visit the team of Joe Jones and Sammy Tetrault won the main event, Smylie Kinne and Eric Heider were second and Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer were third. They say bumping is racing and, in the sidecar main event there was a little of that going on. With the team of Kinne and Heider leading the five teams, Jones and Tetrault got up close and personal on the inside and nudged Kinne and Heider just enough to get by on the turn and take the lead. Kinne and Heider kept in the hunt but could not catch Jones and Tetrault who took the win. Kinne and Heider fell in at second, followed by the team of Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer who finished third.

            Sidecar heat race winners were Lawrence McNutt and Dana Miller in the first heat, Boyd and Lindauer in the second heat and Kinne and Heider won the third heat race going into the main event.

            Billy Janniro, before heading south for the second round of the 2023 AMA National Speedway Series, picked up another Division I scratch main event win his fifth this season. Maybe it was primer for eleven time and current national champion before into the second round of the championship series the next day, but Janniro was perfect in the scratch program winning his heat race, semi-final and then the main event. Broc Nicol was second and Louie Mersaroli was third.

            Young Charlie Trana 16, in his first season on a 500cc bike broke into the winner’s circle with his first main event win of season in the Division I handicap main event. Trana last season was the 2022 Youth 250 AMA National Champion and looks like he has taken well to the upgrade. Trana transferred to the main with a second-place finish in his heat and a third-place finish in his semi but pulled it all together for the win in the main event. Off the 10-yard line Trana had little trouble in the main event leading from tape to tape for the convincing win. Louie Mersaroli was second, Blake Borello was third and Broc Nicol was fourth.

            Lawrence McNutt was a busy dude Friday night doing triple duty riding in Division II, the sidecar program and the Division I scratch program and he picked up the win in the DII main event. Going back and forth between a speedway bike and piloting a sidecar did not seem to be a distraction for McNutt. McNutt was perfect in the DII program with a win in his heat race and then the win in the main event. Cody Aker was second and John Peters was third. Division III was won by Troy McQueen, his first main event win of the season. A newcomer to speedway in his first year McQueen was third in his heat race then riding off the zero line won the main event. Antonio Coffman was second and Mike Newham was third.

            In the youth program Darren Armbruster won the Youth 250 main event. With first and second place finishes in his heat races, Armbruster, handicapped on the 50-yard line, trailed Brady Landon for most of the race but made his move in the last 10 yards of the race to take the win at the tapes. Landon was second and Levi Leutz was third.

            Having a great run in the Youth 150 program Riley Rearick won his fourth Youth 150 main event in a row. Even being moved back each week with a greater handicap Rearick, now on the 50-yard line, seems to find a way each week to the winner’s podium. This week Hudson Jones, up from Southern California with his father sidecar driver Joe Jones gave Rearick some pressure but riding on his home track Rearick followed Jones until he was able to make his move for the win. Jones, who is just seven years old, finished second and Leeann Emerson was third.

            There are no races next week August 11 as Fast Fridays takes a back-to-school break. Racing will resume on Saturday August 19 with the Team Challenge Finals, the Fast Fridays Track Championship and the Pee Wee Championships. All races for the rest of the season at Fast Fridays will be on Saturday nights.

Results for 08-04-23

Division I Scratch Main Event

1-Billy Junior, 2-Broc Nicol, 3-Louie Mersaroli, 4-Blake Borello

Division I Handicap Main Event

1-Charlie Trana, 2-Louie Mersaroli, 3-Blake Borello

Division II Main Event

1-Lawrence McNutt, 2-Cody Aker, 3-John Peters

Division III Main Event

1-Troy McQueen, 2-Antonio Coffman, 3-Mike Newham

Youth 250 Main Event

1-Darren Armbruster, 2-Brady Landon, 3-Levi Leutz

Youth 150 Main Event

1-Riley Rearick, 2-Hudson Jones, 3-Leeann Emerson