Fast Fridays Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California
Extreme Sidecars Return
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
By Michael Kirby (Story & Photos)
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, June 11, 2021
The Extreme Sidecars returned to Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway Friday night at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn Ca. It was the first of their four season appearances. The five teams were welcomed by a full house of fans eager for their particular brand of speedway racing. The two rider teams mount 1100cc high powered three wheeled bikes and circle the track at break neck speeds, one rider driving one rider hanging on to the back. Great stuff and the fans love it.
Sidecar veteran driver Joe Jones and his rider Tom Summers took the sidecar main event. Riding out of the inside lane Jones and Summers got to the lead in turn one and never looked back. Chased aggressively by the team of Robert Curry and Jason Fritze and the team of Smylie Kinne and Josh Bostos until Curry ad Fritze spun out leaving the chase to Kinne and Bustos. Kinne and Bustos hung in but Jones’ years of experience carried them to the finish line first. Kinne and Bustos finished second; Curry and Fritze recovered and settled for third.
Along with the exciting sidecar program Fast Fridays presented a full two wheeled speedway program. Louie Mersaroli bagged his first main event win of the 2021 season in the scratch main event. One of the four fastest riders of the night to make the main event finale Mersaroli faced Blake Borello, Billy Janniro and Daniel Faria. Mersaroli’s luck on the draw put him in lane one and as the tapes went up got a good gate and took the lead never to relinquish it. Chased by Faria until he fell then Borello and Janniro got in on the chase, but Mersaroli unfazed led all the way to the checkered flag. Borello was second, Janniro third and Faria fourth.
The handicap main event was topped by Timmy Dion. Dion riding on the zero line did an excellent job holding off the deep yardage guys and was perfect in the program, winning his heat race, semi-final race and the main event. Kyle Cunningham crashed and forced a restart with Cunningham moved back to the 60 yard line. Another Cunningham tumble took him out of the race and Dion at the front of the line restart. Dion then lead all the way to the finish line. Chance Grove who rode well finishing second, Mersaroli was third.
Rees Todd again won the Division II main event. Todd seems to feel right at home in the Division II main event finishing second in week one and winning last week and again Friday night. Todd was followed by Dylan Wagner in second and Sammy Tetrault in third. Relative speedway newcomer Ben Bishoff won the Division III main event. In only his fourth speedway race Bishoff seems to have figured it out racking up his second main event win in four races. “I have a motocross background and won one main event down south also,” Bishoff said. John Peters was second and Tim Rott was third.
In the Youth 250 Division Alex Martin out of the inside lane was able to figure out how to contain Charlie Trana. Trana took Martin to task in their two heat races but Martin had Trana’s number in the main event. “I made a lot of changes that I was not that comfortable with and put in all on the line in the main, it was tough fighting off Charlie,” said Martin. Repeating his week one performance Darren Armbruster took the Youth 150 main event. Armbruster was perfect winning all his races Friday night. Jameson Hutchinson was second and William Hennefer was third.
Fast Fridays Results for 06-11-21
Scratch Main Event
1-Louie Mersaroli, 2-Blake Borello, 3-Billy Janniro, 4-Daniel Faria
Handicap Main Event
1-Timmy Dion, 2-Chance Grove, 3-Bart Bast
Division II Main Event
1-Rees Todd, 2-Dylan Wagner, 3-Sammy Tetrault
Division III Main Event
1-Ben Bishoff, 2-John Peters, 3-Tim Rott
Youth 250 Main Event
1-Alex Martin, 2-Charlie Trana, 3-Chase Kangas
Youth 150 Main Event
1-Darren Armbruster, 2-Jameson Hutchinson, 3-William Hennefer
Sidecars
1-Joe Jones/Tom Summers, 2-Smylie Kinne/Josh Bustos, 3-Robert Curry/Jason Fritze
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