Fast Fridays Speedway

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California

The 34th Annual North vs. South Challenge
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, July 18, 2025
Michael Kirby Story and Photos

It was epic night of team racing, one of the best North vs. South Challenge meeting ever staged. It was the 34th year that this long running event has been staged at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn Ca. It was a perfect night, the teams carefully selected to present the best competition. Entering this years meeting the North Team was leading the series 21-12 and after one of the closest contests in memory the North was again victorious winning for the second year in a row 69-66. This makes the total win-loss record 22-12 for the North.

As the final score indicates the teams were just three points apart at the finish and going into the grand final heat the score was tied 60-60 and anyone race, it came down to one final race, four quick laps.

The match-up of the teams was near perfect bringing some of the best riders from Northern California and Southern California to Auburn's tricky dirt oval at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. For the North, this years team consisted of 11 time AMA National Speedway Champion Billy Janniro, current AMA National Speedway Champion Broc Nicol, Bryan Yarrow, Timmy Dion, Darren Armbruster, and Danny Faria. The South team was very strong also leading with three time AMA National Speedway Champion Max Ruml, Slater Lightcap, Alex Martin, Chris Kerr, Wilbur Hancock and Greg Moore, all the riders on both teams are Division I experienced racers, some of the best in the sport.

The program consisted of 18 scratch races 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. At the end of the heat races, the teams selected two riders each to go into a Final and a Grand Final in which the points increased giving the teams chance to really catch up or pull ahead. The team with the most points at the end of the final and grand final would be the winner.

Until heat eight the score between the North and South was either tied or within two points of each other. After seven heats and first place finishes for Martin and two from Ruml the South led with 22 points. The North trailed by just two points at 20 with first place finishes from Nicol, Armbruster, Faria and Janniro. But in heat eight the South broke it open with the biggest lead of the night so far with first and second place finishes by Lightcap and Kerr leaving the score with the South leading 27-21. The North bounced back though in heat nine, as this trend would continue for most of the evening, with first and second finishes by Nicol and Dion bringing the North just two points behind 28-26.

The South held the lead until heat 12 when Faria and Armbruster combined for four points and again the score tied at 36-36. In heats 13 and 14 the South had really strong finishes again from Ruml and Martin and Kerr and Lightcap and the South took the largest lead of the meeting so far 46-38 over the North. The rules allow for a team down more than six points to use the Joker rule, which allows the down team to substitute, one time a rider in the next heat and his points are doubled and added to his teams score. The North decided to use the Joker and added Nicol to heat 15 in place of Yarrow. Nicol made the maximum use of the rule winning the heat and picking up six points for his efforts bringing the score closer at 49-44 with the South still leading.

Looking bad for the North the South increased their lead to 10 points ahead after heat 16 and held on to the lead 57-48 after heat 17. With a first place finish by Nicol and Dion in heat 18 the score was the South still leading 58-53 going into the bonus heats with scoring increasing.

In the Final (second to the last race) the scoring increased to four, three, two and zero for finishing positions and in the Grand Final the scoring increased still more to six, five, four, and again zero for a fourth finish. For the North Janniro and Yarrow went to the start line, and Martin and Kerr went out to the line for the South. These races are tight and very competitive as bragging rights for a year are on the line. All the riders are putting everything they have into it. Yarrow pulled off a great win followed by Janniro and combined for seven points for the North. Martin picked up two points for the South leaving if you can believe the score tied 60-60 going into the Grand Final. The whole evening of fantastic racing would be boiling down to one race for the championship four quick laps.

Coming out for the North was Nicol and Dion, for the South Ruml and Lightcap wheeled out to the start line. Dion had lane one, Lightcap was in two, Nicol in three and far out sat Ruml in lane four. Right out of the gate all the riders got good gates with Lightcap a step better in turn one. Bunched real tight for the entire race Lightcap held a small lead with Nicol just inches from him and the Dion right behind them. It was one of the best races seem by many and certainly the highlight of the evening. Lightcap held on for first and six points for the South, Nicol was second for five points for the North and Dion scored another four for his third place for the North. The North scored nine and the South scored six with Lightcap's win leaving the final score with another North win over the South 69-66. There were really no winners or losers this night though the North sprayed Martinelli's Sparkling Cider on each other on the winners podium because it was one the finest nights of racing ever presented at Fast Fridays and coming down to the final race it could of went either way.

Broc Nicol was the high scorer for the North with 26 points and Max Ruml led the South with 16 points.

Along with the North vs. South match-up there was also a full Youth 250cc and Youth 150cc program and of course the pee-wee's. In the Youth 150cc D1 division Mason Howell was first, Liam Falcon was second and Brady Wills was third. In the Youth 150cc D2 division Gavin Evans Seeley was first, Leeann Emerson was second and Ryder Faria was third. In the Youth 150cc D3 division William Bruce was first, Zeva Schroeder was second and Chance Farrow was third.

In the Youth 250cc D1 main event, Brady Landon picked up another win, Wesley Rearick was second and Riley Rearick was third. In the Youth 250cc D2 division Baylee Evans Seeley was first, Caden Cavrikas was second and Justin Gist was third. Congrats to the Seeley's, Gavin and Baylee for both taking top honors in their divisions.

Next week at Fast Fridays the season long grudge match renews with the fifth round of the Team Challenge where the Law Tigers lead Team IFC in another tight contest 37-35. It is the last round before the final championship round on August 8. “The place to be on Friday nights.”

North vs. South Challenge Results 7-18-25

North 69 South 66

North 69
Broc Nicol 3 2 3 3 1 3+3 (Joker) 3 5-26
Timmy Dion 1 1 2 2 0 2 4-12
Billy Janniro 2 3 0 1 0 3 3-12
Daniel Faria 0 3 1 3 1 0-8
Bryan Yarrow 0 1 1 0 0 0 4-6
Darren Armbruster 3 0 0 1 0 1-5

South 66
Max Ruml 1 3 3 3 3 3 0-16
Slater Lightcap 2 1 3 0 2 1 6-15
Alex Martin 3 0 2 2 2 2 2-13
Chris Kerr 0 2 2 1 3 2 0-10
Wilbur Hancock 2 2 1 2 2 1-10
Greg Moore 1 0 0 0 1 0-2

Grand Final 1-Broc Nicol, 2-Slater Lightcap, 3-Timmy Dion, 4-Max Ruml

Final 1-Bryan Yarrow, 2-Billy Janniro, 3-Alex Martin, 4-Chris Kerr

Youth 250cc Division 1 Main Event
1-Brady Landon, 2-Wesley Rearick, 3-Riley Rearick

Youth 250cc Division 2 Main Event
1-Baylee Evans Seeley, 2-Caden Cavrikas, 3-Justin Gist

Youth 150cc Division 1 Main Event
1-Zander Schroeder, 2-Liam Falcon, 3-Brady Wills

Youth 150cc Division 2 Main Event
1-Gavin Evans Seeley, 2-Leeann Emerson, 3-Ryder Faria

Youth 150cc Division 3 Main Event
1-William Bruce, 2-Zeva Schroeder, 3-Chance Farrow

Michael Kirby Photos
	Rich VanderMeeden sports and original shirt from the first North vs. South Challenge in 1991 in the pits Friday night at the 34th annual event.
	Referee Steve Lucero hold the official coin that will be used to determine starting positions for the North and South teams. The other side of the coin represented the South team.
	Fast Friday's referee Steve Lucero tosses a special coin to determine starting positions at the start of the 34th annual North vs. South Challenge as announcer Mike Rooney and the teams look on.
	All smiles the North and South teams pose for a photo before racing in the 34th annual North vs. South Challenge. (Left-right) South-Greg Moore, Wilbur Hancock, Chris Kerr, Slater Lightcap, Alex Martin, Max Ruml, Fast Fridays owner David Joiner, Daniel Faria, Billy Janniro, Darren Armbruster, Timmy Dion, Bryan Yarrow and Broc Nicol.
	The racing was tight in the 34th North vs. South Challenge at Fast Fridays. Shown in an early heat race (left-right) Slater Lightcap, Broc Nicol, Chris Kerr and Timmy Dion.
	Max Ruml was the high scorer for the South with 16 points.
	Broc Nicol was the high scorer for the North Team scoring 26 points including extra points for a Joker win.
	The start of the Grand Final, the last race of the night. With the teams tied at 60-60 the high scorers would be the winners. (Left-right) Max Ruml (S), Broc Nicol (N), Slater Lightcap (S) and Timmy Dion (N). The North team picked up nine points to the South's six points for the match win.
	The North Team celebrates their 69-66 win over the South Team on the winner's podium Friday night. (Left-right sitting) Broc Nicol, Timmy Dion and Danny Faria (Left-right standing) Billy Janniro, Darren Armbruster and Bryan Yarrow.