Fast Fridays Speedway

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street
Auburn, California

25 Lap Handicap Main
Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway
Gold Country Fairgrounds
AUBURN, CALIFORNIA, June 28, 2024
Story and Photos by Michael Kirby

Auburn California uses the moniker “Endurance Capital of the World” so named for the endurance sporting events that are staged in our beautiful canyons, rivers and scenic roads. World class athletes come from all over the world to compete in some of the events that are held here. Just this weekend one of the most famous running events the world the Western States Endurance 100-mile run starts just hours after the dust has settled on the tricky dirt oval at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway.
Not to be left out of the feats of strength in Auburn, Fast Fridays stages its own endurance event, the grueling 25 lap handicap main event. Typical speedway races are four or six laps long and take a minute so to run if there are no mishaps. This event that tests not only the endurance of the rider but also of the condition of the bike that is not designed to run this long in one race. Rider fatigue and motorcycle malfunction are critical concerns. Running time on this race is over five minutes.
The handicap yardage lengths are doubled, the Fast Friday's season track points are doubled and the rider purse is also doubled.

This year Slater Lightcap earned the “Fast Friday's Ironman” title outlasting the ten other riders that also started the contest. Lightcap, from Southern California and recently has been back and forth across the ocean racing in Europe crossed the finish line first the winner. After he made two turns on his cool down lap just past the finish line Lightcap's bike sputtered and he coasted to a stop out of fuel. Dripping of sweat the exhausted Lightcap shared some of his thoughts about his win with track announcer Mike Rooney before hopping up on the winner podium to celebrate.

The 25-lap main event is the finale for the handicap program and all riders transferred to the main event. Lightcap was first in his heat race and fourth in his semi-final before the 25-lap main event. The chore for the Fast Friday's crew is keeping track of the lap count, as riders drop, and mechanical problems arise putting racers into the center of the track or back to the pits. Louie Mersaroli, the 25-lap main event winner three of the last four seasons, finished second just behind Lightcap. Behind him was Blake Borello who was third.

The fastest man of the night though went to Broc Nicol the winner of the scratch main event. The win was his second scratch main event win of the season after doubling up with scratch and handicap main event wins two weeks ago. Nicol turned in perfect performance in the scratch program winning his heat and semi-final races to transfer to the main event. Nicol and Blake Borello were in the lead out of the gate with Billy Janniro right behind them working the outside of the track. Borello, having a great night, held on just trailing Nicol for three laps then Janniro passed him to move into second place. The trio rode to the finish line in tight formation with Nicol crossing the finish line first, Janniro second, Borello was third and Charlie Trana was fourth.

Larry Staggs was the winner of the support main event. Staggs, new to speedway racing this season but experienced in other motorcycle racing disciplines, won his heat race than the main event. Catherine Moore was second and Mike Newnham Jr. was third.

Jameson Hutchinson won the Youth 250 main event his second of the season. Caden Cavrikas was second and Wesley Rearick was third. Hutchinson won the main event and his heat race.

Riley Rearick won the Youth 150 main event his eighth of the season. Rearick remains unbeaten not only in the Youth 150 main events this season but still has yet to lose even any of his heat races so far this season. In an effort to level the playing field Rearick currently starts halfway around the track as a handicap. Rearick worked his way to the front on the last lap of the four-lap race taking the checkered flag by a narrow margin. Gavin Evans Seeley was second and Zander Schroeder was third.

In a handicap semi-final race Timmy Dion took a nasty hit into the wall out of turn four on the second lap and was injured. After a time with emergency personnel and Fast Friday's staff Dion got to his feet and was taken to an ambulance and transported to the hospital where it was determined that along with being very sore and banged up, he dislocated his shoulder. He will be out for a while with recovery but will be back racing at Fast Fridays as soon as possible. Get well soon Timmy.

Upcoming at Fast Friday's July 5 the Extreme Sidecars will bring their special brand of speedway racing back to Auburn for their third of five appearances at Fast Fridays which includes the AMA National Sidecar Championship on August 31. Be sure not to miss the excitement of this wild three wheeled racing.

Fast Friday's Results for 6-28-24
Division I Scratch Main Event
1-Broc Nicol, 2-Billy Janniro, 3-Blake Borello 4-Charlie Trana

Division I Handicap 25 Lap Main Event
1-Slater Lightcap, 2-Louie Mersaroli, 3-Blake Borello, 4-Rees Todd, 5-Bart Bast, 6-Broc Nicol

Support Class Main Event
1-Larry Staggs, 2-Catherine Moore, 3-Mike Newnham

Youth 250 Main Event
1-Jameson Hutchinson, 2-Caden Cavrikas, 3-Wesley Rearick

Youth 150 Main Event
1-Riley Rearick, 2-Gavin Evans Seeley, 3-Zander Schroeder

Michael Kirby Photos
	It's always happy time on the winner's podium when the peewees race to pick up their trophies. All peewees get a trophy for participation.
	Slater Lightcap (right) winner of the 25 Lap Main Event talks with Fast Friday's announcer Mike Rooney sharing his thoughts on his grueling win.
	Slater Lightcap topped the field of ten riders to win the 25 Lap Main Event Friday night at Fast Friday's and was crowned the 2024 season Fast Friday's Ironman.
	Larry Staggs (331) gets set for the Support Main Event Friday night. Staggs, new to speedway racing won his heat race and the main event.
	Broc Nicol was the “Fastest Man of the Night” winning the scratch main event. The win was his second scratch main event win of the season so far.
	Peewee racers Liam Falcon (left) and William Bruce (right) get serious in a peewee race. The peewee program is a crowd favorite, and the young racers always get a good round of applause from Fast Friday's fans.
	Jameson Hutchinson shown here in a Youth 250 heat race won the Youth 250 main event, his second of the 2024 Fast Friday's season.
	Riley Rearick won the Youth 150 main event. The win is Rearick's eighth for the season so far. Starting halfway around the track, Rearick has yet to lose not only a main event but any race this season.