Salinas' Martin records first double-double of season at Fast Fridays

It was a special meeting at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway on the Fourth of July. It's always special when the Extreme Sidecars return to Auburn. This was their third appearance of the season, and the house was packed at the Gold Country Fairgrounds. The races started an hour earlier than usual, with a fireworks display provided by the City of Auburn and Gold Country Fairgrounds at the conclusion of the races. Fans celebrated the July 4 Independence Day with many dressed in patriotic clothing, and were treated to an outstanding rendition of the national anthem sung by Shieann Yates. The Extreme Sidecars ran three heats and a main event. A mishap in the first race sent two sidecars to the pits broken after hitting the wall. Tiffiny Leppien, who was riding with Jason Fritze, was injured and unable to continue. The sidecar team of Peter Konrad and Bryan Morrison also damaged their bike in the crash and could not continue. The accident left three of the five teams to put on a great show. Joe Jones and Johnny Glover won the main event, followed by the team Wade Boyd and Eric Lindauer. Robert Curry and Michael McGovern were awarded third place after McGovern fell off the bike on the third lap. Jones and Glover won the first heat race and placed second behind Curry and McGovern in the second and third heats. Curry and McGovern led off the line in the main event with Jones and Glover close behind but they got in trouble, coming too close to the track tube, and McGovern fell off as they nearly came into the infield. Jones and Glover took the lead for the finish. In speedway racing, Alex Martin had a stunning night in his first trip to Fast Fridays this season. Martin was unbeaten in the handicap and scratch programs, winning every time he rolled onto the track to record the first double-double of the season. Only Billy Janniro and Broc Nicol had won the scratch main events until Martin pulled into town. Janniro was second, Darren Armbruster was third and Danny Faria was fourth. Handicapped on the 10-yard line, Martin scored wins in all his heat races. Armbruster, also starting on the 10-yard line, was second and Janniro, handicapped on the 30-yard line, just could not make up the difference and settled for third. Antonio Coffman was first in the support main event and also had a perfect night by winning his heats. Tim Dion was second in the handicap main and Brian Leventon was third. Coffman did double duty, also riding in the Division 1 program. After finishing second five times this season in Youth 250cc D1 main events, Wesley Rearick picked up his first victory Friday night. Rearick finished third in his two heat races before the feature, staying ahead of Jameson Hutchinson and Caden Cavrikas. In the Youth 250cc D2 main event, Baylee Evans Seeley picked up her first main event win of the season. Gracie Janniro was second and Justin Gist third. Evans Seeley was first and second in her heats. Visiting Fast Fridays for the third time this season, Hudson Jones, son of sidecar champion Joe Jones, took the Youth 150cc D1 main event. Jones aced his heat races and pulled away from the challenges of Brady Wills and Zander Schroeder on the final laps in the main event. Mason Howell won the Youth 150cc D2 main event, Gavin Evans Seeley was second and Leeann Emerson was third. William Bruce picked up his second main event win of the season in Youth 150cc D3 class. Ryder Faria was second and Zeva Schroeder was third. Faria led most of the race, but Bruce caught Faria at the finish line for a near photo finish. The Team Challenge continues this week with round four. Team Law Tigers leads Team IFC by a slim 28-26.