Law Tigers finish job over IFC in Team Challenge

Championship racing has begun at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn. The first week of championships kicked off Aug. 8 on the famed tricky dirt oval at the Gold Country Fairgrounds, including the final round of the season-long Team Challenge. The teams race in pairs to help their teammates gather points. The Law Tigers held a 48-42 lead over Team IFC but didn't have the overall victory in the bag. Being six points down, Team IFC was allowed the use of the "Joker," with a designated rider appointed to score double points. Team IFC sent Broc Nicol to the line as the Joker to try and even the score right off the bat in the first heat. Nicol and teammate Darren Armbruster faced stiff competition against Billy Janniro and Daniel Faria of Team Law Tigers. As the gate when up, Janniro played the spoiler and took control, holding the lead all the way to the finish line to score three points for Team Law Tigers. Faria followed close behind, running protection for his teammate and placing second for two points. Armbruster finished third for one point, and Nicol was not able to pick up any points. Law Tigers now led IFC 53-43, nearly out of reach for Team IFC. Timmy Dion and Gregory Moore added two points each for Team Law Tigers in heats two and three. Wilbur Hancock and Anthony Dion scored first-place finishes for Team IFC and Sammy Tetrault and Rees Todd added one point each for Team IFC. Their efforts fell short though, and the teams tied 9-9 for the round, giving Team Law Tigers 57 total points to 51 for Team IFC. It was a great series that remained close throughout the challenge, sometimes tied or within one or two points after each round. Nicol was again the "Fastest Man of the Night," winning the scratch main event, his seventh this season. Nicol was on the throttle, winning all his races to get to the finale. Nicol got out of his gate first and was followed closely by Janniro in a tight race until Janniro uncharacteristically slid into the wall coming out of turn two, giving Nicol an easier go to the finish line. Hancock was second, Faria was third and Janniro was fourth. Moore won all of his races in the handicap program, including the main event, riding off the zero line. This is not the easiest position, being out front as the hunted, considering every rider is out to get you and looking back is no easy task. Dion made a last-ditch effort in the final turn to catch Moore but fell short. It was Moore's first win of the season. Dion was second and Hancock was third. In another first this season, Brandon Hendrickson won the support main event. Hendrickson was third in both of his support heat races. With Mike Newnham leading and Tetrault in second, Catherine Moore crashed in turn two and a restart was called for by Fast Fridays referee Steve Lucero. Hendrickson led on the restart, followed by Newnham, who was soon overtaken by Cody Aker. Aker placed second, and Catherine Moore was third. Riley Rearick, running in the Youth 150cc and Youth 250cc Division 1 programs, won the Youth 150cc D1 main event. Rearick was second in his first heat race and won his second heat. Zander Schroeder was second and Logan Kerr was third. Mason Howell won the Youth 150cc D2 main event, his seventh of the season. Howell was second in his first heat and won his second heat. He led the main event from the start and won by a comfortable margin. Gavin Evans Seeley was second and Hank Hanaway was third. In the Youth 150cc D3 program, young Ryder Faria won the main event and all his heat races. Faria, son of D1 rider Dan Faria, is really getting the hang of speedway racing. Chance Farrow was second in the main event and William Bruce was third. Jameson Hutchinson, a solid top finisher in the Youth 250cc D1 program, picked up his sixth main event win. Riley Rearick was second and brother Wesley Rearick was third. Caden Cavrikas won the Youth 250cc D2 main event, his third of the season. Cavrikas won all his heat races. Off the line, Cavrikas was in a tight race with Baylee Evans Seeley but after turn one pulled ahead to a comfortable lead he held to the finish line. Evans-Seeley finished second and Justin Gist was third. Fast Fridays shifts to Saturday nights for the remainder of the season starting this weekend, Aug. 16, with track championships, including the Pee Wees. Race schedule dates and ticket information can be obtained by visiting www.fastfridays.com.