RACING SCENE COLUMN - BY TIM KENNEDY

I attended the AMA Speedway Cycles races solo last year. This time I took my brother, his wife and their son, who was in the US Air Force for the last four years. They had never seen a Speedway Cycle race and were impressed by the fast and furious AMA action at Auburn. Racing on October 5 lived up to the Fast Fridays slogan-"0-60 mph in 3 seconds with no brakes." Making the sensation of speed and competition compelling is the fact you can watch it so close to the action. My nephew, Mike, loved the racing and had a smile on his face as he spoke enthusiastically about the tight competition. The night had both handicap races (riders staged at 10-yard increments to 50-yards from the starting line based upon riders' past results) and scratch races (all riders at the starting tape, which is raised at the start). Nephew Mike, a sports handicapper in his own right, watched the handicap races and said the winner usually started 10-yards from the gate. It worked out that way October 5 more than a few times.

One thing that must be acknowledged is the professionalism of the Fast Fridays racing operation. Promoter Dave Joiner runs a fan-friendly racing experience. My nephew remarked about how friendly and accommodating the track staff and track workers were to him on his visits to concession stands. All track officials wear matching red and black attire. Dave's brother, Mark Joiner, is the on-track race starter and his flair with the flags next to speeding riders is amazing. Track announcer Mike Rooney is a knowledgeable, entertaining and humorous addition to the Fast Fridays racing experience. My brother remarked that the announcer was funny and informative and really knew a lot about the riders. Rooney made speedway cycle racing fun for first time visitors to the track. My nephew and I spoke to Rooney upon entering the pits an hour before racing began at 8:00 p.m. He is just as much fun to talk to in person as he is over the PA microphone. Affable Rooney as usual handed out bubble gum to persons in the pits.

In keeping with the custom at AMA Speedway Cycles races, all spectators receive free race programs with racing lineups for early races pre-printed. The 20-page program at Fast Fridays contained photos, schedule and 50-ads from local and national firms including Budweiser. When I attended my first race at Fast Fridays a year ago on a warm summer evening the crowd was the usual 3,500-4,000 that night. The October 5 race was billed as the Fall Classic and had what writer Gary Roberts (www.Speedwaybikes.com) called "a small, cold, determined crowd. It was probably the smallest crowd I have witnessed in 11 years at Fast Fridays." The race took place on a chilly night that dipped to 48 degrees by main event time. Rain showers in the area earlier in the day and reported snow flurries near higher elevation Truckee to the north had an affect on the Auburn event. Auburn is at 1,000-feet elevation according to the city limit sign at I-80. We estimated the hardy crowd at 500-600 in the stands, plus competitors in the pits. It also was Friday night football night for the nearby Placer High School Hillmen against Golden Sierra High. That fact could have cost Fast Fridays some usual summer-time fan support. Humorous announcer Rooney at the conclusion of racing thanked fans for attending on such a cold night and invited them "into the pits for some iced tea and ice cream." Fans present October 5 were enthusiastic and vocal for favorite riders. Some spectators came "up the hill" from Sacramento in shorts during the sunny 64 degree afternoon. They found the temperature dropped about 20 degrees after the sun dipped below the horizon. Wind chill made it seem colder, but on track action was hot.

Some top competitors were missing October 5. Mike Faria, from Reno, was present in the pits but he did not race because of a leg injury that caused a limp. Faria won both the handicap and scratch main events on July 14 last year when I made my first visit to Fast Fridays. Division 1 riders from Southern California were Charlie "the Edge" Venegas, the 2006-07 Industry Speedway track champion, Ricky Wells, a 17-year old rising star and past AMA youth national champion, past multi-feature winner Ryan Fisher and Jon Stasiefski. Fast Fridays ran 32 races-heats, trophy dash, consys, semis and mains-and clicked them off from 8:00 to 10:22 p.m with two breaks for track preparation (dragging the track). There were Division 1 (experts), D-2 (mid-level), D-3 (rookies), D-1 and D-2 Youth (to age 16) and pee-wee races. The pee-wees (age 5 and up) had eight riders in their two races and their experience and talent varied. A few younger riders were lapped but about three youngsters competed closely for the victories. They were amazing to watch for first-time spectators such as my family.

Tommy Hedden, a 34-year old Auburn hometown favorite, won the D-1 scratch main over Bart Bast, J. T. Mabry and Kenny Ingalls in a field of all Nor Cal riders. Hedden also came south to Los Angeles County and won the Industry Speedway season finale on September 12. On October 5 Hedden shot from the inside starting slot and led all four laps. Ingalls, from the three-hole, took second from Bast on lap three, but he fell hard next to the wall exiting turn two on the fourth (final) lap. Ingalls walked away without serious injury. Earlier, Greg Hooten, from 50-yards back, won the 5-lap, six-rider D-1 handicap main over Ricky Wells, Bast, Ingalls and Hedden.

As always in Speedway Cycle racing, two scratch semi-mains provided outstanding racing action. The top two finishers in each semi transferred to the main event and finishers three and four went to the consy. In the first semi, Hedden led all four laps and Ingalls earned the other transfer to the main. Wells was third. So Cal star Venegas took the worst fall I've seen him take in watching him win many times over the past four years. Charlie started from gate four and was pressuring Ingalls for second on lap two. Charlie entered turn one at a higher rate of speed than Ingalls. To avoid hitting the back wheel of Ingalls, Charlie turned his front wheel sharply to avoid contact and his cycle flipped wildly several times. Charlie tumbled free of his cycle, rose quickly and walked to the pits without checking his damaged cycle. Understandably, the 40-year old, 20+-year veteran of Speedway Cycle racing did not compete in the subsequent handicap or scratch consy races. Bast led all four laps of the second D-1 scratch semi over Mabry. Stasiefski and Hooten followed.

The Fast Fridays season lasts six months. The 2007 season began May 11and weekly races ran through September 7. A four week period without races preceded the October 5 Fall Classic. Two more weeks without AMA racing in Auburn follow. The final 2007 AMA Nor Cal race on the Fast Fridays track will take place Friday, October 26. It is the eagerly anticipated annual "USA versus the World" event. This year the USA team riders include Mike Faria, Bart Bast, Tommy Hedden, Charlie Venegas, Bryan Yarrow and Ryan Fisher. The World team consists of riders who make a living racing speedway cycles on circuits in Europe. They are Armando Castagna (Italy), Lubos Tomicek (Czech Republic), Brian Karger (Denmark), Metej Zagar (Slovenia), Jason Crump (Australia) and David Howe (Great Britain). To keep abreast of Fast Friday AMA racing activities and schedule check www.FastFridays.com.

One advisory I should add is about the city of Auburn. If you go there to see AMA racing plan to spend time in old town Auburn just of I-80. You will enjoy exploring the antique and gold stores and dining establishments. A brook with non-potable water from the hills flows past the RR tracks, through town, and under one Old Town Auburn restaurant patio. The brook goes past the statue of the gold prospector near the first Auburn exit from the northbound I-80 and continues south under the I-80. Gold was discovered in Placer County in 1848 at the prospector statue site. Allow time to walk up the street to the Placer County Court House where there is an educational self-guided tour of earlier eras in the area. Indian early inhabitants and early highway development are featured. The gift shop in the building has an alarm guarded open safe with a fortune in gold nuggets on display. If you would like to pursue a modern-day fortune you might even visit the fast-growing city of Lincoln 14 miles SW of Auburn where the Indian gaming Thunder Valley Casino is located. Dining and gambling co-mingle in a five-year old casino that must be hurting the casino take in Reno two hours northeast.

NEW BAKERSFIELD TRACK: Driving back home on Interstate 5 after a week in Nor Cal I had to stop and look at the new half-mile oval track taking shape in Bakersfield under the auspices of the Collins clan. Patriarch Marion Collins opened his paved half-mile Mesa Marin Raceway in 1977 at the eastern side of Bakersfield and ran it until two years ago when the once isolated land on which Mesa Marin sat became more valuable for housing. Bakersfield was left with only Bakersfield Speedway, a third-mile banked clay track in northern Bakersfield. Farmland west of the I-5 was made available by the owner to build a paved half-mile paved track. Collins was brought in to help develop a half-mile paved track as a Mesa Marin replacement and new home for NASCAR stock car racing in Bakersfield. Following the permit process and architectural planning, construction began earlier this year at the site 10 miles south of Highway 58 (Buttonwillow exit) and the I-5. The still unnamed track is being constructed on the west-side of I-5 at highway 43 and is clearly visible from the I-5. The concrete track walls are in and the steeply banked dirt track is not yet paved. Grandstands have not been built yet. The track is at a 45-degree angle to the southbound lanes of I-5 with two NE turns about 50 or 60 yards west of the I-5 and the two SW turns closer to the track entrance off highway 43. The track is adjacent to an orchard on the west and the current dirt area around the track seems to be ample for large crowds that are expected for the still to be determined 2008 opening date. With so little rainfall this year construction should continue at a steady pace. Travelers on I-5 should keep an eye on construction progress during coming months. It would seem to be a great site for a track to lure truckers and passing racing fans on I-5. A track-owned electronic billboard on track property, facing I-5, would be beneficial to advertise upcoming race dates. Ample parking for 18-wheelers is another much-needed item in the planning for the new racing arena. The most important thing in real estate is location, location, location. The new Bakersfield track certainly has that

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