Rider Files

How fast was mid-1980s WERA racer Lance David? Well check this photo out and you’ll get an idea. Here David is leading the race on his Yamaha XT500-based road racer over a slew of Yamaha RZ350s, Honda 500 Interceptors and other WERA C Superbike machines. David heads the pack just before the old Billy Mitchell Bridge at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. He’s leading Steve Tayler (49), Dean Joas (320), Ed Key (34) and the rest of the field.

Lance David heads the pack just before the old Billy Mitchell Bridge at Road America. He’s leading Steve Tayler (49), Dean Joas (320), Ed Key (34) and the rest of the field in a mid-1980s WERA C Superbike race. (Larry Lawrence photo)

(News Release)

Billy Janniro (front) leads riders out of a turn in a heat race at Fast Friday's earlier this season. Janniro will be the man to beat Friday night when 16 of the nation's best speedway riders will compete in the opening round of the AMA/USA Speedway National Championship at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn. (Michael Kirby photo)

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Some of the most thrilling racing on two wheels gets under way Friday night when the opening round of the 2010 AMA/USA Speedway National Championship kicks off at Fast Friday’s Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn, Calif.

“Speedway racing is tight, close, unpredictable and, above all, fast,” said American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Director of Racing Joe Bromley. “With so much talent on the track, this should be one heck of a championship battle.”

With 2009 series winner and eight-time champion Greg Hancock racing in Europe this season, the favorite for the 2010 title is 2008 champion Billy Janniro. Janniro has been the top rider in early season non-championship competition, winning eight of 10 scratch main events this season at the Fast Friday’s complex.

Other riders to watch include Charlie Venegas and Scott Brant, who have both won over Janniro, as well as Tyson Burmeister, Jimmy Fishback and Gary Hicks. Meanwhile, no one is counting out veteran rider Bobby Schwartz, who has more than 36 years of speedway racing experience, with titles in 1986 and 1989.

This year’s national championship will be a two-series event with both rounds staged at Fast Friday’s. The riders will be assigned to one of four main events, seeded according to their finishes in the 20 heat races earlier in the night. Points accumulated in these main events will go toward the championship series total points. The final round will be Oct. 1 at Fast Friday’s.

The total rider purse for each round is $10,000, with the high-points rider of each round receiving $2,000.

Racing kicks off at 8 p.m. each night, and gates open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, see FastFridays.com or call (530) 878-7223.

(News Release)

This Sunday night July 25th, the “Jammer” Jared Mees, who is the defending AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com (GNC) Twins Champion, will be on Speedtv’s Wind Tunnel “Live” around 9:30 pm!.

Be sure to tune in to watch Mees and Despain talk about Flattrack Racing and more, this coming Sunday from 9-10pm EST on Speedtv’s “Wind Tunnel”. Check your local cable listing for channel or visit:
http://www.speedtv.com/programs/wind-tunnel-with-dave-despain/ for more info!!!

Jared is delighted to be a guest on the weekly motor-sports show hosted by veteran host Dave Despain. Long time Flattrack fans will remember Despain as being the color commentator for the 80s T.V. broadcast of the “Stroh’s Mile Series” He has a long history as a motorcycle and car racing reporter and commentator. Wind Tunnel was launched in 2003 by Despain, and often has top racers from automobile and motorcycle racing series as guest. This will be the first time that Jared has been a guest on the show, it should be great to have this fine young AMA Champion on prime-time television talking about the prestigious AMA Grand National Series and his personal career highlights.

Jared won the 2009 AMA Pro Grand National Twins Championship, earned ten top-5 finishes in the Singles and Twins main events. Raced in the AMA Pro National Hot Shoe Series, winning the 450cc Expert Singles Championship, and runner-up in the AMA Pro National Hot Shoe Twins Championship. He is also the 2010 I.C.E.(Indoor Ice Racing) World Champion