AMA National Championship Speedway SEriES
HI COCK
Hauls at
AMI
Madonal
Opener
The fille-time and
reigning National
Champion gets his
title defense off
to a good start
By M. SOBER
PHOTOS BY GEN MOORE
ive-time and defending AMA
National Speedway Champion
Greg Hancock looked to be
well on his way to his sixth
such National title before the
first points paying main event had even
taken place.
With a precisionlike IS-point maximum in the heat races at the opening
round of the 200S AMA National
Championship Speedway Series at Fast
Fridays Speedway in Auburn, California,
Hancock was clearly in the driver's seat
right from the beginning. After scoring the
most heat points and gaining the one
series bonus point, Hancock went out
and finish off his challengers in the A Final
with another perfect start and win from
the pole. Hancock's start-to-finish win
put him into the series lead, with 21
points.
"I was really surprised to win right off
tonight. I usually screw up in the beginning heats and have to battle back later,"
explained the ever-grinning Hancock after
the race. "Tonight I felt really good and
I'm ready for [round 2] tomorrow right
F
now."
Former AMA National Speedway
Champion Billy "The Bullet" Hamill started out rather conservatively with a couple
of second-places finishes, but he came
around to finish his heats with I3 points,
earning the lane-two starting spot in the A
Final. Hamill was quick off the line, but he
couldn't match Hancock's start and came
away trailing in the series by three points
with 18 total points.
"Man, Greg was really on it tonight
wasn't he?" Hamill said. "We'll be ready
48 SEPTEM8ER 21, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS
to get back on top tomorrow night,
though."
Charlie "The Edge" Venegas, fresh off
an impressive win in the Fast Fridays
Track Championship, qualified for the A
Final with 12 points. Venegas then chose
lane four, which left the dreaded lane
three to Ryan Fisher, who squeaked into
the A Final with 10 points. Fisher caused
one restart after he fell in the first turns,
then finished off the pace in fourth place
and was awarded 14 points for his efforts.
