Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128405
arge crowd turned out to watch 2004 World Speedway Champion jason Crump lead his World team of riders to victory in the fifth annual USA vs. The World team speedway match at Fast Fridays Speedway in Auburn, California. The Team World victory also marked the first Team USA defeat in the five years that the event has been staged. The World team beat the USA team, 87-60. Every credit must go to Fast Fridays, which recruited a truly worldclass World team for the event. The late October timing of this event coincides with the end of the European Speedway season, and this enabled the availability of the top riders for the World team. Unfortunately, missing were top USA riders Billy Hamill, Greg Hancock and Billy janniro, whose Britsh League commitments were not over, since their teams were still running in the final playoffs. Australia's Crump put on a flawless performance. Ample support was given to him by current British Champion joe Screen. Both Crump and Screen were riding at Auburn for the first time. A 38 Armando Castagna of Italy first rode in this event in 200 I and has been a member of the World team each year since. Castagna showed that semiretirement from Speedway has not slowed him down. Former FIM World finalist and Swedish Champion john Cook, also in semiretirement from the sport, had a good night supporting Castagna. Austalian Steve johnston, now riding for Wolverhampton in the British League, rode for the World team for the third consecutive year, but this year machine problems limited his score. Newcomer Freddie Lindgren - at 20, by far the youngest member of the team - started his evening by running into the turn-one crash wall. Then he suffered machine problems, but in his last couple of races he demonstrated his strength. Not haVing Hamill, janniro, Hancock, Ryan Fisher and local star Bobby Hedden at its disposal, the home team was in for a challenge from the start. Mike Faria and Charlie Venegas put on a good effort, but at the end of the day, the overall strength of the World team made the difference. Bart Bast had a good night until his engine let him down in his final heat, taking him NOVEMBER 23, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS from a sure first to last. Bryan Yarrow and Tommy Hedden had decent nights, but Buck Blair struggled. For Team USA, Faria and Venegas scored the most points. Venegas achieved four heat wins, but Faria's evening will be remembered for two wins over Joe Screen. Both wins were achieved despite good team riding by the combination of Screen and Crump. The race format was four riders per heat, with each pair racing each other pair twice during the program. The evening's racing started out with Crump and Screen dominating the first heat, leaving a question of what was to come. But the USA came back in the second heat with great team riding from Faria and Yarrow to even the score. This pattern was to follow, and after 12 heats the score was even at 36 apiece, but in the remaining six races, the World team pulled away to make the score 61-47. The A and B main events had weighted points, which turned the World's 14-point lead into a 27-point domination. The B main came first, with Castagna and Cook up against Tommy Hedden and Yarrow. A good gate from the two Team World riders left Team USA with little hope for a comeback, as Castagna motored to the win ahead of Cook, Hedden and Yarrow for a lopsided World win. In the A main, Crump and Screen completed the World's domination, and they were only aided by the fact that Venegas sheared a sprocket at the start, leaving only Faria to reap points from the race. Despite excellent team riding by Crump and Screen, Faria managed to wedge himself between them to take second place. eN FAST fRIDAYS SPEEDWAY AUBURN, CAUFORNIA RESULTS: OCTOBER 28, 2005 A MAIN: I. Jason Crump: 2. Mike Faria: 3, Joe Screen; 4. Charlie Venegas. B MAIN: I. Armando Castagna: 2. John Cook: 3. Tommy Hedden; 4. Bryan Yarrow. OVERALL: I. Team World, 87 (Jason Crump. 18: Armando Castagna, 14; Joe Screen, 10; Johan Carlsson. 8; Steve Johnston. 5; Freddy Undgren, 5; Bobby Schwam, I): 2. Team USA. 60 (Charlie Venegas, 14; Mike Faria. II: Bart Bast. 8; Tommy Hedden, 6; Buck Blair, I).