By Michael Marino

What started as a father encouraging his son to test ride a speedway bike grew into a record-setting speedway racing career for Billy Janniro.

The 38-year-old Winters, Calif., resident locked up his record ninth AMA Speedway National Championship Sept. 29 at the 2018 season finale at Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn, Calif.

Janniro came into the 2018 season tied with four-time FIM Speedway World Champion and fellow Californian Greg Hancock with eight career AMA Speedway National Championship titles. Janniro won the 2018 title by 24 points over runnerup Austin Novratil.

“This is the highlight of my career,” Janniro said. “It was a tough season, but things worked out. When I started racing, I never thought this would happen to me.”

Speedway racing features lightweight, single-gear motorcycles built solely for the discipline. Racers battle handlebar-to-handlebar on ultra-short oval dirt tracks, typically a quarter-mile in length or less.

Races usually last four laps, putting a premium on good starts and the ability to accelerate all around the oval.

In the United States, most speedway competition is in California, where the sport has a large following and draws thousands of fans. Outside the United States, speedway is one of the most popular forms of motocycle racing.

The Hancock Standard

Janniro finds himself in heady company.

Hancock was AMA National Speedway Champion in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003-2006 and 2009.

In addition to his AMA National Speedway titles, he was the 1997, 2011, 2014 and 2016 FIM World Speedway Champion; the 1992 FIM World Pairs Champion; and the 1992, 1993 and 1998 FIM World Team Cup Champion.

Hancock began racing in junior speedway competition in Southern California and began his European racing career in 1989 with the Cradley Heathens. When he won his fourth FIM Speedway World Championship in 2016, he became the title’s oldest winner at 46 years, 130 days. He has also won national titles in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

At 48, Hancock continues to race in Europe and finished fifth in the 2018 Speedway World Championship. He currently rides for Motola Piraterna in the Swedish Elitserien and Get Well Toruń in the Polish Ekstraliga.

Racing Into History

Taking aim at Hancock’s record was not part of Janniro’s plan when he began his professional racing career.

Hancock was still active in the American speedway racing scene when Janniro turned pro, and it was not long before Janniro followed Hancock’s career path of racing in European speedway championships.

Janniro raced with several European speedway teams until 2008 and won several British speedway national championships during that time. He represented the United States as a member of the U.S. Speedway World Cup team in 2001 and 2016.

He returned to racing full time in the United States in 2008 and won his first AMA Speedway National Championship that year.

“I came back from Europe and just wanted to race for fun,” he said.

Since winning his first AMA Speedway title, he has won an additional eight titles in nine years, including the last six AMA Speedway National Championships.

AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant praised Janniro as a great ambassador for the sport.

“I have never seen anyone dominate speedway racing anywhere in the world the way Billy is Right now.”

—Dave Joiner, Fast Fridays Motorcycle
Speedway promoter

 

“I remember meeting Billy when he was still a kid,” Saillant said. “It has been great to watch him mature and beat a four-time world champion’s record for the most career AMA Speedway National Championships.”

Saillant also praised Janniro’s work ethic and his willingness to be a team player.

“Billy is one of the hardest working racers I’ve met,” Saillant said. “He wrenches on his bikes with his crew and is an aggressive and clean rider on the track. He’s worked hard over the years to earn every accomplishment he has to his name.”

First Ride

Janniro was born in Vallejo, Calif., and began speedway racing when he was 10 or 11 years old. One of his cousins was a speedway racer, and Janniro’s father encouraged his son to take his cousin’s speedway bike for a test ride. Janniro got hooked on the sport and began racing in 1995. He turned pro when he was 16 years old, and his father Rick is part of his son’s team and continues to actively support his son’s racing career.

Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway promoter Dave Joiner, who has promoted speedway racing events for 24 years, has been impressed with Janniro’s performance since he returned to racing in the United States.

“What he’s done is quite remarkable,” Joiner said. “I have never seen anyone dominate speedway racing anywhere in the world the way Billy is in the United States right now. The AMA has a great championship in which Billy can showcase his skills, and he is head and shoulders above his competition right now.”

Going For Double Digits

Janniro said he is planning on racing again in 2019, and will attempt to win his 10th AMA Speedway National Championship.

“You can’t end this on an odd number,” he said.

Janniro’s record may not be completely safe. Hancock is still competing in international speedway racing and could make a return to AMA Speedway National Championship competition.

As an AMA national champion, Janniro will be awarded his AMA No. 1 plate and be honored as part of the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend in Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 7-9.

The AMA Championship Banquet is Dec. 8 at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris in Columbus, Ohio. Banquet tickets are available now at www.americanmotorcyclist.com.