2023 AMA Speedway National Championship Round 1 Results

| June 27, 2023

The 2023 AMA Speedway National Championship Series kicked off at Kern County Raceway Park on June 24 with the race once more held in honor of former Bakersfield Speedway Motorcycle promoter and National Flat Track Rider Digger Helm.

AMA Speedway Championship 1 Bakersfield — **The “inner circle” dominated the action at round one: (L-R) Max Ruml, Billy Janniro, Dillon Ruml and Broc Nicol.**

Story by Mitch Friedman/Steve Evans | Photos: Mitch Friedman

On paper it looked like there were five favorites who were too close to call based off of recent form at Costa Mesa and City of Industry, where the winners from all events had come to face off: the Ruml brothers Max and Dillon, 11-time and defending National Champion Billy Janniro, Broc Nicol and Austin Novraril.

However, Novratil’s night lasted less than 20 seconds. He was ahead of Janniro in heat three but got out of shape in turn one, and after a big get-off, a swollen hand meant calling it a night. The big five became the big four, and to make matters more interesting, the top dogs all met in heat 12, which meant not dropping points in other races would be all the more crucial.

Races on paper don’t often go to form in real life, but this night they did. The four favorites won 16 of the 20 heats between them. The only rider outside of the “inner circle” to wedge his way in was returnee Rheten Todd, who beat Nicol in round four.

Semi 1 saw Nicol grab the lead from the gate and run while Max Ruml had to make a pass on Chris Kerr to make the final. The first defeat of the night for the 2021 National Champ meant he had slipped from first to third gate choice in the final.

Semi 2 was an epic showdown with Dillion Ruml once more making a statement that his recent win in the Connor Penhall Cup was no one-off, making an audacious outside pass on Janniro for the win. Borello kept close in third but not quite near enough to make a move for a place for a final spot.

The Main event was next and the standing-room-only crowd saw Dillion Ruml grab the lead from gate four and never look back, going into turn one with Janniro down low and Max a bit higher and Nicol even higher to get traction and try to slingshot around them. Max got a drive out of turn two and pulled from Janniro as Nicol also got by. Dillion pulled away with Max trying to catch him with Nicol hot on his rear wheel. Janniro just could not get a drive to catch the riders in front of him. At the checkers it was Dillon followed by Max, then Broc and Billy.