Little 500's spring race series officially started Friday night with three events in the debut of Fast Friday.
Men's riders competed in a 20-lap scratch race, 20-lap points race and Miss 'N Out (MNO). Women's riders competed in a scratch race and points race.
While just 21 men's riders registered, the lineup featured four riders from 12-time winner Cutters, and four returning riders from last-year's pole-sitter Beta Theta Pi. The two teams occupied the top three positions in all three of the night's events.
Cutters rider Kevin Depasse won both the scratch race and points race before placing fourth in MNO. But he wasn't without competition. Beta rider Will Kragie finished second alongside Depasse in the scratch and points race.
After coming up just short in the scratch race, Kragie shook his head in disappointment after crossing the finish line. The Betas had controlled most of the race before Depasse sprinted the entire last lap to pass Kragie and secure the victory.
Kragie's teammate, Tom Laser, finished third in the scratch race.
Depasse showed impressive speed in the points race, trailing Black Key Bulls rider Tyler Dennis by at least three lengths on the backstretch before starting an aggressive sprint that allowed him to make the pass on the outside in Turn 4 to cross the finish line first.
Kragie made his sprint with Depasse and was able to overtake Dennis, but could not equal Depasse's speed. After falling to Depasse for a second time, Kragie jokingly patted him on the shoulder after crossing the line.
Kragie's teammate Matt Green won MNO. Fellow Beta Eric Anderson finished second in MNO and fourth in the points race.
Cutters rider Tim Nixon finished third in points and MNO.
In a smaller women's field, Teter dominated the two events, with the top two finishers in both races.
Emma Caughlin impressed with a first-place finish in the points race, and second in the scratch race. Her teammate Mackenzie Lloyd won the scratch race and fellow Teter rider Lisa Hutcheson finished second in the points race and fourth in scratch.
Fast Friday, a new series of competitions leading up to race weekend, will continue next week, and every Friday until race weekend except spring break and March 22 before qualifications.
All Fast Friday events are optional for riders and have no impact on the race.
Neither defending champion, Delta Tau Delta on the men's side nor Delta Gamma on the women's, competed in any of the events Friday night.
