First Arena in Elmira set to host Indoor Speedway Motorcycle and ATV Championships April 1 and 2

Indoor ice racing returns to First Arena in Elmira on April 1 and 2, but with a fresh look and a much-improved competitor base over the events held in recent years. The past few shows were operated by an out of state promoter who limited the field by excluding local talent and running the races with a smaller than normal field of competitors. 

This time around, the well-known local racetrack, Champion Speedway in Owego, will be assisting the Arena with the indoor ice racing spectacle and the program will be much deeper, featuring many contestants who are local and the very elite on ice.

A preview of some of the top names slated in the Speedway Division for the Championship are former North American Indoor Ice Series Champion and Multi-time East Coast Champion, Adam “The Missile” Mittl, of Endicott and past NY State Ice Champion David Meldrum of Scotland, who raced professionally in the UK for 10 years. 

Reigning East Coast Number One, Len McBride of Windsor, along with past East Coast Champion, “Sideways” Spencer Portararo, and rising stars Caleb Stewart of Apalachin, Trenton Lane of Watkins Glen, and Mike Cortese Jr. of Stirling, N.J. are expected. Veteran stars Russ Cornell from Nichols, N.Y. and Dave Oakden from Brockport will also be tough competitors.  

In the ATV wars, heading the list of top local pros to sign on at time of this release are Steve Kappler and Dylan Hawk of Windsor, Toby Relyea and Lucas Duffy of Owego, and Tony Hanbury. 

In addition to two Speedway and ATV classes, a group of Trike racers, who always thrill the audience, will be included.     

Ironically, the promoter of Champion Speedway in Owego is former NHL Hockey Player, Jason Bonsignore of Rochester, who has previously run successful ice race events at the Broome County Arena, Chenango Ice Arena, Syracuse War Memorial, and Utica Auditorium. Bonsignore and the staff at Champion Speedway have an excellent group of Speedway Motorcycle and ATV racers, and Bonsignore is the second longest running outdoor dirt promotion in U.S. Speedway history, having operated at Champion the past 17 years.

The Speedway motorcycles and ATV’s that will feature in these programs have over 1,000 razor sharp silver screws in each tire. The Speedway machines have absolutely no brakes, run on methanol, are capable of going from 0 to 60mph in less than 3 seconds, and will be sliding totally sideways through the corners. The ATV races will culminate in an insane Main event each night where there will be six riders at once in the extremely tight confines and there will be sure to be plenty of bumping and passing.  

Start times for the races will be 7:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday. The First Arena is located at 155 N. Main St. in Elmira.