Champion Speedway getting ready to open for 50th season; Hopes to open May 4

Champion Speedway in Owego is preparing to open for its 50th Anniversary year this Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m. with the East Coast Patrick Ahlund Championship, and as long as the weather allows for the completion of track preparation work that is a little behind schedule with the rainy spring season thus far! 

Should May 4 fall through, May 11 is on the East Coast Calendar as the next target to kick off the season.

Speedway Motorcycle Racing was very big up and down the East Coast prior to World War 2, having taken place in large stadiums in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to name a few, and races were even held inside of Yankee Stadium. The sport shut down completely due to the war and was resurrected by the Robinson brothers in Batavia, N.Y. in the early summer of 1975. Soon after, promoters held the first race at Champion Speedway in July of 1975. 

Champion Speedway promoter, Jason Bonsignore, one of the longest serving Speedway Promoters in the U.S., now in his 28th year, has huge plans to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the track and the sports rebirth. He is hosting the OUTLAW US National Championships Memorial Day weekend at Champion, May 25-26. He has a huge amount of retired legends / racers and personalities coming in from all over the East Coast, Colorado, Nevada, California and Canada, along with some of the sport’s best current racers from the same areas and even as far as New Zealand to compete. 

Multiple former US Open Champions will be on hand from over the years as some former stars are even going to take to the track for a Golden Greats event. Popular local band Wreckless Marci will be playing immediately after the races on May 25, and classic bikes and vintage memorabilia will be on display from the track’s history. 

The racing promises to be the best it has been in recent years and the sport looks to be making a strong comeback with a nice Division 1 field already signed up for the Opener. 

Among the riders committed to race this season are regulars to include current and five-time track Champion Casey Donholt, of Port Crane; Spencer Portararo, of Maine; former track champion and NYS Champion, five-time track champion Lenny McBride, of Windsor; Adam Mittl, of Maine, also a five-time Champ; Dave, Jonny, and Dalton Oakden of Rochester; Caleb Stewart of Apalachin; Jerry Harman and Albert Smith of Maine; Alex Heath, Brian Hollenbeck, and Russ Cornell of Owego; Levi Harris of Windsor; Mike Cortese Jr. of New Jersey; and many more. 

Support class characters like The Red Rooster, Brain McManamon of Conklin, Dana Mayhem Marsh of Apalachin, and Scott Sandbagger Vargo of Towanda, along with female racer Chloe Schnurr of Springwater, have growing fan bases. An awesome turnout of new JR riders, led by locals Macoley Saunders, Cody Pierce, Joel Farwell, and Lilly Cornell have been racing the past two seasons and there seems to be a resurgence going on in the sport.    

The ATV program will continue with flat-track races on the ATV/Kart oval out back, but riders and fans are excited for the addition of TT classes coming as an addition to the soon to be completed dirt-course, which will be connected in and out of the oval. The promotion hopes to have the TT track completed by late May or early June.

A vintage style motocross course has also been laid out and races and practices will be announced soon. 

The tracks promotion team will also be operating races at Action Park East, Champion’s sister track, in Greene, N.Y., with one event monthly for bikes and quads and approximately 10 karting events taking place as well, promoted by Brandon Clapperton Promotions.

Action Park East and Champion will play host to the US Open National Championships Labor Day weekend.

More information can be found at www.eastcoastspeedway.com or www.speedwaybikes.com.