Champion Speedway set to open May 3

By Jason Bonsignore —

Champion Speedway in Owego is preparing to open for its 51st year this Saturday, May 3, at 7 p.m. with the East Coast Patrick Ahlund Championship! They will follow that up with the Meggan Hobart Spring Fling May 10.

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 Yankee Stadium! The sport shut down completely due to the war and was resurrected by the Robinson brothers in Batavia, New York in the early summer of 1975. Soon after, promoters held the first race at Champion Speedway in July of ’75. 

Champion Speedway promoter Jason Bonsignore, one of the longest-serving Speedway promoters in the U.S.,and now in his 29th year, has added a Hare Scramble/ Old school motocross track around the property that hosted Winter Scrambles this off-season and will be hosting nighttime events under the lights this summer as well. 

The go-kart and quad dirt oval is being made larger down the back straight, along with other improvements to the safety wall. Track friend and sponsor Stoney Brooke Landscaping from New Jersey has played a huge role in the upgrades.     

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 expected to race this season are regulars: current track champion Spencer Portararo of Endicott, 5-time track champion Casey Donholt of Port Crane, former track champion, NYS champion, and 5-time track champion Lenny McBride of Windsor, Adam Mittl of Maine, also a 5-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 more! 

Support class characters like The Red Rooster, Brain McManamon of Conklin, Dana Mayhem Marsh of Apalachin, Kenny Dahlin of Pennsylvania, 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, Jake Kilmer, Jacob Tomchick, and Lilly Cornell have been racing the past two seasons, and there seems to be a resurgence going on in the sport.

Mini Trikes also play a big part in the excitement of the shows, and top riders Daniel Henninge, Donnie and Chase Archibald, and Johnnie Skywalker are going to be back, with a rumored return of Paulie Crambo may further spice things up!

The ATV program will continue with flat-track races on the ATV/Kart oval out back, but riders and fans are excited about the addition of TT classes with the new course that was added at the end of last season.

The track’s promotion team will also be operating races at Action Park East, Champion’s sister track, in Greene, New York, with one event monthly for bikes and quads and approximately 17 karting events taking place as well, promoted by Roger Swansbrough, formerly of AMK.

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.