2015 East Coast Speedway News
Champion Speedway Opens Season on May 29th!
Great News for local racing fans... Champion Speedway in Owego will open it's doors for it's 35th season, Sunday May 29th at 6pm, with the East Coast Spring Classic/Patrick Ahlund Championship!
This summer marks the 19th year for track Promoter, Jason Bonsignore, by far the longest term of any of the track's owners and the 35th year of actual races at the venue although if you include season's in which the facility was not used this is the 42nd year, which makes it one of the oldest racing sites in the whole Country.
The action promises to be hot in 2016 with a highly anticipated battle of 4 or 5 stars who could win on any given night. The current track Champion, Adam Mittl of Endicott, who set a record last year with his 5th track Points Championship, Casey Donholt of Port Crane, who scored an upset victory in the US Open National in September, Mikey Buman of Binghamton, who won several features and Jeremy Parsons of Vestal, who only rode a couple events in 2015 but is expected to make a full-time return, and has won the Points Title before, are the early favorites! Brian Hollenbeck of Owego, another fast rider, can't make opening night but has signed up for the June event. Smooth riding veterans. David Meldrum, Jerry Harman, Keith Hawkins, Gene Bonsignore, Jeff Garlinghouse, Josh Carr, Ron Walker, Russ Cornell, Dave Oakden, Alex Heath and more are all expected to be riding over the first two events! Promising speedy youngsters like Spencer Portararo, Brandon Bruzek, Brandon Sturzenegger, Andrew Clark and Roger Roberts will be looking to make an impact at the famous local track this season while a few veteran shockers may be in store. Former Track Champion, Frank Watson, may also do several events along with John Lewis, Mike Robinson and Jesse Diem and there is talk of 4-time track Champion Lenny McBride making a return!
Start time for Sunday is 6pm. Admission prices are just $12.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 6-12. $10.00 for seniors and military. Parking is FREE. There is also great food and a go-kart fun track on site! Rick and Margaret Decker of Windsor have done a great job of re-opening the BMX track on site as well. More information can be found at www.eastcoastspeedway.com
Photo is of current US Open Champion Casey Donholt
The 2016 Champion Speedway Schedule is now Posted
Champion Speedway
The Fall Brawl Classic is on for this Sunday afternoon at 2pm at Champion Speedway and the weather is supposed to be great! Besides the US Open, we actually have the best lineup of the season coming together for it!
Fall Brawl lineup for this Sunday afternoon so far...
Charles Podany
David Meldrum
Gene Bonsignore
Casey Donholt
Jerry Harman
Adam Mittl
Frank Watson
Mike Robinson
Shawn Engel
Joel Parsons
Mike Buman
Keith Hawkins
Dave Oakden
Russ J Cornell
Spencer Portararo
Ron Walker
Alex Heath
Roger Roberts
Brian Bailey
Mark Bradley
Andrew Clark
Brandon Sturzy Sturzenegger
Mason Higley
Johnny Scheg
Dalton Oakden
Champion Speedway
We could really use some help with heat sponsors for the US Open (Sep 5/6) if anyone is interested.
Just 25.00 for a heat and you get mentioned over the PA.
100.00 for the Main events.
Thanks so much!
Jason - eastcoastspeedway@hotmail.com (September 1, 2015)
Champion Speedway
Very bummed but had to make a really tough call again to postpone tonight's races at Champion Speedway. Several things were working against us today, mostly the weather. Russ just called and says the track is a mess with lots of standing water and is really soft. It is calling for Thunderstorms in Owego around 5 or 6 tonight and for various unfortunate reasons a lot of riders can't make it tonight. After such a great opening night and knowing what a great show we have planned for Aug 1, I don't want to go on with tonight and have a subpar event on a bad track even if it doesn't rain. I would rather put a great show on for the fans Aug 1. We will likely be rescheduling this event for Aug 15 and are going to try and have practice next Sunday. The Aug 1 event is Omar Lightner Legends night and many old faces will be there and shockingly back on a bike! Stormin Norman Robinson and George Lazorbeam Lazor are just two of the stars you will see on bikes! We also have many more guys committed to ride the regular program than we had tonight. I am sorry to those who were looking forward to tonight, can't believe this weather this summer, but looking forward to a great August of speedway! On a positive note the BMX track at Champion is re-opening soon!
Champion Speedway is pleased to announce:
Champion Speedway Schedule update: Next Sat night, July 18, will be the NY State Championship! The Omar Lightner Cup is rescheduled for August 1 and will now also be legends night! August 29 will be the Larry and Kathy McBride Memorial. Sept. 5/6 is the US Open and the Fall Brawl Classic and Kelly Moran Memorial is still Oct 11 with a possible appearance by Former World Champion Billy Hamill!
Champion Speedway is pleased to announce:
Huge News for local racing fans. Nine time and current AMA National Speedway Motorcycle racing Champion, Billy "The Kid" Janniro, of Rancho Cordova, California, will be making his first ever East Coast race appearance at the East Coast Spring Classic/Patrick Ahlund Championship at Champion Speedway in Owego, May 24th!
Janniro, 34, raced for nearly 10 years in the World Famous British Speedway league along with the professional leagues in Poland and Sweden before returning to race Stateside 6 years ago. He also has represented the USA in World Team Cup competition in 2001 and 2013. He currently shares the record of 9 US National victories with 1996 World Champion, Billy Hamill, while current World Champion, American Greg Hancock, has 8. Janniro also has won numerous other speedway titles including 4 California State Championships, the 2009 California State Longtrack Title and multiple track Championships!
Champion Speedway Promoter, Jason Bonsignore, worked hard to get Janniro for the Memorial Day weekend opener at Champion as it is a special Sunday event and Janniro had a break in his busy racing schedule. Bonsignore is very thankful to have some help from two of Janniro's sponsors, Jon and Bernie racing, which is one half comprised of veteran West Coast racer, Jon Stasiefski, who has raced many times in NY and Big Time Speedway, the promoters of the Prairie City, CA speedway venue at the legendary Hangtown Motocross Park.
Having Janniro present will be an excellent opportunity for the local Champion stars to test their skills against the best. Those expected to compete best with Janniro would be current track Champion, Adam Mittl of Endicott, Casey Donholt of Port Crane, Mikey Buman of Binghamton, Dave Clark of Berkshire and Jesse Diem of Lancaster, PA. Also signed up for the event are smooth riding veterans... Jerry Harman, Keith Hawkins, Gene Bonsignore, Ron Walker, Russ Cornell, Dave Oakden, Alex Heath and more! Promising speedy youngsters like Spencer Portararo, Brandon Bruzek, Brandon Sturzenegger, Andrew Clark and Roger Roberts will be looking to make an impact at the famous local track this season while a few veteran shockers may be in store...1978 US Open Champion and former crowd favorite, "Stormin" Norman Robinson has been practicing and says he may make a shock return this summer after a nearly 30 year layoff! Former Track Champion, Frank Watson, may also do several events!
Champion kicks off it's 18th season under Bonsignore with the May 24th event. Start time for Sunday is 6pm. Admission prices are just $12.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 6-12. $10.00 for seniors and military. Parking is FREE. There is also great food and a go-kart fun track on site! More information can be found at www.eastcoastspeedway.com.
East Coast Spring Classic Rider Lineup so far for Sunday May 24 6pm...
#1 Billy Janniro
#1/2 Adam Mittl
#5 Mike Buman
#007 David Meldrum
#10 Ron Walker
#14 Jesse Diem
#24 Russ J Cornell
#38 Jerry Harman
#60 Dave Clark
#64 Gene Bonsignore
#65 Jeffrey Garlinghouse
#97 Casey Donholt
#196 Alex Heath
#277 Keith Hawkins
#327 Dave Oakden
Roger Roberts
Spencer Portararo
Andrew Clark
#32 Brandon Sturzenegger
Mark Ide
#52 Dalton Oakden
Johnny Schelp
Mason Higley
Photo of race action by MSD photography, wheelie photo by Jim Heath
 
2015 Champion Schedule
We hope to have practice late Saturday afternoon, May 9, and have license papers available.
May 24, June 27, July 18, Aug 29, Sept. 5 & 6 and Oct 11.
Jason - eastcoastspeedway@hotmail.com (May 5, 2015)
Points
Someone asked me the other day, sorry, thought I had posted them.
These totals are without doing double points for the NY State Championship.
The only change that occurs with double points is Gene Bonsignore moves one position ahead of Tuff McBride...
1. Adam Mittl 520
2. Casey Donholt 486
3. Mikey Buman 478
4. Dave Clark 276
5. Jerry Harman 256
5. Tuff McBride 176
6. Gene Bonsignore 156
7. Jesse Diem 96
8. Jeff Garlinghouse 84
9. Dave Meldrum 50
10. Tie John Lewis and Jeremy Parsons 46
12. Tie Chuck Podany and Corey Brookes 38
14. Russ Cornell 30
Jason - eastcoastspeedway@hotmail.com (January 9, 2015)
Elmira Ice Race update... I am bummed to say it does not look like the races in Elmira will be happening, at least for Jan 2/3. The GM of the arena has been in our corner all along and he had scheduled again right away for us for Jan 17/18 then several moths back asked if we could change to Jan 2/3 to accommodate another event which we did. About 4-5 weeks ago he started mentioning the owners were having second thoughts, even though it was financially successful last year, because of the ice damage. I came up with a plan to significantly reduce ice damage but they still decided against it. I proposed a one day event which the GM felt he may have a chance of getting pushed through but I have not heard back from them and have tried several times now. I can only assume, with it being so close, if it does get pushed through it will be later in the year. Sorry everyone. Such a shame as it was really a great event last year!
Jason - eastcoastspeedway@hotmail.com (December 26, 2014)
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