Champion Speedway
344 East River Drive
Owego, New York 13827
Jagger Roberts Trophy Night
Champion Speedway June 10, 2023
From Jason Bonsignore
Photo of Brian Hollenbeck by Kelly Klee
Hollenbeck wins Jagger Roberts Trophy Night at Champion Speedway
By Jason Bonsignore
June 10, 2023
It was a nice evening of weather for the June 10th Jagger Roberts Trophy night at Champion Speedway, which pays remembrance to the young Sayre, PA boy who was killed racing an ATV at a Hare Scramble several years ago.
There has been a strong turnout of riders at Champion so far this season and this event was no different! Riders were hungry for the Roberts trophy and ready to put a show on!
In early handicap heat racing action, Mike Cortese from Stirling, New Jersey and Caleb Stewart from Apalachin were winners. Len McBride from Windsor and Brian Hollenbeck from Owego took second places.
In the handicap semifinals, both McBride and Hollenbeck would move up a spot to win and gain positions in the final. Stewart and Spencer Portararo of Endicott would finish with seconds and the final transfers to the Main Event would go to Casey Donholt and Levi Harris, who both would get thirds.
On the scratch side of the program Portararo and Donholt were heat winners and while Donholt also won his semi, the second semi victor was Len McBride, who put in a vintage ride over second placed Hollenbeck. Portararo transfered to the feature with a close second to Donholt.
Cortese, Jerry Harman, Harris and Alex "Hazard" Heath would make up the last chance. After Heath tangled with Cortese and everyone went down on the first try it was Cortese who made a lightning fast start and would win the re-run!
In the big money event of the evening, the scratch main, Hollenbeck was off gate one, Donholt two, Portararo three, McBride four and Cortese with the outside. Sadly McBride suffered an engine failure off the line and was out. Hollenbeck blasted into the lead on his Nic V Films/Planted Earth Hyroponics/Asterisk/1st Glass/Binghamton Honda/Bell Helmets/Jimmy Joe's/The Dugout/Found Antiques/Voytek/D and M Hauling/Powersorts X/Sam the beer man GM with Donholt in hot pursuit. The two would go all four laps side by side with Hollenbeck holding the inside and Donholt outside. Portararo was in third when his chain broke taking him out on the second lap. Hollenbeck would hold a nice line to go onto the win, stopping Donholt's win streak at 3!
In the handicap main, young teenager, Stewart, would ride an excellent race to take home the checkered flag against an older, more experienced field! The evening's last race concluded just before 10pm, completing a well-organized program!
The next event at Champion Speedway, June 24th and is the Hurricane Hank Bassett Cup Championship! Racing starts at 7pm
June 10th Results
Scratch Main
1. Brian Hollenbeck
2. Casey Donholt
3. Mike Cortese
4. Spencer Portararo DNF
5. Len McBride DNF
Handicap Main
1. Caleb Stewart
2. Brian Hollenbeck
3. Spencer Portararo
4. Levi Harris
5. Len McBride
6. Casey Donholt
Division 2
1. Albert Smith
2. Chloe Schnurr
3. Brian McManamon
4. Bunk Harris
5. Zach Ostrander
Division 3
1. Hunter Wagner
2. Adam Mittl Jr
3. Austin Carlsson
4. Mark Bradley
5. Moses McCornack
Junior Division 1
1. Joel Farwell
2. Lilly Cornell
3. Cody Pierce
Junior Division 2
1. Kabriel Howard
2. Gracie Bailey
3. Dakota Pierce
4. Jenson Pierce
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