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Champion Speedway
344 East River Drive
Owego, New York 13827

1997 Champion
August 2, 1997 Champion Speedway
From: Kim Gregory

Tonight's program included handicap racing which had been very popular in the old days at the track. It certainly entertained the crowd tonight. Attendance was down a little from the opening night, due to many other events in town that night.

Jason (promoter) arrived about 4:30, delayed because he stopped to help Andy Harris on the highway with a blown tire. REALLY BLOWN ! It took off a good amount of sheet metal when it went. Andy had to buy another tire, and use his bike tie down straps to hold the running board on.

The track was better than the opening night, but still rough, causing some exciting upsets, sudden changes in the riders line, and lots of passing. Gary Hesmer destroyed his front wheel in a early heat tangle and received some bad bruising. A Division Two rider was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collar bone.

A small tap by Diem knocked Chris Slabon (leading) down in a scratch semi. Chris was well off the riding line, and the race was not red flagged until Robert Slabon (Chris's dad) ran out onto the track, blocking the race. A long argument ensued between the promoter, referee, the riders, and the fans about what should be done. Throw Chris out because his pit crew blocked the race? Diem for causing the crash? The referee quit, and Diem refused to ride again.

Leny McBride easily won the Scratch Main, showing how comfortable he is on a rough track.

Scratch Final Results:
1st Lenny McBride #71 (NY)
2nd Len Dillon #83(Canada)
3rd Marco Morrello #82 (NY)
4th Chris Slabon #3 (Canada)
Handicap Final Results:
1st Chris Slabon #3 (Canada) (50 yards)
2nd Andy Harris #19 (Canada) (40 yards)
3rd Len Dillon #83 (Canada) (50 yards)
4th Lenny McBride #71 (NY) (60 yards)
5th Dale Wakefield #76 (NY) (20 yards)
6th George Lazor #51 (NY) (50 yards)
Scratch Semi I Results:
1st Lenny McBride #71
2nd Marco Morrello #82
3rd George Lazor #51
4th Gene Bonsignore #64
Handicap Semi I Results:
1st Dale Wakefield (NY) #76
2nd George Lazor #51
3rd Lenny McBride #71
4th Warren Diem #4
5th Fred Legault #68
6th Tom Burge #15(NY)
Scratch Semi II Results:
1st Warren Diem #4
2nd Len Dillon #83
3rd Mike Cortese #92
DNF Chris Slabon #3
Handicap Semi II Results:
1st Andy Harris #19
2nd Len Dillon #83
3rd Chris Slabon #3
4th Sobec Muszynski #15x
5th Bruce Nelson #17
6th Gary Hesmer #37
Scratch Consi Results:
1st Mike Cortese #92
2nd Gene Bonsignore #64
3rd George Lazor #51
DNS Warren Diem #4
DNS Gary Hesmer #37
Handicap Consi Results:
1st Bruce Nelson #17
2nd Sobec Muszynski #15x
3rd Tom Burge #15(NY)
4th Fred Legault #68
Dash for Cash
1st George Lazor #51 (NY)
2nd Lenny McBride #71 (NY)
3rd Matt Otto #44 (NY)
DNF Kim Gregory #97
D2 Final
1st Kim Gregory #97
2nd Dave Oakden#327
3rd Matt Otto #44(NY)
4th 9x

How did I do? A lot of top riders still, I am in Division Two again. I finish first in all my heats and semi final, and D2 main. ( from the outside, worked my up from the back, and won by a bike length on the last corner.) I was put in a "Dash for Cash" with Diem and Lazor (they were handicapped 50 yards) 3 laps, first place $200! Dropped it while leading the second lap!!!!!!!!!!!! My leathers are more holes and duct tape than leather now. Gary had a bad crash, tangling his front wheel into another bike. He was bruised bad in the groin, and did not want to sleep in the truck as we originally planned to do. We drove home starting about 1:30 am and got in his drive at 5:30, so he could sleep in his own bed.
Many of the local riders have now seen this web site and are very impressed and co-operating with lots of rider profiles, and am getting the actual scorekeepers sheets for the results! Wow, they even phone the race results in to the newspapers! I wish the Canadian tracks did this much.

I am off tonight on my vacation, back in a week and a half.

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