2024 Speedway News
Costa Mesa Speedway
Support Class purse announced for upcoming 10/12/24 Costa Mesa National
International Speedway confirmed today that Ernie Aragon and Howie Zechner will pay a Support Class purse at the upcoming 54th United States National Championship this Saturday 10/12.
Purse payout for the main event will be 1st. $175, 2nd. $150, 3rd. $100., 4th. $75.
Ernie and I understand the challenges riders face getting to the races and trying to keep a machine running Howie Zechner stated. This purse is not a lot of money but it all helps. Fact is we have been helping a handful of Industry Racing and Costa Mesa riders in all divisions from the kids to the pros all season and will continue to so.
Want to remind again that Brad and Jaleen Oxley will be holding a BBQ to honor Bobby Schwartz 50 years of racing Speedway and have made him the Grand Marshal at Saturdays Championship. Held in the Costa Mesa pits between 4 & 6pm it is free to Captain America friends, sponsors, supports and competitor’s. Speedway riders who raced Boogaloo over the years will receive two free admission tickets for the evenings Nationals Championship event. Be advised only legitimate riders who raced Bobby qualify for free entry. A special seating section in the Main Grandstands will be reserved for them.
Speedway Motorcycle racing, the original extreme sport Come join the fun and excitement that is the Costa Mesa hallmark.
Howie Zechner (October 7, 2024)
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Bobby Schwartz named Grand Marshall at 54th U.S. Nationals Speedway Championship on October 14.
A hard core rider and supporter of Costa Mesa we wanted something special to honor Bobby’s 50 year commitment and say thanks Brad Oxley told me.
AKA; Captain America, we are inviting all of Bobby’s fellow competitors, sponsors, mechanics, and friends for a special afternoon BBQ in the pits before Saturdays race. Nothing fancy we’ll just cook some hot dogs, drink some sodas and share stories of what makes Speedway and the people in it so special. Start time 4pm.
Speedway riders who raced Boogaloo over the years will receive two free admission tickets for the evenings Nationals Championship event. Be advised only legitimate riders who raced Bobby qualify for free entry. A special seating section in the Main Grandstands will be reserved for them.
So plan to attend cause the quest is just and honoring the Schwartz will be a memory that lasts a lifetime.
Howie Zechner (October 2, 2024)
Champion Speedway Schedule
SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER EVENTS: I apologize, one, hopefully last tweak for the Champion Speedway schedule We just have a lot of moving parts to deal with this time of year and have been trying to come up with a plan that works best in consideration of all of them, including staffing. We are very proud of how far our riders have come this season and wanted to keep providing an opportunity for them to ride. With these events it will be our largest season in years and along with FF, we will have provided the most speedway events this season of any of the US tracks so trying to keep the track time up for the Eastern racers. We are also way behind financially this season with most of the go-kart races being canceled so we can use your support to help spread the word and make these last few weekends successful. They're very important for us. We will NOT be racing October 6th now.
The remaining dates will be:
Saturday Oct 12th 6pm start FALL CLASSIC
Saturday Oct 19 6pm and Sunday Oct 20 1pm THE FALL BRAWL CHAMPIONSHIPS, Cash payouts for the Support and JR Classes
Sunday Oct 27 1pm Halloween Spooktacular/Lonni Whitmore Race, Kids please wear your costumes and riders please bring candy to pass out for the kids!
Jason Bonsignore (September 28, 2024)
Fast Fridays Speedway
Fast Fridays is excited to announce the first set of riders for our marquis event, USA vs. the WORLD occurring on Saturday, October 5th.
Representing the WORLD as Team Captain will be Claus Vissing of Denmark. Claus began riding professionally in 2004 and his career includes speedway racing in Denmark, Great Britain and Poland. In 2023, he returned to Glasgow for the SGB Championship, where he won the league title. He tasted more success when during the latter part of the season he signed for Sheffield Tigers and helped them win the league title. Vissing joined the Workington Comets for the 2024 season and will be leading the WORLD team next Saturday! Please join Fast Fridays in welcoming him to Auburn, CA.
Leading our USA team as Team Captain will be our own local legend, Billy "The Kid" Janniro! Billy is a celebrated rider with 11 AMA National Speedway Championships, 6 USA Championships, 5 California Championships and a Longtrack Championship filling out his stellar resume. He has also had success across the pond in his esteemed career. He is known for his fierce competitive nature and signature wheelies as he crosses the finish line on his home-town track.
Representing the WORLD will be Rene Bach from Denmark, Rene began riding in 2009 and was quick to demonstrate his natural abilities on a speedway track riding in Denmark, Poland and Great Britain. In 2010, he lead Denmark's FIM Team to a 21U World Championship with a perfect 15 points and was crowned the individual 21U Champion. Please join us in welcoming Rene to the tricky dirt oval in Auburn!
Representing Team USA, we will have Placer High School Alumni and 2024 Hall of Fame Inductee, Bart "Simpson" Bast! Bart's winning ways have continued since 1985, leading him to a National Championship in 1998 and being named the 2016 AMA Racer of the Year. He hails from a family of accomplished riders including Hot Shoe Hall of Fame inductee Harlan Bast Sr., and cousins Mike Bast and Steve Bast (both National Champions like Bart). Bart always has a large continent of family and friends cheering him on at Fast Fridays and will be a great asset to the USA team.
Riding from the speedway powerhouse country of Poland, in the third position on the WORLD Team, will be Tomasz Orwat. Tomasz began riding in 2015 and his racing career has taken him to tracks in Poland, Slovenia, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary and Ukraine. From 2016 - 2020 he raced for Bydgoszcz, transferred to Pila in 2022 and began racing for Rawicz in 2023. We are excited to have him proudly represent his home country of Poland in front of a capacity crowd.
The third rider on the USA team will be Blake Borello. Blake began racing speedway in 2013 and didn't waste anytime winning the 250cc National Championship later that year. He has raced throughout California and is always in the mix for a win. A fan favorite, Blake is known for his great smile and positive approach to racing. During the 2024 Fast Fridays North vs. South event, Blake scored a perfect 15 through 5 heats. Look for him to score points for team USA on Saturday!
Joining the WORLD team and racing for England, is Ben Trigger, an 18 year old young gun who is making his mark across the pond. Ben was the 2021 British 500cc Youth Champion and has continued to fill out his speedway resume by riding for esteemed clubs including the Leicester Lions, Plymouth Centurions (Ben was a starter for the SGB Champions in 2023), Mildenhall Fen Tigers (Ben helped win the Knockout Cup) and currently racing for the Redcar Bears in Middlesbrough. Please join me in welcoming Ben to Auburn!
Riding for the Team USA will be local young gun, Timmy Dion! Dion family racing is well known in California with family members Tim (father), Anthony (brother), Nick (uncle and track master extraordinaire) and Jenna (cousin and cutest Dion) all finding success on Auburn's tricky dirt oval. Timmy has had a great year winning the Division 1 Future Stars at Kern, Handicap Mains at both Fast Fridays and the Gumball Rally at City of Industry and a Scratch Main at Fast Fridays in 2024. Look for him to put up some points for Team USA.
Riding for team WORLD and representing England is Chris "The Tiger" Kerr. Chris rode for the United Kingdom Redcar Bears in 2006, the Wolverhampton Wolves and Newport Wasps in 2009, the Wolves in 2010 and the Birmingham Brummies in 2011. Most recently he won the 2024 US Open Championship at Champion Speedway in New York in September. His leadership and experience will be a great asset to the WORLD Team.
For Team USA, Louie Mersaroli will answer the call. Louie started racing in 2011, turning pro in 2013. He is known for his endurance, winning the grueling Fast Fridays 25 Lap Main Events in both 2022 and 2023. His success continues in 2024 winning the Scratch Main Event on May 24th. Look for Louie to be in the points mix throughout the night as a strong competitor for the USA.
Riding in support of the WORLD Team will be Alex Martin! Alex began speedway racing in 2010 and turned Pro in 2021 after winning both the AMA 250cc Youth National Championship at Fast Fridays and the 250cc Long Track Championship at Perris Raceway. In 2022, he won the AMA Speedway National U21 at Kern County Raceway. During the 2024 Season, he took top honors the Handicap Main in Bakersfield and the Scratch Consolation Round at Fast Fridays. Alex brings a calm confidence to the track and will be looking to score in each heat for his team.
Completing the roster for Team USA will be Russell Green! Russell has been a prolific rider throughout California since 2005 and turning Pro in 2008. Always working to hone his craft, Russell brings steely determination to each ride. He took top honors twice this year at Fast Fridays in Handicap Mains in May and August respectively. His solid performance and ability to aggregate points is evident by his 6th place finish in overall point standings at Fast Fridays in 2024, finishing just behind 2024 AMA National Speedway Champion Broc Nicol.
2024 AMA National Speedway Champion Broc Nicol will be supporting the WORLD team this Saturday. Broc Nicol is no stranger to the podium and will be a great asset to the team. He began his speedway career in 2010, turning Pro in 2014. He raced overseas for several years riding for the Sheffield Tigers, King's Lynn Stars, Glasgow Tigers and the Wolverhampton Wolves. More recent accolades include being the Best Pairs Champion in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024 showcasing his strength as a reliable teammate. Broc reached the pinnacle of the US speedway racing, not once but three times, as the AMA National Speedway Champion in 2017, 2020 and crowned again on September 21st, 2024! We are pleased to have him join the outstanding roster of riders that will entertain you on Saturday night!
It will be a great night of racing, so get your tickets early by visiting www.fastfridays.com Gates will open at 6:30pm and racing will blast off at 8:00pm.
Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway (September 27, 2024)
A huge shout out and THANK YOU to all of the Fast Fridays crew who work hard every night to give the fans the best experience! To the Track Team, Kitchen Crew, Candy Crew and Bar Crew (not pictured - the Ticket Crew) - I’m so grateful for all of you! Have a fantastic off-season!
Trish (October 6, 2024)
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Kern Raceway Speedway Motorcycle Racing
Champion Speedway Motorcycle Racing
I hate changing dates on the race schedule but sometimes it is necessary. The past couple years we have been experimenting a bit with starting the season earlier and adding a couple, along with seeing what works best on certain dates. Wanted to give everyone as much of a heads up as we can.
We race tonight then so far plan to keep one of Oct 5th or 6th, (Gotta talk to some staff tonight) but likely will make the 2 day weekend we want to do, with some extra special stuff for the support and JR classes, to Oct 12 and 13 and may add a Halloween special on Oct 27.
Sorry for short notice but we had planned to race two of those weekends anyways so hopefully doesn't change much for everyone. Thanks!
Jason Bonsignore September 21, 2024
Kern Raceway Speedway Motorcycle Racing
Attention junior riders! We will be awarding continental championship titles for the 250 and 150 classes at the FIM/AMA North American final on December 7. We have taken pleasure each year in hosting our showcase junior championship.
This event is what was previously the AMA youth long track national which we held during our tenure at Perris. Given our success in SGP3 and SGP4 world championships this year. It is a natural progression that we have FIM North America titles up for grabs!
Steve Evans September 19, 2024
AMA Speedway National Championship
2024 AMA Speedway National Round 3 Draw.pdf
2024 AMA Speedway National Round 3 SR.pdf
Champion Speedway
SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE UPDATE: In an effort to help people with planning, as of now we are looking to run Sept 21, Oct 5 and 6 and Oct 13. All divisions will run those dates but looking to put some emphasis on the Support and JR Divisions for the Oct 5-6 weekend at this time.
Perris Raceway
Hello everyone!
Unfortunately we are going to move September 7th’s race event to a new date, which I’m currently working on finalizing. After review of the previous two events, I’m making an attempt to get back to a full 16 rider lineup D1 as we had at the start of the season. The goal is to provide the best lineup possible to make the show better!
We are going to focus our efforts on the October 5th event along with the rescheduled date which is to be determined.
We will be having additional sponsors coming on board which allows us to provide the highest possible payout and theoretically have more fans join events.
Once I finalize the rescheduled race date, which will be end of October or November, I will revise the main schedule and any ads previously posted.
Your support and understand mean everything! I really appreciate everyone who has taken part to make the first 4 events happen!
To be continued! Aaron Fox
2024 US Open National Championship Rounds
August 31 - US Open National Championship - Round 1 - 7pm - Champion Speedway
September 1 - US Open National Championship Finals - 6pm - Champion Speedway
2024 AMA National Round 2
Supplemental Regulations for the 2024 AMA National Round 2
Revised
Draw for the 2024 AMA National Round 2
Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway: DIRT TRACK
Updated 2024 Speedway Dates Bakersfield:
November 2 - AMA U21 National
Dec 7th AMA FIM North America Final
We also will have speedway / sidecar and junior classes at Kern (Bakersfield) on Sept 14 / Oct 12 and Ventura Sept 7. These will be Flat Track events and other tracks have speedway events on these dates but we want to give our regulars the chance to ride. I am also looking at a way to run the AMA National Pairs but don't have a date for that one nailed down yet.
Steve Evans July 30, 2024
Champion Speedway / Action Park East
Reminder that we are planning to open APE next Saturday night August 3rd for the Mike Murphy night featuring Speedway, Quads and Trikes!!! We have been working behind the scenes to pull this off and will be taking Dr. Phil Scavone up there Sunday to do some major work to the track surface! We have a lot of clay being delivered to make the base smoother. It was coming along better end of last season, this should really help. After a big setback with the karts and several other issues we really need a big turnout to get the legend back on track! For those who were having a hard time making the Friday night shows the past few years here is your chance for a Saturday! Please start spreading the word for us! If this event goes well we will be doing a round of the US Open there and may add a Fall event! Lets get APE back running strong so we can cement a schedule for next season from the start of the year!
2024 AMA National Round 1
Supplemental Regulations for the 2024 AMA National Round 1
Champion Speedway
When it comes to Champion Speedway, Hank was our most dominating rider in track history. He was a 4 Time Track Champ and once Won 12 Scratch Mains in a Row!
We lost Hank at age 64 in February of 2017. Saturday June 22 we will Honor Our Friend and Get Sideways for him! Come out and join us in Owego.
Gates open at 5pm with racing starting at 7pm.
Costa Mesa Speedway | Harley Night
Costa Mesa Speedway is Back and celebrating 54 years of fast, colorful and unpredictable racing! Saturday night June 15 we are proud to present Harley Night. Fuel burning Speedway Motorcycles with NO brakes. Insane 2 man Sidecars and Hardcore Harley dudes racing their Hogs on the dangerous Bullring Oval. 40 bar-to-bar races in just 135 minutes! Costa Mesa Speedway… an American Legend! Don’t be Scared!!!
Gates Open at 6pm with a rockin live band
Happy Hour from 6-7pm
First Race blasts off at 7:30pm sharp
Join us at the hassle free OC Fair and Expo Center for the most exciting live action event ever. Visit our website at CostaMesaSpeedway.net for more information. See ya at the races!!
SATURDAY, JUNE 15TH, 2024
Harley Night #2
Speedway / Sidecars
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2024
Knobby Night #2
Juniors
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2024
Harley Night Finals
Speedway / Sidecars
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2024
54th U.S. National Speedway Championship
2024 marks 54 years of fast paced, colorful and
unpredictable racing action on the famous "Bullring" oval.
US Nationals - Round 1
Champion Speedway
Champion Speedway, one of the oldest racetracks in the Country still in operation, celebrates a huge milestone this season and is planning a big Memorial Day weekend to celebrate! This is the 50th Anniversary season of the legendary local track and they're pulling out all the stops this weekend with a two day US National Championship event Saturday and Sunday. Top racers are coming in from the West Coast, Colorado and multiple states in the East to compete, including two-time US National Champion, Aaron Fox, and former US Open Champions Austin Novratil and Chris Kerr! The current US Open Champ, International star, Bradley Wilson-Dean, is flying in from New Zealand as well. Four-time World Champion, Greg Hancock's son will be taking part.
Legendary riders from both coasts who have played a major role in the track's history will be attending, including such famous names and Champions as "Rocket" Rodney Payne, "Mean" Gene Bonsignore, George "Lazorbeam" Lazor, "Stormin" Norman Robinson and his brothers, "Rowdy" Rick Stone, "Fast" Frank Watson, Ivan "The Terrible" Blacka, "Pistol" Pete Atwater, Tommy "Gator" Sephton, Joey Sephton, Tuff McBride and many more! A large group of former Canadian racers are making the trek down including National Champions Lightning Len Dillon, John Kehoe and Aaron Hesmer. Bonsignore, Lazor, Watson, Blacka, Tommy Sephton and McBride will be inducted into The East Coast Hall of Fame on Saturday evening prior to the races as this year's inductee class. Some of the legends may take to the track for some exhibition laps, including retired CA great and two-time US Open winner, Jimmy Sisemore from Woodland, CA. Former Nor Cal star Devin Defreece and other friends and supporters are traveling in support of the event too!
The races blast off at 7pm Saturday night for Round One and 6pm for the Finals Sunday. There will be a vintage memorabilia display, souvenir programs detailing the 50 year history and the live band WRECKLESS MARCI will be playing after the Main event Saturday evening at 10:30! Monday at Noon would be used as a rain-date possibly if needed.
More information can be found at www.eastcoastspeedway.com
Champion Speedway
We were rained out May 11 and have re-scheduled the Meggan Hobart Spring Fling for May 18, 2024
Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa Speedway is Back and celebrating 54 years of fast, colorful and unpredictable racing! Saturday night April 13 we are proud to present the Spring Classic/Jack Milne Cup featuring professional Speedway Motorcycle Racing, Insane 2-man Sidecar Teams and 150cc Juniors. Over 40 races will be run in just over 2 hours! The Costa Mesa Speedway bullring oval puts everyone right on top of the action.
Gates Open at 6pm with a rockin live band
Happy Hour from 6-7pm
Big Show blasts off at 7:30pm sharp
Join us at the hassle free OC Fair and Expo Center for the most exciting live action event ever. Visit our website at CostaMesaSpeedway.net for more information. See ya at the races!
Perris Speedway
Attention Perris Speedway riders:
2024 Perris Speedway Rider License and Mechanic Form
Rider License and mechanic forms will be available this evening. With those will be credentials and family/friend pass included. You will find the details on that within those forms.
Entry for April 20th opens soon. I’ll have the information to all of you on that as soon as possible.
Be sure to take part in Kern’s event on April 6th, Costa Mesa’s event on April 13th as well! Industry fires up June 1st.
Ride Perris and WTP Motorsports are excited for the 2024 race season!
Join us next Wednesday April 3rd for open practice once again! Speedway riders- this is the last practice we have until our Speedway season race opener Saturday April 20th for $6,000!
I wanted to make some notes in regards to some guidelines to follow, speedway related:
- practice sessions will be 4-5 laps
- 1 practice start at the beginning of your session, followed by a series of laps as stated above
- DO NOT stop on the track once green flag laps have begun
- Stage near riders of your caliber so the pit gate steward can effectively get a sufficient amount of riders out at any particular session
- DO NOT enter the track when the pit steward isn’t looking and a session is underway
$35 per rider
Mechanics & Spectators are free
Gates open at 4pm, motorbikes on track at 5pm
*BONUS: up for grabs will be $100 to any Speedway, Flattrack, Sidecar, or Trike bike that puts on the most practice entertainment or “rider of the night”,courtesy of Pavement Recycling Systems, Allstar Kia of San Bernardino, and WTP Motorsports (there will be a team of officials watching throughout the evening who will select a winner)
Thank you all for your cooperation so far as we get close to official race season!
Look forward to seeing you all there, let’s go!
Aaron Fox March 28, 2024
The seeded top eight riders from 2023 should be:
5 - Max Ruml 59 Points
98 - Broc Nicol 47
14 - Billy Janniro 44
188 - Louie Mersaroli 38
3 - Dillon Ruml 34
28 - Slater Lightcap 30
30 - Alex Martin 21
321 - Russell Green 20
Deadline to submit your application is April 27, 2024.
TEAM USA SPEEDWAY 2024
TEAM USA SPEEDWAY 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER ENTRANTS
Team USA is delighted to release its list of riders who will be competing in the 2024 FIM World Championship Qualifiers. Eight riders will compete in four different disciplines, which is the highest number of American riders that have ever placed entry in Individual FIM World events in a single season.
Luke Becker leads the Grand Prix Qualifying places with the firm intention to earn a place in the 2025 series. He is joined by Swedish based Gino Manzares and a welcome overseas return for Broc Nicol. Alex Martin returns for his second season in SGP2 (Under 21) where he will be joined by Slater Lightcap, who wowed at 2023 Polish League Training Camp. Youth spots see Nick Hohlbein return in SGP3 (250cc) where he will be joined by 2023 SGP4 entrant Kensei Matsudaira. The 190cc SGP4 class will see a debut for the fast rising 13-year-old Brady Landon.
The team stated, “2023 was a difficult year in theory as we were not qualified for the World Cup and two of our riders lost their team places in England due to the league restructuring. This left us very thin on the ground with only two full-time riders in Europe. Some may have wondered whether this was the beginning the end for America on the International stage.”
“But 2023 served as the inspiration to work harder. It was the launch point for our Junior Speedway Academy, Team Training camps and USA racing back home in America. We now have a new breed of young rider coming through as far as they are spending extensive time practicing and being coached at our base track, Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in Bakersfield, CA. And more importantly, they are investing in equipment and resources in Europe to really have all pieces in place to climb the gigantic ladder to world success.”
“Ultimately, the goal is to compete to win World Championships. That is a long way away currently, but the present scene is the most encouraging it has been in over a decade. We currently lack depth in Europe but that is going to change. To have five riders in Youth and Under 21 events says all that you need to know about what is ahead in the near future.”
“Our goal as a team for 2024 is to qualify for the Speedway of Nations final in Manchester this July. It would be the first final for the USA in over 20 years. It will not be easy, realistically we are in the mid pack of about six countries chasing two final spots, but we have always had our best team performances in the UK.”
“As a unit, we have never been stronger. There are so many pieces to the puzzle both within and externally to the formal Team USA structure. Greg Hancock coached most of the squad over the winter and will continue to work with many of the team during the season, whilst Gino Manzares worked with the juniors in the academy. The likes of the Hohlbein family and Martin family have blazed the trail with European bases being set up with other riders now following this lead.”
“These are vital steps, but bigger ones will be needed moving forward. We are hugely motivated to do whatever it takes to compete at the highest level.”
The list of riders, events and locations are listed below.
SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX
Gino Manzares 20 May Debrecen, Hungary
Broc Nicol 20 May Abensberg, Germany
Luke Becker 25 May Zanovica, Slovakia
SGP2 (UNDER 21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP)
Slater Lightcap 8 June Ludwigslust, Germany
Alex Martin 8 June Macon, France
SGP3 (250cc YOUTH)
Nick Hohlbein 22 June Teterow, Germany
Kensei Matsudaira 22 June Teterow, Germany
SGP4 (190cc YOUTH)
Brady Landon 15 June Malilla, Sweden
Steve Evans (March 22, 2024)
Champion Speedway
So things are really starting to come together for an awesome Memorial Day weekend in May for this event! It is going to be the biggest collection of talent ever assembled on the East Coast before! Excited to start making some announcements: The first 3 current guest riders racers to book their flights are current US Open Champion, Bradley Wilson-Dean, 2018 US Open Champion Aaron Fox and 2012 US Open Winner, Chris Kerr! The first 3 of the not so current riders who booked are 1999 and 2001 US Open Champ, Jimmy Sisemore, Nor Cal D-1 rider, Devin DeFreece, and former CA D-1 rider and US Open contestant, Mike Maely, son of the legendary Ken Maely! There is a long list of more great names coming and we are working really hard behind the scenes already for this special celebration! Stay tuned and keep your calendars free for May 25-26!
WOW, the 50TH Anniversary Races/Celebration May 25-26 at Champion Speedway are going to be insane! The biggest collection of speedway talent ever in one place on the East Coast! Guest list is starting to look awfully impressive! The band Wreckless Marci is booked in for Saturday night also! Mark your calendars!!!
MAVTV - FIM SPEEDWAY
(Apparently) MAVTV will broadcast the SGP FIM Speedway action in the USA until 2026. The link is here. The link to MAVTV is here.
Looks like FLOWRACING will be showing them via MAVTV or some such nonsense. Good Luck!
Fast Fridays Events
Kern Raceway Events
Unfortunately our race at Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway next Saturday March 16th is being pushed back to our next scheduled date of April 6th.
The big grand reopening car race last weekend was rained out and is being rescheduled for the 16th. Given the size of this event it will take up all of the tracks attention, staffing and resources.
As things grow under the new ownership, they will absolutely have the ability to run multiple events at the facility on the same day.
We are looking at running a practice on Sunday 17th instead and will let you know about that in the next day or so. Anyone who has prepaid entries can roll them to the 6th or can request a refund.
Steve Evans (March 6, 2024)
Perris Raceway Events
March 6th canceled, rain.
Unfortunately, this weeks practice has been canceled as rain begins to hit the area and forecast is unfavorable through Wednesday, February 21st.
BUT WAIT, there is GOOD NEWS! YOU ASKED for weekend practices and we will bring them to you as weather permits, starting with Sunday, March 24th! Stay tuned because we are working on the facility, new web-site and the 2024 schedule of events!
Costa Mesa Events
February Kern Raceway Events
USA versus The World Update!
It is fair to say that any rain out or event rescheduling comes with several challenges and unexpected expenses but that's part of racing. On a typical night of racing in America there are many logistics and moving parts involved. When you are bringing over an international team of riders, it goes to a whole new level.
Luckily, four of the world team were already scheduled to be in the states through the following weekend. So for Paco Castagna, Leon Flint, Tom Brennan, and Paweł Trześniewski it was just a case of their patience and turning this past weekend into a tourism weekend.
We are delighted to say that former GP winner Chris Harris was able to change his flight for next week, which was literally done in the nick of time as the rain out and reschedule was only confirmed a few hours before he was due to fly over to the States. We thank Chris for being a true professional and understanding the situation. He was as cool as a cucumber early last week when he knew he may be traveling 5500 miles for a rain out and he was quite willing to do whatever we decided.
Unfortunately, Dan Bewley will not be able to attend next weekend. He is already into preseason commitments with his Polish team, to ready himself for his league and world championship campaigns. Dan is extremely disappointed to be missing the event and wanted to let everybody know he plans to be back next time.
Having looked at alternative riders, we have decided the best option is to operate the 'rider replacement' rule to cover Dan's absence. This means that his programmed races will be shared amongst his teammates, and with a very strong world team still in attendance this will give good coverage and a competitive meeting.
Just to be honest with you all, It's been a very stressful and challenging few days on the organizational end of the event. We hope that, despite the change of date and circumstances above that the event is still very well attended. We need you there. It is a blockbuster lineup with the world team, having top quality full-time professional racers in it's mix. They will be pushing USA all the way, and that is what it is all about!
We are promoting this event for the benefit of the American Speedway team, and American Speedway fans. There isn't any other race track like Kern in the country, and the event is very much worth traveling to no matter where you are located. Even from a distance it is certainly several thousand miles closer than going to a GP in Europe.
We are looking forward to a fantastic event this coming Saturday, 17 Feb at 1 PM. Make your plans it's going to be amazing.
Steve Evans (February 11, 2024)
URGENT! USA Vs WORLD RESCHEDULED TO FEBRUARY 17th
Unfortunately with the amount of rain we gave had in the last 24 hours and with more coming in the next 2 days we have made the early call to move our big race to February 17th. Aside from the track itself the pits area and access areas are flooded and by the time the rain stops it will be too late to give you the great event we want.
So plan to be there on the 17th. We are sorry for the change but relieved the weather for next week will be perfect!
Steve Evans (February 6, 2024)
Updated 2024 schedule
(Subject to change based on other tracks etc.)
Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway
Feb 17 - USA World - International Individual
March 16
April 6
May 18
June 22 - AMA NATIONAL (Speedway only)
Sept 14
Oct 12 - AMA U21 Speedway Championship
Nov 2
Dec 7 - AMA / FIM NORTH AMERICA FINAL
Ventura,
Sept 7 AJ Herrera
Bishop, Ridgecrest, Santa Maria possible
Steve Evans (January 28, 2024)
Rescheduled for Sunday January 28, 2024.
Urgent rain postponement Kern.
Unfortunately we had continual overnight rain versus the shower that was forecast around midnight so the track is waterlogged and unfit for action today.
So we will reschedule both the practice and awards, date be confirmed by tomorrow.
I will be contacting everybody who prepaid today and you can either keep it the next time or get an immediate refund.
Steve Evans (January 21, 2024)
Feb 10th 1pm USA V World
Classes running: USA V World (8 man teams), Supporting classes: Division 1 Future Stars, 250 Junior, 150 Mini. All riders by invitation only
Feb 17th start time TBC International Individual
All Divisions feature and no restrictions on entries. D1, D2, D3, Vintage, Juniors, Sidecars
Note team selection for USA V World will be done with 2023 FIM International Competitions and 2023-2026 World Cup / Speedway of Nations teams in mind. It's never easy to select a team of 8 when there are at least double that number of riders who would do a good job at this level and probably 6 or more others rising in the wings. Down the line it would be great to involve other venues and run a series of USA V World events and rotate some of the team to allow more riders to represent USA. I know how much that it means to everyone who gets the opportunity. When we have way more talent than available places there will always be deserving riders who are not selected.
The race on the 17th is there for everyone and those who are not racing on the 10th can come and race against some top international riders. It is also encouraging that there is an increasing number of ambitious USA riders investing in equipment to use overseas in FIM events. If your favorite misses out on the 10th, we are very sorry but there's no way to track a 16 man USA team!
We are looking forward to these great events in February during this amazing international week for American Speedway!
Steve Evans (January 16, 2024)
It was an absolute pleasure yesterday to host the first ever Team@USA international Speedway training camp @kernraceway. We had 14 riders in attendance, including many youngsters who have expressed an interest in representing the USA in international competition in the future. The event consisted of open practice, coaching, team riding drills, and the classroom session after lunch to wrap things up.
We look forward to doing more of these in the future. any riders who want to be involved in future international camps can reach out. Steve Evans Jan 15, 2024.
Steve Evans (January 15, 2024)
Photo by Dale Miller
Speedway Academy
Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway
Sunday 10am-12:30pm January 21, 2024
Kids $75 (rental bikes, skid shoe included as needed).
Adults (2 spots) $175 Inc bike rental
Adults with own bike $125 (4 spots)
Must have motorcycle experience
Venmo @steve-evans-87
Open practice 1245-4pm $50 per person inc 1 mechanic. $10 additional pits personnel.
Steve Evans (January 5, 2024)
Hot Shoe Hall of Fame - January 27, 2024 - Las Vegas
2024 Perris Raceway Schedule
2024 Speedway Race schedule is here! I’m happy to have Perris Raceway as part of the regular race season, with our opener in April. Yes it might only be 6, the bosses wanted more, but I want to start with good quality shows and then build from there on. Info on what each event’s theme will be, formats, purses, and much more soon! Mark your calendars! Aaron Fox January 2, 2024.
Very big update regarding practice - by much demand, Perris Raceway will host 5 practice sessions starting in February, leading up to our opening night in April. (Race schedule to be released soon).
Come see the new track shape and preparation! I am personally excited for all riders to try out a new design that will improve skills and create quality racing moving forward.
There will be practice session procedures in place for all classes and everyone will have quality track time!
If there is any questions, you can contact me via Facebook messenger or email at speedway@wtpmotorsports.com.
See you all there very soon! Aaron Fox December 21, 2023
Announcement from Aaron Fox and Perris Raceway
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