Champion Speedway
East River Drive
Owego, New York 13827
Champion Speedway Spring Classic Story
May 26, 2013 - Champion Speedway, Owego NY
From: East Coast Speedway Promotions
By Jason Bonsignore
Photos by Brian Walsh (Orange is Mittl, white and blue- Donholt, Green- McBride, yellow-Diem)
May 26, 2013
The Missile scores his 4th Patrick Ahlund East Coast Speedway Spring Classic Title!
The 2013 Speedway season opened up on May, 26 to a new crash wall design and re-shaping of the Champion Speedway racetrack, which helped create a few very exciting races. A full field of speedway and ATV riders hit the track and produced some hot racing although under cold outside temperatures! It was a very clear and sunny afternoon but the temperatures plummeted after the sun went down! Fortunately the very healthy sized crowd braved it and it seemed a very enjoyable night out was had by all.
The staff at Champion had worked tirelessly over the past few weeks putting up a new and improved crash wall and making several other notable upgrades including a much clearer sound system. The new wall was moved in 15 feet on the 3rd and 4th bends and rounded which kept more loose cushion on the racing lines and several riders used it spectacularly to their advantage on an evening dedicated to the memory of former Swedish and Canadian rider, Patrick Ahlund, who raced at Champion as well and was lost in a car accident nearly 10 years ago.
Round one of Division One competition began with Jesse Diem getting the holeshot over Casey Donholt and holding him off despite Donholt's best efforts to take 3 points. Brian Hollenbeck held on for third place over Andy Crawford. Reigning East Coast Champion, Adam "The Missile" Mittl, appeared in the next heat and impressively held the throttle wide open and rode the boards for four laps to the win. The next closest rider was "Jammin" Jeff Garlinghouse and he took second followed by Advocare sponsored rider, Dave Meldrum, and Ron Walker. Former 4-time East Coast Champion, Gene Bonsignore, who turns 65 in two weeks, led the next event from start to finish with Jerry Harman taking second and Stefan Laessig third and Corey Brookes fourth. One of the all-time greats, Tuff McBride, rolled back the years and looked in vintage form to win the last heat of the opening round with Russ Cornell grabbing a second and Dave Clark and Shawn Engel bowing out with bikes problems and a crash.
In the second round the first two heats were taken by Hollenbeck and Mittl and heat 3 looked to be going to McBride before Donholt made a very nice outside pass on him and won. Harman led them home in the final heat to close out.
Mittl was again dominating in the third series while Bonsignore took his second win and Meldrum finally got a win under his belt after two earlier bike failures. The story of the third set of heats though occurred in McBride's race when he hooked up violently while dicing with Diem and went into the wall very hard which put him over the bars and airborne! Diem got the eventual win but McBride would come back later in the program incredibly!
The last heats were the most entertaining ... Meldrum won again but from the penalty line on a last corner pass, Harman took a checkered as did Donholt and McBride and Mittl had one of the best races in years using the whole track and passing each other several times with McBride getting the nod!
Mittl, Donholt and Diem would transfer directly to the Main on points but a 4 rider runoff had to be held for two Main event positions amongst Bonsignore, Harman, Hollenbeck and McBride, all on 8 points. Hollenbeck and McBride took the positions!
The A final had Mittl choosing gate one, Donholt taking two, Diem three, Hollenbeck four and McBride had the wall. Mittl made no mistake and made the start. He was under some pressure by Donholt at a couple points but held his composure on his Arai, Oakley, Oury, Justice Brothers, Scotts Headers GM and pulled away for a very convincing win, his fourth Spring Championship!
Sixteen year old prospect, Brandon Bruzek, won Division Three in his first race ever and Veteran, Ray Barondick won Division Two! Chris Merwin was the Pro ATV feature winner.
Next event at Champion Speedway is June 8!
A Final
1. Adam Mittl
2. Casey Donholt
3. Brian Hollenbeck
4. Jesse Diem
5. Tuff McBride
B Final
1. Jerry Harman
2. David Meldrum
3. Gene Bonsignore
4. Jeff Garlinghouse
C Final
1. Dave Clark
2. Corey Brookes
3. Stefan Laessig
4. Ron Walker
D Final
1. Andy Crawford
Russ Cornell DNR
Shawn Engel DNR
Division Two
1. Ray Barondick
2. Brian Bailey
3. Don Wheeland
4. Spencer Portararo
5. Alex Heath
Division 3
1. Brandon Bruzek
2. Jim Sanchez
3. Andrew Clark
Mike Clark DNR
Pat Ferrell DNR
Photos by Brian Walsh (Orange is Mittl, white and blue- Donholt, Green- McBride, yellow-Diem)
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