Champion racing resumes tonight

Appeal Staff Report

The countdown at Champion Speedway is now at seven. That's seven more dates on the schedule before the Sept. 24 season finale, which will mark the final show at the 42-year-old Carson City track before its scheduled demolition in mid-October, and four divisions will be racing in an all-local show tonight.

Western Modifieds, Legends, Late Model Sportsmen and Hornets are due to run, with qualifying scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and racing to start at 7:15.

Among the highlights, Carson City's Matt Collier and Dean Heller both figure to be busy drivers tonight. Collier has indicated he plans to race three cars in three divisions - Modified, Late Model and Hornets - all with his No. 11. And Heller is tentatively entered in two divisions - Modified and Late Model.

The Modified field is also expected to include Jay Linstroth of Citrus Heights, Calif., who won the July 23 race at Champion, along with Mike Ragelman of Ripon, Calif., Jeff Stephens, Gary Swim and Troy Nogosek. Regelman finished third in a Grand American Modified main event won by Sammy Solari last Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Another visiting driver expected to appear tonight in the Legends division is Zack Kavert from Redding, Calif., one of the top drivers at Shasta and a second-place finisher behind Wayne Estes in a 2004 race at Champion.

Ticket prices for tonight's local show include $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for juniors 13-17 years of age, $3 for juniors 6-12 and children 5-and-under are admitted free.