Western Modifieds featured at Champion

Western Modified open-wheel racers will make their season debut and a new division dubbed as "Hobby-Bombers" will appear for the first time at Champion Speedway tonight.

The Late Model Sportsmen, Legends and Hornets will also run as part of the evening program that starts with qualifying at 6 p.m. and racing at 7. The gates open at 5 p.m. and regular admission prices will be charged - $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children 13-17 years of age, $3 for children 6-12, and children 5-and-under are admitted free of charge.

The new "Hobby-Bombers" division is simply a combination of the new Bomber class with the old Hobby Stocks, according to track general manager Les Kynett.

"The Bombers were originally set up to be full-contact racing and Hobby Stocks are set up strictly as a racing division," Kynett said. "They can push and rub sheet metal and spin somebody out without being disqualified, but they can't be quite as aggressive as the Bombers. I've talked to some guys this week and there should be seven or eight, maybe more, who will be out to race Saturday night."

He added that Don Hill and Mike Fuller are among the familiar local drivers who have indicated they might come out to race.

The Western Modifieds are finally going to get their chance to race at Champion after being rained out of their season opener on April 30 and then cancelled on May 7 due to threatening weather.

"The Roseville and Ukiah tracks not running this weekend, so I've had lots of calls and it looks like we'll have a good field," Kynett said.

Among the hometown drivers expected for the race are Dean Heller, Matt Collier, Russ Cazier and Reno's Scott Deutsch. California drivers to keep an eye out for include Jeff Stephens (Rio Linda), Jay Linstroth (Fair Oaks), Troy Nogosek (Roseville), plus the father-son team of Craig and Gary Swim (Elverta).

Gary Swim posted his first modified victory at Champion last year when he won the Aug. 7, 2004 Western Modified feature race.