Justice Brother named title sponsor to this Saturdays 2009 California State Longtrack Speedway Championship at the Perris Auto Speedway in Perris California.
The AMA/USA Speedway sanctioned race will now be called the California State Speedway Longtrack Championship presented by Justice Brothers.
Justice Brothers has had a long relationship with Speedway Motorcycles sponsoring such riders as, 7-time National Speedway Champion, Mike Bast, 6-time World Champion, Ivan Mauger and 2-time World Best Pairs Champion, Bobby Schwartz. They currently sponsor the young phenom, Ricky Wells, Shawn Harmatiuk, and John Houston. All three are scheduled to compete in the upcoming Longtrack race.
I especially want to thank Justice Brothers Distributor and High Point Racing company owner Tim Huddleston for this title sponsorship stated co-promotor and Pasadena resident Harald Zechner. . Huddleston an Irwindale Late Model Champion is heavily involved in racing and sponsors a five car race team “He’s a real racers racer and his involvement in the California State Longtrack Speedway Championship is much appreciated.
1996 World Speedway Champion Billy Hamill is Grand Marshall to The 2009 California State Longtrack Speedway Championship that will be held Saturday July 11, 2009 at the Perris Auto Speedway in Perris California.
"I’m honored," Billy stated. “I love Longtrack racing and desperately want to compete. If any race could make me come out of retirement this would be the one”.
Americas top riders are competing. Saturday’s First Division entry list is like a “Who’s Who” of Southern California Speedway racing. Longtime stars Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz, “Flyin’” Mike Faria, Shawn McConnell, “Fast” Eddie Castro and Gary Hicks have all pre entered the new, prestigious event. They will be challenged by the newer generation of American stars including Jimmy Fishback, Tim Gomez, Shaun Harmatiuk and Ricky Wells. Wells, who is a rookie rider in for the Coventry Bees in England’s tough Elite League, is coming off his best British meeting when he scored 11 points vs Peterborough last week. If those riders are not enough to wet your appetite for first class Speedway, perhaps the contingent of Northern California stars will reel you in. Current US National Champion Billy Janniro, Kenny Ingalls, Tommy Hedden and longtime veteran John Houston will all be journeying to Southern California for Saturday’s race. By the way, there may be a few surprise entries still to come.
Track owner Donnie Kazarian normally runs Sprint, Midgets and Stock cars on it’s 1/2 mile clay surface but for this event we will make a specially built 440 meter dirt track. It will be prepared by master track builder and Costa Mesa Speedway promoter Brad Oxley.
"Speedway is a good show," Donnie was quoted. "It used to run here semi regularly and I’d like to see that happen again. Not weekly but several times a year would be good. I think the spectator base would support it”.
Track announcer Scott Daloisio is also a huge Speedway supporter and historian. "I did press, pictures, video commentary and wrote for Cycle News on the Speedway circuit for years," he told me. “I’m still involved and helping tracks like The Grand and new IMS venues”.
CEO and Manager of this State owned Fairgrounds, Vince Agnifili, is also a big Speedway disciple. “I worked for years with John Smith and Harry Oxley at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds and even promoted a couple of Speedway races in Santa Barbara. If this event is a success I’ll make a place for them to race during our 2009 Southern California Fair in October”.
The 31 race program pays a $5,000.00 purse and $1200.00 for 1st place. Speedway Sidecars will also be featured along with support class divisions.
The last West Coast Longtrack Speedway Championship was held in 1990 at Ascot in Gardena California and the winner was Jeremy Doncaster from England.
1997 Speedway World Champion and seven-time AMA National Champion Greg Hancock was the last American to win the Ascot Longtrack in 1989.
Shawn Moran is America's only AMA World Longtrack Champion. He won the crown in 1983.
Spectator gates open at 5pm.
Practice between 5 and 6:30pm
Racing starts at 7:00pm
Perris Auto Speedway is on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway and go two miles east to the fairgrounds.
