Thursday, February 27, 2003 Charlotte County Speedway Opens With Motorcycle Demolition Derby With rainstorms drowning last Saturday’s races at Charlotte County Speedway, season-opening action shifts to this Saturday night, March 1, at the newly paved 3/8 mile oval in Punta Gorda. The most unusual event on the schedule will be a wild motorcycle demolition derby. Riders will be ramming into each other, trying to knock each other down and out. The last man (or woman) still riding will be crowned winner and take home the Trophy. The return of the Motorcycle Demp Derby is due to the promotional hand of Leroy Davidson, who returned as track operator last year. Major improvements are well under way, including a complete repaving of the track surface, the inside pit area has been moved to the outside. The inside wall in the turns and backstretch have been torn down. The technical inspection area and Holeshot parts trailer has also been moved outside to the new pit area behind turns one and two. It all adds up to much better viewing for the fans sitting in the grandstands as well as the hills in turns three and four. The motorcycle demolition derby will take place during intermission of an action-packed card including late models and outlaw modifieds. The late models are the elite division at Charlotte County Speedway and should be running close to record tines around the newly paved oval. Outlaw modifieds are open wheel 4-cylinder cars that always have a good car count and exciting wheel-to-wheel action. Also racing will be the three regular divisions -- super stocks, road warriors and thunder trucks. Saturday will be the first point races of the new season. The new front-wheel-drive 4-cylinder division will also make its debut. The first big late model race of the new season at Charlotte County Speedway will take place on Saturday night, March 8 with the first of six 100-lap races for late models. The race has a total purse of $11,800. Cars are guaranteed $300 if they start. The race will pay $2,000 to the winner. Qualifying for the 100-lapper will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday night, March 7. Fans can attend the qualifying for free. The qualifying will set the field for the March 8 race. Other divisions on the March 8 racing card include sportsman, super stock, road warrior, thunder truck, front-wheel-drive 4-cylinder and a blindfold race. 2003 should prove to be an interesting year for fans of the speedway, with physical improvements continuing throughout the year, the return of the super late models, TBARA Winged Sprints, boat races, train races and blindfold races, Davidson has assured the fans he will keep the fun level high. The track ran an online auction last week to see who would be the first racer to take to the newly paved surface would be. The winner was Christy Boyette, the very popular teean-aged outlaw modified racer. Boyette took her Cianese Fabrication-Sprague Tire-Century 21 sponsored modified out onto track and got the tire hot, before the rest of the scheduled late models bragn practice. The track also will do a little different scheduling this year by clocing for 8 weeks in the Summer to complete track upgrades and avoid some of the worst rainy periods. In the future the track will eventually run throughout January and February. Racing action begins at 7 p.m with the front gates opening at 4 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens ages 60 and up and $7 for children ages 11 and under. Charlotte County Speedway is located off Exit 161 of I-75 on Piper Road in Punta Gorda. It’s on the south side of the County Airport Park. For more information, call 575-RACE (7223). Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!