Shane Pecore (0) and Brogan Roberts (50) battle for the lead as they dive into the corner of the JS Steel Sportsman Modified event that would see Pecore get the win that afternoon. After Mother Nature wouldn't cooperate the first couple of weeks, it would take three on the opening racing of the 2026 Season from the Airborne Park Speedway. It would be the third annual Leon Gonyo Memorial 40, with $4,000 going to the winner of the 358 Modified race, along with $1,000 going to the winner of the JS Steel Sportsman Modified. Other classes in action on the day were the Renegades Limited Sportsman Modified, Mini Stocks, and Crown Vics. After all the heat races were done the first main out of the box would be the Crown Vics for there 20 lap affair would see Richie Turner take the lead off the start of the race and would let up on lead and take it green to checkered for the win he would have a challenge though from Trevor Jaques but he would not be able to get around the former Renegade champion. Scott Richner would round out the top three. Then we would have the 30 JS Steel Sportsman Modified, with the cool $1,000 going to the race winner. It would see Travis Bruno get the lead off the start of the race, and he would be under fire early from Nick Heywood. Still, with a mid-race caution, it would rerake the deck to come down the stretch, and it would see Shane Pecore blast to the lead around Heywood and Bruno, and that would be enough to get the win and take the $1,000 back north of the broader, and Nick Heywood and Travis Bruno would round out the top three. Then it would be time for the main event of the evening with 358 Modifieds going 40 laps for $4,000 to the winner. It would see Tim Fuller get the lead off the start of the race, and for the early part of the race, Louie Jackson would challenge him for the win, but there would be some movers in the middle of the field with last year's champion, Mike Mahanney, and Billy Dunn coming up and throwing their hand into the mix. There would be a restart with about five laps to go, with Fuller, Roy, Mahaney, and Dunn in the front two rows as they go after the win. It would be Felix Roy who would get around them all and take it line for the win and collect the $4,000 check, as Billy Dunn and Mike Mahaney would round out the top three. Then it would be time for the Limited Sportsman Modified 20-lap event, and it would see an early duel between Brogan Roberts and Gary English for the lead. Roberts would start pulling away some, but a hard charger like David Johnson would come up to battle for the win, and in the closing laps, he would get around Roberts for the win. Then it would be the Mini Stocks for the 15-lap race, and the battle for the whole race would be between two racers in the likes of Jacob Fountain and Kenny Tourville that would see them swap the lead back and forth a few times, and in the end, Kenny Tourville would get to the line first for the win. Then it would be time for the final race of the opening night of racing. It would be the Renegades for 20 laps, as an opening-lap crash would see a couple of major players from last season get damaged, and then, off the restart, Tylor Terry would get the lead. Still, he would have a battle with Billy Thwaits, and Thwaits would get the lead and not give up for the first win of the season. The racetrack will come back to life on May 7th as they begin their Thursday-night portion of the season. Gallery

Kenny Tourville (42) and Jacob Fountain battle for the win in the Mini Stock event that would see Kenny Tourville start the season on top. Gallery