If you're a race fan, you know winter is officially over when the gates swing open at Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport.

This Sunday, the track will open for it's 54th consecutive season and action at it's sister track Rolling Wheels Raceway Park will begin Sunday May 4.

Gates will unlock Sunday at 3 p.m., with the first green flag of the season set to wave at 5 p.m. It will be 1040 tax night, with the 1,040th person through the gate receiving a free seasons pass. On tap will be the Big-Block Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, UMP Street Stocks and BattleKarz.

Jimmy Phelps out of Baldwinsville, will be back to defend his 2007 track title in the J&B Installations, Town Mechanical, Granby Discount Carpet No.99j Troyer entry. Phelps will have plenty of competition trying to dethrone him. Perennial Canandaigua track champion Steve Paine out of Waterloo, Justin Haers out of Phelps, Rob Bellinger from the Thousand Island area and Derrick Podsiadlo, Penn Yan and Billy Dunn out of Watertown look to be Phelps main competition in 2008. Look for multi-time feature winner from the Sportsman ranks Shawn Donath along with other rookies Larry Wight, Tony Steiner and Stephen Planck to make a competitive field. Modified regular Ryan Phelps also plans on making frequent stops at the Weedsport oval.

In the Sportsman Modified, class 2008 looks to be a year of change. This year marks the first full season of crate engines only. Last weekend at the Black Rock Speedway in Dundee was an early indication that 2008 should be a banner year in the class. Over 50 cars showed up with other drivers in the pit area who have yet to complete their cars. Look for bigger car counts than ever in this class.

Jeremy Pitcher after his success and track title last year in the Sportsman Modifieds can't wait to get the 2008 season going. Pitcher will still behind the wheel of his MDC Construction, No.14 Troyer car. The Fulton driver was one of those who didn't favor the crate engines last season. He blew up his primary open motor part way through the 2007 season and switched to a crate engine based on timeliness and affordability. Pitcher went on a tear soonafter, picking up feature wins and the above mentioned track title.

Pitcher will have stiff competition from Auburn's own Tim Currier, who had racked up many top-five finishes and is still looking for that first win behind the wheel of the Currier Plastics, No.10. Auburn driving veteran Jim Spano should challenge for the win every week.

Two rookies have moved up from the UMP Street Stock class and are looking to make some noise as Sportsman Modified Rookies. Dave Marcuccilli No.M-1 from Montezuma and last weekends $5,000 to win Street Stock winner at Black Rock, Nathan Peckham, No. 90 from Seneca Falls, are looking forward to the move up in class.

Both Marcuccilli and Peckham were at the practice session at the Weedsport oval Wednesday night. After talking with both, they said the biggest adjustment is sitting in the middle of the car compared to sitting to the left side of the their full fender Street stock. They also related that the steering is a lot quicker and the noise from the car is much different and will take getting used to.

With less than a month to go before the Rolling Wheels opener, the speedway will keep to its specials-only race in 2008. Again, Jimmy Phelps will look to defend his title. Phelps will be driving the H&H Motorsports, New England Race Fuels, Troyer House Car, No 98H at Rolling Wheels and on the tour.With the speedway's specials-only format the track brings out the best drivers from the Northeast DIRTcar Big Block Modified division.

Like the Modifieds, the Sportsman, Pro Stocks and Street Stocks bring the best to do battle on the 5/8th-mile oval clay. Some of the highlights on the 2008-schedule are the always popular World of Oulaw Sprint Cars on Memorial May 26. After popular demand from the fans is the return of the BPG 200 -lap Advance Series Big Block Modified feature on World Series Weekend Friday and Saturday, September 26-27.