SPORTS
Fayetteville FireAntz
The FireAntz is a professional minor league hockey team that plays from October to March at the Crown Coliseum.
The team recently completed its fifth season by winning the Southern Professional Hockey League's President's Cup, bringing Fayetteville its first professional sports championship in 51 years.
Tickets range from $8 to $16 and can be purchased by calling 321-0123 or by visiting www.fireantzhockey.com.
Fayetteville Guard
The Fayetteville Guard in 2008 will be playing its first season in the American Indoor Football Association after three seasons in the National Indoor Football League.
The team has made the NIFL playoffs in all three years of its existence, advancing to the league's Indoor Bowl in 2006 and winning the Indoor Football Championship Bowl in 2007. The Guard hasn't lost a home game since 2005.
The Guard plays its home games Saturday nights at the Crown Coliseum. The team is run by majority owner Richard King.
Charles Gunnings, who played with the Cape Fear Wildcats in arenafootball2 from 2002 to 2004, just completed his first year as the team's head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for two seasons.
The team has its own Web site: www.fayettevilleguard.com. Tickets can be purchased by calling 482-4328 or visiting the Crown Coliseum box office.
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Fayetteville SwampDogs
From June to early August, the crack of wooden bats and the smell of hot dogs fill the evening air at J.P. Riddle Stadium.
Both are from the presence of the Fayetteville SwampDogs. The team is a collection of college players from around the country who come to improve their skills and gain experience with wooden bats in the Coastal Plain League.
The SwampDogs play a 56-game regular-season schedule, featuring 28 contests at Riddle Stadium.
Four players on Fayetteville's 2007 roster and five from 2006 were taken in the Major League Baseball draft in June. They included catcher Frankie Meade (24th round, Cincinnati Reds), catcher Mike Valadez (26th, Cleveland Indians), outfielder Chris Pecora (33rd, Seattle Mariners) and outfielder Jordan Herr (41st, Chicago Cubs) from the '07 squad. Selections from the '06 team were first baseman Jeff Cunningham (seventh, Colorado Rockies), third baseman Charles Gamble (23rd, Houston Astros), pitcher Luke Prihoda (24th, Arizona Diamondbacks), pitcher William Spottiswood (25th, Arizona Diamondbacks) and outfielder Shawn Roof (33rd, Detroit Tigers).
Watching future major leaguers at Riddle Stadium costs $4 for a general admission ticket and $7 for a box seat.
For more information, call 426-5900.
Car, motocross and go-kart racing
NASCAR
Four tracks are less than four hours away. Darlington (S.C.) Raceway is the closest at about 95 miles; Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte is a little under three hours; Martinsville (Va.) Speedway is north of Greensboro and about a three-hour, 15-minute drive; and Richmond (Va.) International Raceway is 3 1/2 hours up Interstate 95. For more information, visit www.nascar.com.
Regional tracks
We are, to use the vernacular, "covered up" with racing. Within an hour's drive of Fayetteville you'll find: three dirt stock car ovals, three asphalt versions of the same, at least five dragstrips, two motocross facilities, a go-kart track and a dirt oval that hosts micro-sprints.
- Dirt: Fayetteville Motor Speedway, Dublin Motor Speedway, Carolina Speedway (Lake View, S.C.)
- Asphalt: Dillon (S.C.) Motor Speedway, Wake County Speedway (Raleigh), Southern National Raceway Park (Kenly)
- Dragstrips: Fayetteville Motor Sports Park, Rockingham Dragway, Thunder Valley Raceway Park (Red Springs), Dunn-Benson Dragstrip, Harrells Raceway
- Motocross: Devil's Ridge (Sanford), Wide Open (Raeford)
- Go-karts: Tarheel Speedway (northern Bladen County)
- Micro-sprints: New 211 Speedway (Red Springs)
Updated: August, 2007