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PORT ROYAL -- Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.
The Port Royal speedway is set to kick off the 169th Annual Juniata County Fair Opener on Saturday, Sept. 2. This week of racing will begin Saturday evening as racers take their places to compete in the 20th Annual ULMS Late Model Butch Renninger Memorial, the Weikert's Livestock 410 Sprint Cars, and the Selinsgrove Ford Limited-Late Models. Race day is set to start at 6 p.m. and will be dedicated to the Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown (ARCH).
The first event honors legendary Butch Renninger, who holds the 4th place spot on the all-time winners list in the Super Late model division. Renninger has claimed 41 career victories and three track championships (1966, 1967 and 1970). Renninger also raced in the Enduro Division in 2003 where he was a track champion and he still claims the title of second most winningest driver in the division with his four victories there. When he wasn't racing, he stayed at the track serving persistently on the board of the speedway for decades. He also served diligently on the board of the speedway for decades when he was done racing. He never wanted to leave the track. During his time on the board he managed track preparation and concessions.
Since the start of this event in 2005, Jeff Rine (2011, 2017) and Gregg Satterlee (2012, 2016) are the only two drivers to score multiple victories in the event. Others who have been victorious in this race are Steve Campbell in 2005, Scott Haus (06), Mitch Hack (07), Jere Wierman (08), Tim Wilson (09), Waylon Wagner (2010), Jason Covert (2013), Justin Kann (2014), Dylan Yoder (2015), Tyler Bare (2018), Max Blair (2019) and Mason Zeigler (2020). Scott Haus has taken the spot as having earned the most top-five finishes during the event with five total top-five finishes.
The ULMS Late model Race will pay $7,333 to the winner and is 33 laps in distance. The winner of the Limited Late Models will race to win $3,333. Other prize winning opportunities are available for those who are less professional racers. For the first time since 1995 go karts are going to be seeing action on the famous Port Royal Speedway. The race for karts will take place on Labor Day, Sept. 4 directly after the Labor Day Classic at the Juniata County Fair and is set to start at 5:30 p.m.
The week will end on Saturday, Sept. 9 as racers take on the 56th annual Tuscarora 50.
"Port Royal Speedway is rich in racing history. Race fans and drivers alike come from all across the country for their chance to experience our coveted Tuscarora 50 and it is exciting to be a part of it year after year," long-time Port Royal racer, Dylan Cisney, said. "We have been competing at the fair opener since 2010. I am from Port Royal and we race weekly at Port Royal Speedway."
Ask The Fans
Taylor Romig -- McClure, Pa.
(Port Royal Racing fan who's been attending the races for 20 years)
Q: Are you local to Port Royal Speedway?
A: Yes, well 20 minutes away.
Q: Do you travel for races seasonally?
A: I do. Besides Port Royal, my favorite track to visit is Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Q: What does Port Royal Speedway mean to you?
A: Port Royal is my favorite place to be, and the racing scene is so different from any other sport. No matter who you root for, it's like a big family. Everyone comes together for those few hours a week,regardless of any other difference, and we just get to watch what we love. Port Royal Speedway does a phenomenal job of making every experience perfect.
Q: Gearing up for the 169th Annual Fair opener, the 56th Annual Tuscarora 50 (and every race in between), what are you looking forward to?
A: The Tuscarora 50 is some of the best racing I've ever watched, with some of the best drivers out there. I am looking forward to another exciting year, and excited to see our favorite local drivers racing again in Pennsylvania.