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PORT ROYAL - The 23rd Annual Butch Renninger Memorial is on tap
Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway for the late models and limited
late models.
Honoring the late track champion and long-time track employee, the
late model feature pays $7,333 to win and the limited late models,
$3,333.
Renninger drove the No. 33. He was the 1966, 1967 and 1970 track champion.
Indiana Pa.’s Gregg Satterlee is the defending race winner, and
six-time champion.
Many contingency awards are up for grabs as well in the biggest race
of the season for the local late model teams.
It will also be the opening night of the 172nd Annual Juniata County Fair.
Beyond the prestige of winning the Renninger race, the track
championship chase is close in both divisions.
Teenager Jaxton Garman, of Elliottsburg, holds a slim five-point lead
over DJ Myers in the limited late model standings. Both drivers are
seeking their first championship at the track. Casey Steinhoff sits
third in points, but is 235 behind. The limited lates have one more
point race on the schedule, Friday night, Sept. 11.
The Renninger Memorial will be the season finale for the late models.
Trevor Feathers leads the points by only five over Satterlee and 100
over two-time and defending champion Rick Eckert and Hayes Mattern.
Three-time champion Dylan Yoder is 125 points behind. A lot could
change here after the Renninger.
Mattern was fast last weekend during the Rumble by the River and then
became a dad again Sunday morning.
The USAC East Coast 360 sprint cars join the Saturday night program as
well. Racing begins at 6:30.
The sprint cars return to Port Royal for the 75th Annual Labor Day
Classic on Monday afternoon paying $7,500 to win. It will also serve
as the Lynn Paxton Tribute Race.
Dylan Cisney, Logan Wagner and Brock Zearfoss are the last three Labor
Day champions.
The always exciting 4-cylinders will be racing and there will be an
exhibition by the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.
It will be Fan Appreciation Day with reduced general admission prices,
including $10 for the infield and $15 for the grandstand. Racing
begins at 2.
The sprint car points are also close. Five-time track champion Logan
Wagner leads six-time champion Lance Dewease by 65 points and Ryan
Smith by 105. The Labor Day Classic, and the first two nights of
Tuscarora 50 weekend count toward the championship.
Tuscarora 50 weekend for the sprint cars concludes the Port Royal
season. Opening night is Thursday, Sept. 10 with the High Limit Racing
Series, and the season finale for the 305 sprints. Friday night, Sept.
11, the limited late models join the sprint cars. The $59,000 to win
Tuscarora 50 is set for Saturday, Sept. 12. Ryan Timms won the T50
last year.
Australian racer Ryan Newton won the sprint car feature Sunday night
at Selinsgrove Speedway. Newton has become a regular in central
Pennsylvania the past few seasons racing here during Australia’s
winter months.
Danny Dietrich, Tyler Ross, Jake Karklin and Michael Walter completed
the top five. Austin Bishop was leading when he tangled with a slower
car, and the accident also collected Chase Dietz and Justin Whittall.
Selinsgrove hosts the Paul Long Memorial for the late models Sunday
night, along with the 305 sprints and limited late models.
The sprint cars are in action Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway,
and Saturday and Sunday at Lincoln Speedway.
York’s Dietz is the leading sprint car feature winner in America this
season. He leads the PA Posse Sprint Car Series standings by 63 points
over Troy Wagaman Jr. The champion earns a $50,000 payday.