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It’s a busy weekend in dirt track racing with a variety of special events.
Port Royal Speedway has the late models competing tonight in the Tri Star Sizzler 30-lap feature event with an added purse; 410 and 305 sprint cars also are on the program.
In addition to great racing, Port Royal hosts Juniata County Rescue and EMS night this evening. An assortment of emergency equipment will be on display throughout the night. Fire truck rides will be available for children starting at 5:30 p.m.
At Selinsgrove Speedway this evening it’s driver and fan appreciation night. All divisions compete for increased purses with 360 sprint cars and late models earning $2,500 each.
Tonight’s Lincoln Speedway program includes 410 sprint cars, super sportsmen and legend cars.
Stock car fans in Huntingdon County can enjoy the Charlie Walter Jr. memorial tonight headlined by the 358 late model sportsman class.
On the national front, sprint car racing’s month of money officially starts tonight at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The Kings Royal program concludes a three-day run. This evening’s A-Main winner earns $50,000. Stewart increased the three day purse to a whopping $325,000. Shane Stewart won last years event.
Tony Stewart called the upcoming week his personal hell week, in large part due to the ambitious Eldora Speedway racing schedule plus commitments to NASCAR and Wednesday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck race at Eldora. The program should be one of NASCAR’s most popular events this season.
Plenty of dirt track talent is planning to compete in the truck race at Eldora. Sprint car and NASCAR racers Rico Abreu, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Kenny Schrader filed entries. Here’s how the program will be organized: Five heat races will set the line up for the 32-car field. There will also be time trials. Kenny Schrader holds the truck track record at 19.709. Three segments will be run covering 40, 50, and 60 laps respectively.
Congratulations to Central Pennsylvania racer Logan Schuchart on scoring a World of Outlaws A-main victory this week over Donny Schatz. Schuchart banked $8,000 at Cedar Lakes, Wisconsin, Speedway.
Port Royal Speedway has announced the recipients of this years Living Legends Award: car owners John and Pee Wee Zemaitis and retired driver Randy Wolfe. Honors will be presented during the Aug. 6 racing program.
Greg Hodnett scored sprint car win No. 17 of the season last Saturday at Lincoln. Doug Esh became the ninth different winner at Port Royal this year. Esh enjoys a 110 point lead over Mike Wagner in the standings.
Injured sprint car driver Jake Waters underwent further surgery this week and is continuing to positively progress. His GoFundMe drive topped $35,000. Several fundraisers have been set up in the region.
There are two in the next week – tonight an auction will be held at 6 p.m. in the commercial building at Port Royal. Area racers led in part by Heidi Kauffman have collected items including non-racing merchandise. Race items include autographed shirts, hats, wing panels, roofs, body panels, pictures, die cast cars, etc.
And the National Open Benefit Group is hosting a race car celebrity bowl-a-thon for Waters next Thursday at ABC West Bowling Center in Mechanicsburg. World of Outlaw drivers Daryn Pittman, Joey Saldana and David Gravel will join Lance Dewease, Wayne Dadetto and many 358 and 305 racers for a night of bowling with race fans. Nationalopenbenefit.com has details.
The Rally in the Valley benefit is being held at Ye Olde Hotel in Milroy from 10 a.m. to noon today. PA Sports Network host Jed Donahue is helping host the event which is open to all ages. A corn hole tournament will be held this afternoon. A variety of on- and off-road vehicles will be on display plus motorcycles. The local ABATE Motorcycle Chapter is helping with the event, which benefits Mifflin and Juniata County Foster Children’s Chapter.
Once again leave it to government to help screw things up. The great state of New York quickly demolished the mile track at the Syracuse Fairgrounds after last fall’s Super Dirt Week Series. The venue was to be moved to the newly constructed Central Raceway Park. Only problem is, construction has been halted in large part because the state’s grant money hasn’t been released. Contractors shut down work until the money is released and investors need the money to have their next round of financing released.
The state promised a total of two grants worth $7.75 million. So far they’ve released $850,000. Fifty percent of the first $5 million grant was to be released up front and that didn’t happen. Super Dirt Week has been moved to Oswego Speedway, which will be covered in dirt for the programs. Oswego is a half mile paved track.
Accusations are flying concerning the Cuomo administration and its awarding of economic development grants. A new grant writing firm has taken over for the group that originally prepared the speedway’s package and everything is on hold for now. It will be interesting to see if this track ever is completed. A lot of earth was moved but no buildings or grandstands have been started.
Have a great racing weekend!
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Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel.