Story By: JUSTIN SNYDER / PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY – PORT ROYAL, PA – It’s that time of year again! Soon the smell of delicious fair food and the shrieks of excitement from children riding rides will fill the Juniata County air surrounding the Port Royal Speedway.
It’s the 168th Annual Juniata County Fair! As tradition has it, racing will again be a prime attraction during the fair. Racing will kick off during opening night of the fair on Saturday, Sept. 3rd with the 19th Annual Butch Renninger Memorial Race featuring the ULMS Racing Series Late Models, the Selinsgrove Ford Limited Late Models and the Weikert’s Livestock 410 Sprint Cars.
The event honors the legendary Butch Renninger, who sits fourth on the all-time winners list in the Super Late model division with 41 career victories and three track championships to his name.
Renninger also served diligently on the board of the speedway for decades and oversaw track preparation and concessions during that time.
The ULMS Late Models will be competing for a cool $7,333, while the Limited Late Models will be competing for an unheard of $4,333. The Super Late Model portion will be the highest ever for the event, while the 410 Sprint Cars will also run for an increased $5000.
Specific to the limited late model division, this will one of the largest paying races for them in the history of the division at the Speedway.
Not only will this add prestige and excitement to the event, it shows the continued growth of the Speedway and it’s support of all the divisions that compete at it regularly.
Crate motors will not be permitted to participate in the Limited Late Model portion of the event.
Also, up for grabs for the drivers in competition will be several contingency awards presented by several more sponsors. Both the Super Late Models and the Limited Late Models will receive lap sponsor bonuses that will pay $33 per lap courtesy of fans and various sponsors.
In the Super Late Model division, heat race winners will receive $133 courtesy of Tedd Reitz, while fast time in qualifying will receive $333 courtesy of Barron’s Racing Engines There will also be a $133 hard luck award for the first non-qualifier courtesy of Gullwing Aviation.
Second and third in heat races will receive $50 and $33 courtesy of Minimum NAPA Auto Parts and Bill & Kay Weimer while the B-main winner will receive $50 courtesy of Snyder’s Radiator Shop.
For the Limited Late Model division, heat race winners will receive $133 each courtesy of Garman Concrete & Construction, while the Fast-Time Award winner will receive $233 courtesy of Barron’s Racing Engines. Gullwing Aviation will present a hard-luck award of $133, while Pellman Trade will offer $33 extra to the highest finishing Juniata County driver in the field.
Other incentives include $50 for second in heat races (Zimmerman Truck Lines and Zimmerman Truck Repair), $33 for third in heat races courtesy of Bill and Kay Weimer, $50 to B-main winner’s vias Snyder’s Radiator Shop and $100 for the first non-qualifier in memory of Master Sergeant Harry Trommetter.
Admission for the event will be $25 for General Admission, $10 for Students and $35 for Pits Admission. Gates will open at 3:00pm EST, while racing is scheduled to kick off at 6:00pm EST.
All of this will lead into Monday, Sept. 6 for the 71st Annual Foss Jewelers, Inc. Labor Day Classic featuring the Weikert’s Livestock 410 Sprint Cars, the 4-cylinders and the Path Valley Wingless Sportsman division. Thanks to an anonymous donor, the 410 Sprint Car event will pay $6000 to win instead of the regular $5000 winner’s share for the second consecutive season.
As tradition, the event will serve as our fan appreciation night featuring $5 infield general admission and $12 grandstand general admission. Pit admission will be $30. It will also be United Way night, with half of the 50/50 proceeds benefitting the local United Way chapter. Tedd Reitz will also serve as a sponsor for the event, putting up additional money for the event purse.
Closing out the week will be the 55th Annual Tuscarora 50 sanctioned by the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions and presented by Ramsey’s Car Wash and Garage and Packer’s Concessions, LLC.
The three-day crown-jewel event will kick off on Thursday, Sept 9 and run until Saturday, Sept. 11. There will be rain date of Sunday Sept. 12 for Saturday’s portion only.
Thursday’s event will pay $8000 to win for the 410 Sprint cars courtesy of Tedd Reitz and feature the PennsValley MeatMarket PA Sprint Series 305 Sprint Cars. Friday will be the annual ‘Night Before ‘the 50’, which will pay $10,000 to win courtesy of Tedd Reitz and feature the Krill Recycling, LLC Super Late Models as well. This will be the final points event for the Late Models and the Sprint Cars.
Finally, Saturday is the granddaddy of them all, the 55th Annual Tuscarora 50. As tradition, the event will pay $55,000 to win in accordance with the 55th running of the event. There will be a full paying non qualifiers purse as well, with the winner of that event earning a guaranteed starting spot for next year’s event.
There will be several other contingency prizes throughout the weekend that are yet to be announced as well.
Prices for the weekend are as follows:
Thursday- Sept 9- $25 GA, $10 Students, $35 Pits
Friday- Sept 10- $30 GA, $15 Students, $40 Pits
Saturday- Sept 11- $35 GA, $20 Students, $45 Pits