Fair Week To Feature Five Nights Of Racing Starting Saturday At Port Royal Speedway
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 169th 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. 2nd with the 20th Annual Butch Renninger Memorial Race featuring the ULMS Racing Series Late Models, the Dack’s Trucking 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. Meanwhile the 410 Sprint Cars will also run for $5000.
Specific to the limited late model division, this will be 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, but it also shows the continued growth of the Speedway and its support of all the divisions that compete at it regularly.
Also, up for grabs for the drivers in the 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 Minium Napa Auto Parts, while fast time in qualifying will receive $333 courtesy of Barron’s Racing Engines There will also be a $233 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 LandPro 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 $233, 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 (Landpro), $33 for third in heat races courtesy of Ashlet Yoder Designs, $50 to B-main winner’s vias Snyder’s Radiator Shop and $333 for the hard charger on top of the customary #150 form River Valley Builders.
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.3 for the 72nd 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. The 410 Sprint Car event will pay $6000 to win instead of the regular $5000 winner’s share for the third consecutive season.
As tradition, the event will serve as our fan appreciation night featuring $10 infield general admission and $15 grandstand general admission. Student Admission is $5 and Pit admission will be $35.
Closing out the week will be the 56th 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 7 and run until Saturday, Sept. 19. There will be rain date of Sunday Sept. 10 for Saturday’s portion only.
Thursday’s event will pay $10,000 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 Selinsgrove Ford 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 56th Annual Tuscarora 50. As tradition, the event will pay $56,000 to win in accordance with the 56th 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.
