Story By: JEFFREY AHLUM / GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Following six months of racing action, it all comes down to one final night of point competition to determine the champions this weekend at Grandview Speedway.
This Saturday, September 14 will feature Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant Championship night with the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman in a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program starting at 7:30 pm. The show will include qualifying events leading up to the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature and the 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature event.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups will be starting at 6:15 pm, and racing gets underway at 7:30 pm.
Adult grandstand admission is $20, students 10-15 with ID are $10, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 with a license, or $45 without a license.
Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant of Boyertown, Pa. will be sponsoring Championship night, and will be giving away many prizes including 300 can koozies for the adults, and 300 frisbees for the kids at the main gate and the Meet and Greet where the Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant sponsored Modified of Justin Grim will be participating. There will also be over 100 t-shirts to be given away during the night as well, don’t be left out on a fun evening!
Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant is located at 699 Englesville Road in Boyertown, Pa. and is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 11 am until Midnight. They are a family friendly neighborhood restaurant and bar where you can go to watch a game or catch up on what is going on in the Boyertown community.
Saturday night will also feature the final Trivia night of the season, where fans can win prizes, including Spunktown Tavern and Restaurant gift certificates, after answering questions about Grandview Speedway racing. All the Trivia nights have been well received by race fans and have been a lot of fun for all!
The racing weekend will actually kick off on Friday, September 13 and will feature the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage Cars in action along with the Slingshots starting at 7 pm. Pit gates open at 2 pm., with Grandstand gates open at 5 pm.
On Friday night grandstand admission will be $10, with children ages 12 and under admitted for free. Pit admission is $30 for the Friday event.
Lap sponsorships, at $20 per lap, are still available for the September 21 running of the Freedom 76 T.P. Trailer Modified Championship race. All the laps for the BIG race have been sold, but race laps can be doubled up if you would still like to add your name or business to the list. It is a great way to wish your favorite driver good luck or advertise a business during the big race event.
Laps that are sponsored are read on the public address system and posted on social media leading up to the big event and on championship race weekend.
You may contact Tina Rogers, Tommy Kramer or Jeff Ahlum at the track on race night, or Venmo @Tina-Rogers327.
The Freedom 76 weekend begins on Friday, September 20 with the 11th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race paying $2062 to the winner, along with practice time for 358 Modified drivers wishing to participate in the Freedom 76.
Friday’s program will be known as Fans for Five Friday as the grandstand admission is just $5, while children ages 9 and under will be free of charge.
On Friday, pit gates open at 3 pm with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. drivers meeting at 5:30 pm. with the pill draw following the drivers meeting. Warmups are at 6:15 pm. and racing at 7:30 pm. Pit admission on Friday is $40, and no license is required. There is no rain date for the Friday event.
Racers are reminded that the Freedom 38 is open to regular Sportsman division drivers only (track or series), drivers who compete regularly in Modified division competition are not eligible to compete.
On Saturday, September 21, the 54th annual Freedom 76 will be run for the 358 Modifieds paying $30,062 to the winner! The program includes qualifying heats, consolations, cash dash and the Minuteman 20 leading up to the 76-lap Championship main event.
Pit gates open at 9 am, for inspections, fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am, and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets, with grandstand ticket windows opening at 3 pm. Pill draw for position is at 4:30 pm, with the drivers meeting at 5 pm, warm-ups are at 6 pm, with racing starting at 7 pm.
Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, students 10-15 with ID are $20, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 28.
For the Freedom 76, the tire rules for the event are as follows, ANY American Racer tire and compound, but it must be the Grandview Speedway tread pattern. All Grandview engine and body rules apply, please check the website for details at www.grandviewspeedway.com under the Freedom 76 tab, or any questions please call Cliff or Ed.
Those wishing to camp at the Speedway please note: Campers can enter the grounds in the fourth turn area on Saturday, September 14 and remain there until the 21st. However, because there are no hookups, sleeping in the campers can only take place September 20-22.
In the previous 61 years of Grandview Speedway competition for the T.P. Trailer Modifieds, there have been 30 different drivers who have had the honor of winning the track point championship. The two drivers who have won it the most will be in the spotlight this coming Saturday looking for a chance for another title.
Drivers will be battling hard this Saturday night as the point championship chase comes to a conclusion, with Jeff Strunk leading the T.P. Trailer Modified point standings by 272 points over Craig Von Dohren. Strunk is looking for his eleventh title, while Von Dohren has a shot at the top spot, and would be looking to add to his thirteen championship titles.
The current top ten in points for the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds are 1. Jeff Strunk – 4079, 2. Craig Von Dohren – 3807, 3. Mike Gular – 3593, 4. Eddie Strada – 3367, 5. Jared Umbenhauer – 3316, 6. Duane Howard – 3245, 7. Brett Kressley – 3171, 8. Louden Reimert – 3154, 9. Doug Manmiller – 3098, 10. Tim Buckwalter – 2803.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman point championship chase will go right down to the wire, as Dylan Swinehart just took over the point lead following the September 7th racing program, and leads Logan Watt by a small 25 point margin.
Swinehart will be looking for his first title, while Watt will look for his second in a row. Mike Schneck Jr. sits third in points and has a chance at the top spot as well, and would be looking for his first point title.
The current top ten in T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman points are 1. Dylan Swinehart – 3374, 2. Logan Watt – 3349, 3. Mike Schneck Jr. – 3258, 4. Addison Meitzler – 3067, 5. Brett Gilmore – 3058, 6. Adrianna Delliponti – 3002, 7. Jesse Hirthler – 2961, 8. Ryan Graver – 2724, 9. Logan Bauman – 2511, 10. Jesse Landis – 2203.