From Shawn Brouse
Port Royal, PA — The Juniata County Agricultural Society completed reorganization recently, naming a new president for the fairboard, which governs Port Royal Speedway. Don Clark of Mexico was elected president.
Clark is a longtime society stockholder and patron of the speedway whose father Gerald, a board member for some 50 years, heralded the oval’s efforts for numerous seasons during the decades of the 1970’s and 1980’s as president himself.
Under the leadership of Don Clark, a decision was handed down by the board Tuesday evening to name Port Royal resident Steve O’Neal as race director and to have him and his promotional team operate the speedway for the board for the upcoming 2011 racing season.
O’Neal previously guided the track as race director in the late 1990s.
The decision by the Agricultural Society to allow a promotional team to run the facility for them is a first in the 123-year history of the venerable speedplant. Auto racing was first conducted at the Juniata County oval in 1938.
Varying efforts are currently underway to ready the historic oval for another racing season that will see 410 sprints and late models headlining weekly programs.
More news surrounding this move by the facility will be released soon. Officials are mindful of the necessity to complete and release plans as quickly as possible.