Robert Miller
Advance tickets are now on sale for opening night of the 7th Annual USAC National Sprints Eastern Storm set for the Grandview Speedway on Wednesday night, June 5.
The top non-wing sprint car drivers in the country will be at the one-third mile Berks County high-banked oval in Bechtelsville, PA. Advance tickets are now available by calling 443-513-4456. Adult tickets are $25, Children 6-11 $10 and children five years and under will be admitted for free. Along with the non-wing USAC Sprints will be the non-wing ARDC Midgets taking part in an open wheel double-header that will get underway at 7:30 PM. Gates will open at 5 PM on Wednesday night, June 5. Advance ticket holders may enter the grandstands at 4:30 PM.
The history is plentiful of USAC racing in this area and the Wednesday night, June 5 show at Grandview Speedway will mark the sixty-sixth time that USAC will compete in Berks County. Legendary driver Tommy Hinnershitz (now deceased) of Oley, PA won the first three USAC events in Berks County at the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway. Other Berks County USAC feature winners include such standout names like A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Jim Hurtibise, Johnny Rutherford, Pancho Carter, Bruce Walkup, Johnny Thomson, Gary Bettenhausen, Larry Dickson and Greg Weld. More recent day feature winners include 2012 Indianapolis 500 starter Bryan Clauson, Levi Jones, Bobby East and Thunder on the Hill two time winner, the late Jesse Hockett. The Grandview USAC show in named the Jesse Hockett Classic, in honor of one of the best sprint car drivers in the country. Hockett won two USAC feature events in the same night at Grandview, one year prior to his untimely death.
If you have never seen non-wing sprint car racing, it’s just something every race fans must experience. From wheelies to wall-banging, from slide jobs to three abreast racing is just an example of what you’ll see with the USAC non-wing sprints hit the high banks of Grandview. Many fans will tell you, the time trials alone are worth the price of admission, but you’ll need to see that for yourself. Time trials, heat race qualification, a “B” Main and the 40 lap, $6,000 to win Jesse Hockett Classic will highlight the program. To further complement the program will be the non-wing ARDC Midgets. Heat races, a “B” Main and a 20 lap feature will make-up their portion of the show.
In 2012, two ARDC events were part of the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series with rising star Alex Bright and USAC National Midget and ARDC hot show Steve Buckwalter taking the victories. Both plan to be in action on the hill, Wednesday night, June 5.
The Amsoil USAC National Non-Wing Sprint Tour returned to Berks County in 2007 with the Eastern Storm. Levi Jones won the USAC Eastern Storm opener at Grandview Speedway as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Big Diamond Speedway event with Jones winning again at the Hagerstown Speedway. Levi Jones of Olney, IL claimed the first ever, 2007 Eastern Storm Championship.
n 2008 and 2009, Cole Whitt claimed the Eastern Storm Championship with Jones taking top honors again in 2010 and 2011 with Bryan Clauson earning the title in 2012.
A total of twenty-one USAC events make up the six year history of the USAC Eastern Storm with events at Grandview (6), Big Diamond (5), New Egypt (3), Lincoln (2), Hagerstown (2), Mercer Raceway Park (1), Lernerville (1) and Port Royal (1).
Race winners include Levi Jones (6), Cole Whitt (3), Jesse Hockett (2), Chris Windom (2), Bryan Clauson (2), Jon Stanbrough (1), Bobby East (1), Hunter Schuerenberg (1), Chad Boat (1) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1).
Wednesday, June 5 Gates open 5 PM Race Time 7:30 PM
AMSOIL Non-Wing USAC Sprints & ARDC Non-Wing ARDC Midgets
Admission: Adults $25, Children 6-11 $10, Children 5 and under Free
Grandview Speedway Route 100 Bechtelsville, PA 10 mile north of Pottstown, Bechtelsville, PA
For GPS Users: 43 Passmore Road Bechtelsville, PA 19505
TRACK PHONE: 610 754 7688
Advance Tickets: 443-513-4456
ADDITIONAL Thunder on the Hill INFORMATION: 443 513 4456 Bob Miller
WEBSITES: www.
Grandview Speedway is a high-banked one-third mile clay oval, celebrating their 51st Anniversary season in 2013. The facility offers free parking, quality food at reasonable prices (be sure to try the french fries), a program book, Grandview Speedway and Thunder on the Hill race wear and great viewing from every seat in the house. Race fans may take part in the Inside/Out promotion, where you can sign up (no charge) to watch warm-ups from inside turn four. Race fans are also invited to victory lane following the racing program and, race fans may enter the pits after the races to meet the drivers. Be ready to enjoy the spine tingling fireworks salute on the feature event parade lap.
BERKS COUNTY PA All Time USAC feature win list
ALL TIME CAREER WIN LIST 65 Events TRACK
6/5/2012 Bryan Clauson
5/31/2011 Bobby East
6/1/2010 Levi Jones
6/9/2009 Jesse Hockett
6/3/2008 Jesse Hockett
6/6/2007 Levi Jones
4/14/79 Paul Pitzer
4/22/78 Eddie Leavitt
7/6/75 Lee Osborne
4/5/75 Fred Linder
3/23/75 Larry Dickson
7/3/74 Pancho Carter
4/6/74 Lee Osborne
3/24/74 Bill Puterbaugh
9/21/73 Kenny Weld
4/14/73 Lee Kunzman
3/25/73 Pancho Carter
7/31/71 Larry “Boom-Boom” Cannon Reading
7/4/71 Lee Kunzman
4/21/71 Dick “Toby” Tobias
3/28/71 Larry Dickson
4/25/70 Larry Dickson
6/14/69 Gary Bettenhausen
4/26/69 Greg Weld
3/30/69 Jerry Daniels
9/21/68 Gary Bettenhausen
7/27/68 Greg Weld
7/27/68 Greg Weld
4/20/68 Larry Dickson
3/31/68 Larry Dickson
9/23/67 Bruce Walkup
6/17/67 Greg Weld
4/22/67 Greg Weld
4/2/67 Larry Dickson
9/24/66 Larry Dickson
8/6/66 Roger McCluskey
6/11/66 Bobby Unser
3/27/66 Jud Larson
9/25/65 Bobby Unser
7/17/65 Johnny Rutherford
6/19/65 Red Riegel
4/24/65 Greg Weld
4/4/65 Jud Larson
3/24/64 A.J. Foyt
9/15/63 Roger McCluskey
3/24/63 A.J. Foyt
9/16/62 Roger McCluskey
3/25/62 Jim Hurtibise
9/17/61 A.J . Foyt
3/26/61 A.J. Foyt
10/16/60 Jim Hurtibise
4/17/60 A.J. Foyt
9/20/59 Eddie Sachs
4/5/59 Elmer George
10/12/58 Johnny Thomson
9/14/58 Johnny Thomson
4/20/58 Jiggs Peters
10/13/57 Tommy Hinnershitz
9/15/57 Joe Barzda
6/16/57 Johnny Thomson
3/31/57 Johnny Thomson
10/14/56 Johnny Thomson
9/23/56 Tommy Hinnershitz
6/10/56 Tommy Hinnershitz
4/29/56 Tommy Hinnershitz