By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Port Royal Speedway will host a daytime fair classic when it spins off the 64th annual Foss Jewelers Labor Day Classic for 410 sprints on Labor Day afternoon, September 7 at 1 pm, as part of the 161st annual Juniata County Fair.
The Gray’s Auto & Towing 355 econo late models and legends stock cars will join the sprint cars for a day at the fair as part of the Juniata County Fair that gets underway on September 5 and runs through September 12.
!!!!ADULT GENERAL ADMISSION FOR THE LABOR DAY RACING PROGRAM IS JUST $10 and ADMISSION TO THE FAIR IS FREE ALL DAY!!!!
Students ages 12 – 18 will be admitted this day only for JUST $5.
Grandstand gates will open at 11 am with racing slated for 1 pm.
Presented by Foss Jewelers of Mifflintown and Lewistown, the sprint cars will vie for $4,000 to win and an increased purse in the event.
The first Labor Day Classic was held in 1952 when Earl Bryner took the win. Since then names like Sherm Greenaway, Eddie McCardle, Toby Tobias, Leroy Felty, Bobby Weaver, Bobby Davis Jr., Don Kreitz Jr, Jeff Shepard and Mike Erdley have taken wins.
Danny Dietrich is the defending Labor Day Classic champion.
No driver has been more successful in the Labor Day Classic for sprints than retired veteran Todd Shaffer of Millerstown, who owns six victories in the prestigious race.
Shaffer first took the win in his own No. 11 back in 1987 before repeating in 1990 and 1991. He then returned for wins in the Beam No. 88 in 1995, 2004 and in 2008.
Following Shaffer closely on the Labor Day win list is another retiree, Lynn Paxton, who not only won five in his career but did it in back to back style from 1976 through 1980.
Daytime master Don Kreitz Jr. also owns five Labor Day wins, coming in 1986, 1992, 1993, 1998 and in 2001.
Port Royal Speedway will close Labor Day with a two-division Demolition Derby at 6 pm.
Demos will take place for both four and six cylinder vehicles, paying $1,000 to win each.
Grandstand admission is priced at just $5.
Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the tracks official website at www.portroyalspeedway.com or by following the oval on Facebook and Twitter.
Port Royal Labor Day Classic Winners: 9/1/52 No. 1 Earl Bryner, 9/7/53 No. 57 Sherm Greenaway, 9/6/54 No. 9 Eddie McCardle, 9/5/55 No. 3 Eddie McCardle, 9/3/56 No. 33 Bill Foust, 9/2/57 No. 11 Hal Hoose, 9/1/58 No. 80 Elmer Drum, 9/7/59 No. 6 Dick “Toby” Tobias, 9/5/60 No. 77 Leroy Felty, 9/4/61 No. 6 Dick “Toby” Tobias, 9/3/62 No. 15 Frankie Thompson, 9/2/63 No. 77 Ed Dunkle, 9/7/64 No. 1 Dick “Toby” Tobias, 9/6/65 No. 7 Leroy Felty, 9/5/66 No. 6 Dick “Toby” Tobias, 9/4/67 No. 35 Bobbie Adamson, 9/2/68 No. 66 Johnny Grum, 9/1/69 No. 66 Johnny Grum, 9/7/70 No. 5 Mitch Smith, 9/6/71 No. 66 Johnny Grum, 9/4/72 No. 99 Jan Opperman, 9/3/73 No. 29 Kenny Weld, 9/8/74 No. 8 Bob Weaver, 9/2/75 No. 5 Smokey Snellbaker, 9/6/76 No. 11 Lynn Paxton, 9/5/77 No. 1 Lynn Paxton, 9/4/78 No. 1 Lynn Paxton, 9/3/79 No. 1 Lynn Paxton, 9/1/80 No. 1 Lynn Paxton, 9/7/81 No. 56 Smokey Snellbaker, 9/6/82 No. 461 George Ferguson Jr., 9/5/83 No. 29 Bobby Davis Jr., 9/3/84 No. 80 Dave Wickham, 9/2/85 No. 29 Doug Wolfgang, 9/1/86 No. 69N Don Kreitz Jr., 9/16/87 No. 11 Todd Shaffer, 9/5/88 No. 19 Stevie Smith, 9/4/89 No. 77 Stevie Smith, 9/3/90 No. 11 Todd Shaffer, 9/2/91 No. 11 Todd Shaffer, 9/7/92 No. 69K Don Kreitz Jr., 9/6/93 No. 69K Don Kreitz Jr., 9/5/94 No. 461 Lance Dewease, 9/4/95 No. 88 Todd Shaffer, 9/2/96 No. 461 Lance Dewease, 9/1/97 No. 77 Fred Rahmer, 9/7/98 No. 69K Don Kreitz Jr., 9/11/99 No. 1 Jeff Shepard, 9/4/00 No. 88H Lance Dewease, 9/3/01 No. 69K Don Kreitz Jr., 9/2/02 No. 7 Keith Kauffman, 9/7/03 No. 7 Keith Kauffman, 9/6/04 No. 88 Todd Shaffer, 9/5/05 No. 35 Alan Cole, 9/4/06 No. 11 Mike Erdley, 9/3/07 No. 22 Greg Hodnett, 9/1/08 No. 88 Todd Shaffer, 9/7/09 No. 55 Mike Wagner, 9/6/10 No. 27 Daryn Pittman, 9/10/11 No. 55 Mike Wagner, 10/13/12 No. 39 Greg Hodnett, 9/2/13 No. 27 Lance Dewease, 9/1/14 No. 29 Danny Dietrich.