From Port Royal Speedway
Port Royal, PA โ The 2011 auto racing season is set to kickoff in less than a month at Port Royal Speedway and the most prolific winner in the history of the track is set to make his return to the weekly sprint car wars when the green flag falls.
Keith Kauffman of Mifflintown, a 128-time winner at the Juniata County oval, will debut in a Gary Heckman-owned, Chambersburg-based mount at the season opener on March 19.
Kauffman ran his first race in 1970 and heโs ready to run many more as the 2011 season dawns.
โWeโre gonnaโ try to run every Saturday at Port Royal and try to pick out maybe five or 10 other races besides that but weโre definitely gonnaโ be at every race at Port Royal,โ the 60-year old veteran says.
โI enjoy Port Royal โcause itโs close to the house.โ
With J & J Chassis and Stenger Motors as the manufacturers of choice, Kauffman says the team has a pair of complete racecars ready for Port Royal action.
โThis will be a very nice deal for what I want to do and for as many races as I want to run, it suits their schedule too,โ he says of he and his ownersโ plans.
Kauffman and the team announced they were joining forces after the close of the 2010 season.
โWe have plenty of stuff to run a good weekly deal,โ he notes.
Kauffman also says he likes what heโs been seeing at the historic oval during the off season as speedway work crews labor in an effort to upgrade and update the facility.
โIt looks good so far. Itโs hard to get much done in the wintertime, especially when weโre having this kind of winter,โ the full-time Pennsylvania Department of Transportation operator says.
โAnytime Iโve seen changes at the tracks, and Iโve seen the tracks when they change people, it always seems like itโs good. Different people have different ideas, so weโll just have to see.โ
The speedway will spin off the season opener on March 19 at 6 PM when the 358 sprint cars join the 410 sprints for an open wheel doubleheader.
A Bug Day afternoon practice program is slated for March 12 with an evening session planned for March 16.
Keep up to date on the latest speedway news and information by visiting portroyalspeedway.com.