By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Port Royal Speedway will play host to two huge nights of sprint car racing this week, on Thursday, June 30 and again on Saturday, July 2 as the 21st annual PA Speedweek series for sprint cars invades the track.
Features on both nights will be 30 laps in distance and pay $5,000 to the winners.
The Port Royal legs of the 2011 series will account for the fifth and seventh nights of racing during the nine-day speedweek stretch that includes a total of eight nights of action.
Port Royal first took part in the series in 1997 only to lose its show to rain.
Since then, no driver has put up the numbers in speedweek at Port Royal like the ovals all-time win leader, Keith Kauffman of Mifflintown.
Kauffman scored popular wins in the event in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2007 while driving the Middleswarth Potato Chips No. 7 machine, thus taking a third of the 13 series events that have been run at the Juniata County oval to date.
To go along with his four wins, Kauffman has also driven to a second and a pair of fifth place finishes in speedweek action at the track.
Three other drivers have put up impressive Port Royal speedweek numbers over the years.
Lance Dewease took a win in 1999 and has since garnered four runner-ups.
Fred Rahmer won in 2006 while also having two thirds, two fourths and a trio of fifths.
And 2009 and 2010 winner Greg Hodnett of Thomasville also has two thirds and two fourths to go along with both of his victories.
As car owners go, Middleswarth likewise has the most Port Royal speedweek wins while retired car owners Jim and Sandy Kline own three comprised of Rahmer and Hodnett’s wins.
Thursday night’s program will see the track honor brothers Eddie and Guy McCardle with the 2011 Founders Awards. The McCardles were instrumental in making the speedway into a nationally known weekly auto racing venue in the 1950s.
Racing begins at 7 PM on Thursday with action slated for 7:30 on Saturday. Pro stocks join the super sprints for Thursday night action while a premier division doubleheader of super sprints and super late models will vie on Saturday.
Adult General Admission for the shows is $20.00 with students ages 12- 17 admitted for just $10.00.
Previous Port Royal PA Speedweek feature winners: Jeff Shepard, 1998; Lance Dewease, 1999; Don Kreitz Jr, 2000; Keith Kauffman, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007; Mark Smith, 2003; Todd Shaffer, 2005; Fred Rahmer, 2006; Cody Darrah, 2008; Greg Hodnett, 2009, 2010.
PRS 2011 – Racing into a new decade with a new attitude!
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