By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Port Royal Speedway will present the 157th annual Juniata County Fair opener on Saturday, September 3 at 7 PM featuring the 8th annual Butch Renninger Memorial Night for stock cars along with the 410 sprints, pro stocks and an enduro dash.
The 33-lap Butch Renninger Memorial for late models will take center stage with the race paying $2,000 to win, an increased purse and $33 to lead a lap. The pro stock and enduro dash features will also carry increased purses.
A draw format will be used to set the heat and feature fields as usual. If one driver manages to lead all 33 laps of the Renninger Memorial for late models he’ll pocket over $3,000.
Renninger, a former fairboard and speedway director and competitor, was best known for his No. 33 late model, which will be on display at the track for the night.
During his career, Renninger scored 41 late model wins at the speedway and recorded a trio of track titles, in 1966, 1967 and 1970.
Renninger passed away suddenly while his car was still on the speedway just following the conclusion of an enduro feature he had competed in back in May of 2004.
To date, the two biggest late model events of the season at the track have been taken by Matt Parks of Three Springs and by Dylan Yoder of Selinsgrove.
Parks took the Late Model Speedweek feature back in June while Yoder scored the late model championship in late July.
Other late model winners this season have been Gary Beward, Scott Haus, Andy Haus, Mitch Hack, Jeff Rine, Waylon Wagner and Tim Wilson.
Previous winners of the Renninger Memorial for late models have been: Steve Campbell, 2005; Scott Haus, 2006; Mitch Hack, 2007; Jere Wierman, 2008; Tim Wilson, 2009; and Waylon Wagner, 2010.
The September 3 program kicks off a four-date race week at the speedway and fair as the track swings back to action on Labor Day afternoon with the 60th annual Labor Day Classic for sprints at 1 PM along with pro stocks, late models and sidewinder sprints.
And then the season and fair climaxes on September 9 and 10 with the Living Legends Dream Night Before The 50 Twin 20s for sprints honoring Keith Kauffman and Walt Dyer on Friday and the 44th annual Tuscarora 50 on Saturday.
Adult general admission for the September 3 Renninger Fair Opener is $15.00 with students ages 12 – 17 priced at just $10.00.
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