By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Port Royal Fairgrounds Speedway will present the Smokey Snellbaker Classic 6th annual Keystone Cup for 410 sprint cars this Thursday, May 24 at 7 pm.
Competing with the sprint cars will be the popular super sportsman cars for their one and only appearance of the year at the historic oval.
Snellbaker, who passed away last October, was a three time champion at the oval for car owner Roy Morral in 1972 and 1973 and again for Gary Wasson in 1974.
During his career that spanned decades, Snellbaker piled up 55 sprint car victories at Port Royal Speedway and a pair of sportsman wins. His last victory at the track was in a sportsman in 2001.
In an outstanding feat of accomplishment in 1975, The Silver Fox, as he was called for his silvery mane of hair, garnered four sprint track titles for Wasson at Hagerstown, Selinsgrove, Williams Grove and Penn National Speedways while also claiming the overall Central Pa KARS series sprint title.
Perhaps his best-known ride during his career was the popular Lloyd No. 56 sprinter, which he drove for several seasons in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Two restored Snellbaker/Lloyd cars will be on display at the event to honor his memory and career.
Special guests for the night will be sprint car champion and historian of the sport Lynn Paxton and Mike Lloyd, who wrenched for Snellbaker during the time he drove the Lloyd 56 for family patriarch Charlie Lloyd.
Gates for the Keystone Cup Snellbaker Classic will open at 5 pm. Adult general admission is $20 with students ages 12 – 18 priced at just $5.
The sprint cars will compete in the Snellbaker Classic, going 30 laps and paying $5,000 to win while the sportsman will vie in a 20-lap contest.
Last year’s Keystone Cup race at Port Royal was rained out.
Previous Keystone Cup victors at the oval have been: Stevie Smith, 2007; Fred Rahmer, 2008; Greg Hodnett, 2009, and Mike Erdley, 2010.
Rahmer is the defending Cup champion.
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