From Port Royal Speedway
Port Royal, PA – (March 27, 2013) – A couple of Port Royal Speedway opening day sprint car champions will greet young fans as they enter Port Royal this Saturday for the 2013 season opening event, which is also Kids Easter Night at the oval.
Previous opener winners Greg Hodnett and Lance Dewease will be on hand along with late model champion Tim Wilson, handing out free chocolate Easter rabbits to the first 200 youth who arrive.
Joining the trio of pilots will be the Easter Bunny himself who although kept very busy this time of year will be making time for an appearance.
Hodnett is the defending opening day champion aboard the Trone No. 39 sprinter.
His win in the 2012 opener was his first in the event before he went on to notch seven more victories at the track last year.
Dewease is a two-time opening day winner, dating back to 1994 when he took his first of the pair for car owner Walt Dyer.
He followed that up with his second opening day triumph in 2003 for owner Al Hamilton.
Wilson opened his season strongly last year at the track, taking two wins in one night early on in the year.
Aside from Hodnett and Dewease, other previous opening day sprint car winners expected to be in the field this time around include Blane Heimbach, 2011; Rick Lafferty, 2010; Chad Layton, 2009; and Keith Kauffman, 2002, 1993, 1985 and 1981.
Along with the sprint cars and late models, pro stocks are also on the Saturday racing program that gets underway at 5 pm with gates opening at 3 pm.
In addition to chocolate for the kids, the first 400 adult fans passing through the general admission gates for the opener will take home free 2013 Port Royal schedule magnets courtesy of Juniata Beverage located just north of the oval along Rt. 75.
A kids Easter Egg Scramble will be also be held in the infield immediately following warm ups. Age groups will be 0 – 3, 4 – 7 and 8 – 12.
Dippery’s Evergreens of Reedsville will offer increased winner’s shares for the sprints and late models in the opener.
Sprint cars will race for $3,300 to win while late models will vie for $1,500 to win. Features, set by draw, will be 25 laps and 20 laps, respectively with pro stocks going 15 laps in distance.
The March 30 season opener will be the debut of double file, “Delaware” style restarts for the super late models at Port Royal.
General admission is $15 for adults and $5 for students ages 12 – 18.
PRS 2013 – Racing through a new decade with a new attitude!
Port Royal Speedway
PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY OPENING DAY SPRINT CAR WINNERS
November 11 1950
May 30 1951 Curt Zook
May 30 1952 Eddie McCardle
May 9 1953 Carl Vogt
May 8 1954 Luke Gutshall
April 30 1955 Jimmy Gibbons
May 5 1956 Eddie McCardle
May 27 1957 Eddie McCardle
April 26 1958 Al Chamberlain
April 18 1959 Dick Tobias
April 23 1960 Dick Tobias
April 15 1961 Sonny Kratzer
April 14 1962 Bryan Osgood
April 6 1963 Roger Sowers
April 4 1964 Henry Jacoby
April 24 1965 Dick Swarmer
April 16 1966 Mitch Smith
April 8 1967 Mitch Smith
April 20 1968 Milt Miller
April 12 1969 Johnny Grum
March 28 1970 Mitch Smith
March 27 1971 Mitch Smith
April 29 1972
March 24 1973 Jan Opperman
March 23 1974 Lynn Paxton
March 29 1975 Johnny Grum
March 20 1976 Jay Myers
March 19 1977 Jay Myers
April 1 1978
March 17 1979 Lynn Paxton
March 22 1980 Lynn Paxton
March 21 1981 Keith Kauffman
March 27 1982 Steve Smith
March 12 1983 Bobby Davis Jr.
March 17 1984 Dave Blaney
March 16 1985 Keith Kauffman
March 22 1986 Doug Wolfgang
March 13 1987 Stevie Smith
March 11 1988 Dan Dietrich
March 17 1989 Joey Gravino
March 10 1990 Dave Kelly
April 6 1991 Jeff Swindell
April 11 1992 Joey Kuhn
April 24 1993
April 9 1994
March 18 1995 Todd Shaffer
April 13 1996
March 21 1997 Todd Shaffer
March 28 1998 Fred Rahmer
March 27 1999 Kevin Gobrecht
March 25 2000 Skip Jackson
March 31 2001 Alan Cole
March 30 2002 Keith Kauffman
April 12 2003
March 27 2004 Mark Smith
April 9 2005
April 1 2006
March 31 2007 Todd Shaffer
March 29 2008 Todd Shaffer
March 15 2009 Chad Layton
March 27 2010 Rick Lafferty
March 19 2011 Blane Heimbach
March 17 2012 Greg Hodnett