By Shawn Brouse

Port Royal – Port Royal Speedway will honor its five fallen heroes in history with this Saturday’s Memorial Weekend Fallen Heroes Championships for super sprints, super late models and 305 sprints.

Racing will begin at 7 pm with gates opening at 5 pm.

All three divisions will race for increased purses in the show that honors Port Royal fallen heroes Frank Bailey, Harold Swarmer, Hal Hoose, Denny Snyder and Randy Thompson.

At the age of 33 on September 6, 1947, Port Royal Speedway experienced its first Fallen Hero in Frank Bailey of Piscataway, NJ.

Bailey began racing in 1934 and became the 1936 AAA East Coast Champion over Tommy Hinnershitz.

Bailey won 16 AAA features in his career and was competing at Port Royal in the autumn of 1947 after returning from a retirement that he started in 1945.

It was in a AAA race during the Juniata County Fair that Bailey’s car swerved out of control in an eight-lap preliminary.

Later, as Bailey became a hero while at Lewistown Hospital, the legendary Ted Horn scored the Port Royal AAA feature event.

Saturday’s championships will see the super sprints vie for $5,000 to win their 25-lap main that also pays $350 just to start while the late models will race for $2,000 to win their 25-lap feature and $200 to start.

The 305 sprints will also race for more to win in their 25-lap nightcap.

Time trials will set the starting lineups for the 410 sprints and late models.

The event will kickoff the summer season and honor those lost with a beautiful fireworks display by Skyshooter Pyrotechnics at intermission.

It will be Pepsi Night at The Port with the first 100 fans entering the stands receiving either a FREE Pepsi shirt or hat.

And Pepsi will be giving away nearly 50 12-paks of soda to general admission fans plus tickets to NASCAR at Pocono Raceway, Hershey Park and Knoebels Grove Amusement Resort.

Packers Concessions of Centre Hall will also be offering various new food items on the grounds for the event.

The exciting holiday program is sponsored by Packers Concessions along with Lelands.com, CRANKWERKZ, Newville Electrical Services and Mr. Terry Ritzman.

It will also be York County Racing Club Night at the track.

Adult general admission for May 25 will be JUST $20 with students ages 12 – 18 JUST $5.