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.

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 1958 season was a trying one at Port Royal as the oval suffered two fallen heroes.

On June 7, 21-year old Harold Swarmer of Julian, PA, became the oval’s second Fallen Hero after the loss of Bailey in 1947.

Driving his brother Dick “Pete” Swarmer’s No. 8 Ford in the second consolation race of the night, Hal Swarmer crashed head-on into a tree outside the backstretch after leaving the speedway off of the second corner and ramping over a wooden and metal “drag” used to prepare and smoothen the track, thus making it impossible for him to slow or stop before impact.

Swarmer was a one-time Port Royal winner in his career.

Less than three months later, it was a beautiful, sunny Labor Day afternoon on September 1 when well-known pilot Hal Hoose of Troy, PA, became Port Royal’s third Fallen Hero at the age of 36.

Hoose was the 1956 Penn Central champion and was in his 10^th season of racing on that Labor Day.

The Penn Central point leader at the time, Hoose started last in the Australian Pursuit race and coming off of the second corner on the inside at the start he collided with Leroy Felty on the backstretch who had moved left after contact with Pete Swarmer who had also moved left, creating a three-wide race.

Hoose’s famed Al McClure Motor Company No. 11 barrel rolled at first before digging in and launching into end over end flips out over the third corner embankment.

With 14 career Port wins and the 1956 title to his credit, Hal Hoose became a hero outside the third turn that day, leaving behind his wife Florence, sons Hal Jr. and Larry and daughter Nancy.

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 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.