From Port Royal Speedway
Port Royal, PA — (November 23, 2013) — A capacity crowd of 300 filled the Port Royal Community Building Saturday night to honor Port Royal Speedway’s best performers of the 2013 season.
Foss Jewelers of Lewistown and Mifflintown presented titlists in all five regular divisions at the track with championship rings to go along with their payoff checks and trophies.
Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove and the Jeff Creasy No. 12 410 sprint car team accepted laurels as the Aumiller’s Insurance sprint car champions while confirming plans to return to the track in 2014.
Heimbach had five wins on the season while qualifying for all 21 shows that he entered at Port Royal, finishing outside of the top ten only once in those shows while earning an average feature finish of fifth.
The balance of the top 10 in the sprint standings honored were Chad Layton, Mike Wagner, Dylan Cisney, Mike Erdley, Doug Esh, Lance Dewease, Keith Kauffman, Cliff Brian and Davey Sammons.
Port Royal’s Cisney took home Most Improved honors, posting an average finish of eighth in all 21 shows that he entered.
Kauffman, the most prosperous driver in the history of the track who has now retired from the sport, was declared the sportsmanship honoree and drew a standing ovation from the entire room upon taking to the stage.
Kauffman will represent the oval at the upcoming Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown banquet.
Mechanicsburg’s Rodney Westhafer was awarded Rookie of the Year honors with a 17th place finish in the points and an average feature finish of 10th.
Local Terry Naugle likewise drew raucous applause from the crowd upon taking ownership of the Gray’s Auto and Towing late model championship trophy for his No. 71 team.
The title is the third overall of Naugle’s career at the track having also taken an enduro division crown in 2008 and a pro stock title in 2009.
Naugle pocketed a single victory on the season and three runner-ups while qualifying for all 16 point shows conducted.
His average feature finish was seventh.
Aside from Naugle, remaining late model honorees were Brett Schadell, Mike Lupfer, Tim Wilson, Matt Parks, Mitch Hack, Chad Hollenbeck, Mike Mort, Patrick Bryner and Trent Brenneman.
With a fifth in the point chase, Parks earned Most Improved Driver honors with an average feature finish of third.
Finishing 11th in the points, Jason Schmidt won Rookie of the Year laurels.
Hollenbeck earned Port Royal sportsmanship honors while Brenneman will represent the late model division as the sportsmanship driver at the ARCH banquet.
Tim Krape took home the title of Pro Stock champion for the fourth time in his career since the division began in 1998.
Krape’s average finish in the 12 shows he ran was 1.3 with nine victories bolstering his average.
Scott Landis, Nate Fisher, Andrew Shoop, Kyle Rapp, Nate Stroup, Chase Bowsman, Dan Berry, Dave Berry and Tim Fedder rounded out the top 10 honorees.
Fedder earned sportsmanship honors while Rapp took Rookie of the Year with an average feature finish of fourth to his credit.
The top five point earners in the Juniata Tire Sales enduros and the River Valley Builders 305 sprints were also honored.
Deron Henry won the enduro dash title with a lone victory and an average finish of fourth.
Jared Fulkroad, Pete Leister, Bill Powell and Jason Davis completed the top five.
Fulkroad was declared the sportsmanship award winner.
Logan Wagner accepted honors as the first ever 305 sprint series track titlist.
Wagner qualified for all seven 305 shows conducted, earning a trio of wins and an average finish overall of fourth.
The Harrisonville driver announced he will compete in weekly 410 sprint action at Port Royal in 2014.
Eric Parker, Kody Lehman, Scott Ellerman and Jason Berstresser completed the top five honorees.
Port Royal Speedway will open the 2014 season with a Test and Tune session on Saturday, March 8 from 1 – 4 pm before opening the season featuring the 410 sprints a week later on March 15 at 6 pm.
Port Royal season seats and passes for the 2014 season will go on sale December 2.