By Steve Inch
Port Royal – A host of notables will be turning out to honor sprint car driver Lance Dewease and car owner Maynard Boop at the Living Legends Dream Race at Port Royal Speedway slated for August 2.
And a host of their cars will be on hand for the celebratory event as well.
Now just one win shy of the 300 victory mark overall in 410 sprints with 96 of them having come at Port Royal alone, Dewease has driven for the most prolific car owners the region has hosted over the years.
So far on the list to gather and celebrate his career and sign autographs before the race at Port Royal is owners Al Hamilton, Pete Postupack, Donny Owens, Walt Dyer, Mike Heffner and Chris Dietz along with the owners that started the veteran out as a hired gun, Mr. Harry Earnest and Mr. Joe Templin.
Dyer himself will pull an as-is Dewease-driven No. 461 out of his private museum to put on display at the Dream Race while a version of the famed red “Brickmobile” from the 1994 season will also be on display.
No less than four restored Boop’s Aluminum Special No. 1 sprint cars will be on display at the event to help celebrate 93-year old Maynard Boops anointment as a Port Royal Legend. The possibility of two additional restored cars being added to the lineup is currently on the table as well for what could be a total of six cars on display.
Lined up to appear and sign autographs in honor of Boop for the night are several of his drivers including his most prolific, Lynn Paxton, along with Randy Wolfe, Ed Zirkle and Keith Kauffman.
Also showing up in honor of Boop will be his two prized mechanics from the car’s tenure from 1976- 1982, Mr. Davey Brown Sr. and Mr. Ralph Heintzelman Sr.
The Boop’s car raced to nearly 30 feature event wins at Port Royal and a total of 111 overall during its seven year hitch on area speedways.
Lance Dewease and Maynard Boop themselves will join all the special guests to sign autographs behind the grandstand from 5 until 6 pm on race night with gates for the big affair opening at 4 pm and racing at 7.
The 35-lap Living Legends A Main for 410 sprints will pay out over $30,000 in purse money alone for the third year in a row with a pair of 16-lap semi-features offering full payouts worth nearly $10,000 each.
In total, the night’s purse money alone eclipses $50,000 and with thousands of additional money pumped into the show via contingency prizes and cash, the total take on the night for sprint car drivers is already approaching $60,000.
Time trials will set the starting lineups for the 16-lap twin semi-features that will each pay a minimum of $2,000 to win as well as the A Main that will pay a minimum of $10,000 to the winner.
Title and contingency sponsors of the 2014 Living Legends Dream Race are: Slivinski Law Offices, Selinsgrove; Lelands.com; Packer’s Concessions; Hoosier Tires; York County Racing Club; Hoseheads.com; DMI; CRANKWERKZ; Rider Racing Engines; Don Ott Racing Engines; Penske Shocks; Wings Unlimited; Goshorn Racing Supplies; Zemco Speed Equipment; Leach Automotive Service; VRP Shocks; Smith Tire; RE Davidson & Son; Boulevard Car Wash; Moose Blocks; Rebecca Kerstetter Agency and Bryan Imes Auctioneer.
Keep up to date on the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www. portroyalspeedway.com or by visiting the speedway on its Facebook or Twitter pages.