By Bob Miller
York Haven, PA….The 25th Annual Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek is just a few days away. The popular series of 410 Sprint Car Racing will again be held over the Independence Day Holiday week.
This year’s Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the series, and thanks to great sponsorship support from Wayback Burgers and associate sponsorship from Trone Outdoor Advertising, will offer the largest point fund in series history. In addition to more than $250,000 in race pay outs, the Speedweek series will offer a $25,000 point fund with $10,000 to the series champion.
Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek offers nine Sprint Car races in ten days, beginning at Williams Grove Speedway, in Mechanicsburg, on Friday June 26. The Speedweek opener will offer $5000 to the winner on the historic paperclip shaped speedway. The ARDC Midgets will join the Sprint cars in opening night action at the Grove.
From Williams Grove, Speedweek moves to Lincoln Speedway, near Abbottstown, on Saturday June 27 for the Kevin Gobrecht Memorial Race. The Sprint Cars will tackle the high banked 3/8ths mile oval for $7000 to win. The Central PA legends series will be a part of the program as well.
On Sunday June 28, Speedweek moves on to Path Valley Speedway, near Spring Run. The $5000 to win race on the high banked 1/4 mile oval will again be promoted by Sprint Car driving legend Fred Rahmer. During his driving career Rahmer was known as the “King of Speedweek” with 13 series titles, and 30 Speedweek race wins. The 600cc Micro Sprints are also a part of the Path Valley Show.
Speedweek takes Monday evening off before moving on to “Thunder On the Hill” at the Grandview Speedway, near Bechtelsville, on Tuesday June 30. Another high banked 1/3 mile oval with another $5000 to win event. The 358 NASCAR Modifieds will team up in this poplar event presented by NAPA Auto Parts.
On Wedensday July 1, Pennsylvania sprint Car Speedweek moves “South of the Boarder” to to sweeping ½ mile Hagerstown Speedway, near Hagerstown, MD. The hagerstown event also offers $5000 to the winner. The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing will have a Vintage Racing Exhibition as part of this show.
Lincoln Speedway get’s it’s second race of the week on Thursday July 2. This one is sprint Cars only, and offers $5000 for the winner.
Williams Grove’s second race of the week is also the biggest race of the Speedweek series. The $10,000 to win Mitch Smith Memorial Race is known as the “Crown Jewel of Speedweek”, and honors one of the men who put Pennsylvania sprint Car racing on the national map. Street Stocks and Fireworks round out this program.
The historic fairgrounds speedway in downtown Port Royal will be the Saturday July 4 stop for Speedweek. The Port Royal event offers $5000 to the winner on the big half mile. Late Models and Xtreme Stocks are also on the Port’s slate.
The large sweeping half mile oval on the outskirts of Selinsgrove will wrap up the 25th Anniversary Speedweek on Sunday July 5, with the running of the Jan Opperman / Dick Bogar Memorial Race. Again $5000 awaits the winner of this event, which honors the national known driver, and the car owner who brought him so much success. The Super Sportsman and 305 Sprints are also on Selinsgrove’s racing calendar that night.
Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek has hosted 163 races over the past 24 years, with 36 different drivers scoring wins. The series has competed at 12 different race tracks around the area.
In addition to Rahmer, other series champions include Greg Hodnett with four, Lance Dewease with three, Lucas Wolfe with two, and Keith Kauffman and Steve Smith with one each.
Following Rahmer at the top of the Speedweek win list are Hodnett with 25, Dewease with 19 and Kauffman and Donnie Kreitz Jr with eight each.
PENNSYLVANIA SPRINT CAR SPEEDWEEK
QUIK FACTS
163 Races held at 12 Different Tracks
36 Different Winners
Fred Rahmer 30
Greg Hodnett 25
Lance Dewease 19
Donnie Kreitz Jr. 8
Keith Kauffman 8
Cris Eash 6
Stevie Smith 6
Billy Pauch 5
Steve Smith 5
Todd Shaffer 5
Tyler Walker 4
Daryn Pittman 4
Brian Montieth 4
Jeff Shepard 3
Doug Esh 3
Alan Krimes 3
Danny Dietrich 2
Mark Smith 2
Chad Kemenah 2
Sean Michael 2
Billy Brian Jr. 2
Brent Marks 1
Lucas Wolfe 1
Brady Bacon 1
Kyle Moody 1
Blane Heimbach 1
Dave Blaney 1
Sam Hafertepe Jr 1
Logan Schuchart 1
Justin Henderson 1
Cory Haas 1
Ed Lynch Jr. 1
Cody Darrah 1
Brett Mann 1
Jerry Stone 1
Lenny Krautheim 1
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fred Rahmer 13 ’92, ’93, ’94, ’95, ’98,’00, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, 08, 11,12
Greg Hodnett 4 ’02, ’09, ’10, ’13
Lance Dewease 3 ’97, ’99, ’01
Lucas Wolfe 2 ’07, 14
Keith Kauffman 1 ’96
Steve Smith 1 ’91
HAGERSTOWN
7/2/92 Fred Rahmer
6/27/93 Donnie Kreitz Jr.
6/26/94 Lance Dewease
6/25/95 Rain
6/30/96 Rain
6/28/06 Lance Dewease
7/4/07 Lance Dewease
7/2/08 Jeff Shepard
7/1/09 Rain
6/30/10 Alan Krimes
6/29/11 Greg Hodnett
7/4/12 Keith Kauffman
7/3/13 Dave Blaney
7/2/14 Greg Hodnett
7/1/15
LINCOLN
7/4/91 Steve Smith
7/6/91 Donnie Kreitz Jr.
7/4/92 Fred Rahmer
7/5/93 Steve Smith
7/2/94 Fred Rahmer
7/3/95 Fred Rahmer
7/6/96 Billy Brian Jr.
7/3/97 Lance Dewease
7/4/98 Fred Rahmer
6/26/99 Lance Dewease
6/24/00 Fred Rahmer
6/23/01 Todd Shaffer
6/29/02 Greg Hodnett
6/28/03 Cris Eash
6/26/04 Lance Dewease
6/25/05 Fred Rahmer
6/24/06 Lance Dewease
7/3/06 Doug Esh
6/30/07 Greg Hodnett
6/28/08 Doug Esh
6/27/09 Brian Montieth
6/26/10 Mark Smith
7/1/10 Lance Dewease
6/25/11 Cory Haas
6/30/12 Brian Montieth
6/29/13 Alan Krimes
7/4/13 Stevie Smith
6/28/14 Kyle Moody
6/27/15
7/2/15
SELINSGROVE
7/6/92 Lenny Krautheim
7/3/93 Fred Rahmer
7/4/94 Billy Pauch
7/1/95 Fred Rahmer
7/8/96 Billy Pauch
7/5/97 Fred Rahmer
7/4/99 Fred Rahmer
7/2/00 Fred Rahmer
7/2/01 Todd Shaffer
7/7/02 Greg Hodnett
7/7/03 Greg Hodnett
7/4/04 Greg Hodnett
7/3/05 Fred Rahmer
7/4/06 Doug Esh
7/8/07 Sean Michael
7/6/08 Fred Rahmer
7/5/09 Chad Kemenah
7/4/10 Daryn Pittman
7/3/11 Greg Hodnett
7/8/12 Lance Dewease
7/7/13 Rain
7/6/14 Brent Marks
WILLIAMS GROVE
7/3/91 Steve Smith
7/5/91 Donnie Kreitz Jr.
7/3/92 Rain
7/1/93 Rain
7/2/93 Rain
6/30/94 Steve Smith
7/1/94 Fred Rahmer
6/30/95 Rain
7/5/96 Keith Kauffman
7/4/97 Lance Dewease
7/3/98 Todd Shaffer
7/2/99 Fred Rahmer
6/30/00 Donnie Kreitz Jr.
6/29/01 Lance Dewease
7/5/02 Greg Hodnett
7/4/03 Greg Hodnett
7/2/04 Fred Rahmer
7/1/05 Fred Rahmer
6/30/06 Jeff Shepard
7/6/07 Greg Hodnett
7/4/08 Rain
7/2/09 Brian Montieth
7/3/09 Daryn Pittman
7/2/10 Daryn Pittman
7/1/11 Alan Krimes
7/5/12 Logan Schuchart
7/6/12 Stevie Smith
6/28/13 Greg Hodnett
7/5/13 Danny Dietrich
6/27/14 Danny Dietrich
7/4/14 Stevie Smith
6/26/15
7/3/15
PORT ROYAL
7/1/97 Rain
7/2/98 Jeff Shepard
7/3/99 Lance Dewease
7/1/00 Donnie Kreitz Jr.
6/30/01 Keith Kauffman
7/6/02 Keith Kauffman
7/5/03 Mark Smith
7/3/04 Keith Kauffman
7/2/05 Todd Shaffer
7/1/06 Fred Rahmer
7/5/07 Rain
7/7/07 Keith Kauffman
7/3/08 Rain
7/5/08 Cody Darrah
7/4/09 Greg Hodnett
7/3/10 Greg Hodnett
6/30/11 Greg Hodnett
7/2/11 Justin Henderson
7/7/12 Tyler Walker
7/6/13 Blane Heimbach
7/3/14 Rain
7/5/14 Lucas Wolfe
7/4/15
GRANDVIEW
6/27/95 Rain
7/3/96 Rain
6/29/97 Fred Rahmer
6/28/98 Lance Dewease
6/27/99 Lance Dewease
6/25/00 Rain
6/24/01 Billy Pauch
6/30/02 Fred Rahmer
6/29/03 Greg Hodnett
6/27/04 Fred Rahmer
6/26/05 Fred Rahmer
6/27/06 Rain
7/3/07 Todd Shaffer
7/1/08 Fred Rahmer
6/30/09 Chad Kemenah
6/29/10 Tyler Walker
6/28/11 Tyler Walker
7/3/12 Greg Hodnett
7/2/13 Rain
7/1/14 Greg Hodnett
6/30/15
PATH VALLEY
7/1/92 Jerry Stone
6/30/93 Fred Rahmer
6/29/94 Cris Eash
6/28/95 Billy Pauch
6/29/14 Brady Bacon
6/28/15