From Port Royal Speedway
PORT ROYAL, Pa. (November 18, 2017) – Racers, fans and officials gathered Saturday, November 18 at the Port Royal Community Building to fete the 2017 Port Royal Speedway track champions and top point earners.
Taking top honors as champions were titlists Brock Zearfoss, Weikert’s Livestock 410 sprints; Mike Lupfer, River Valley Builders Super Late Models; Tim Fedder, Gray’s Auto & Towing Econo Late Models; Bill Powell, Juniata Junction Xtreme Stocks; and Tyler Reeser, Creasy Signs 305 Sprints.
Speedway officials announced during the ceremony that an unprecedented oval amount of more than one million dollars had been paid out by the track to competitors during the 2017 campaign.
On his way to the 2017 track title, Zearfoss of Jonestown competed in every show staged for the 410 sprints at the track during the season for a total of 24 races.
The last time that more races were completed for the winged machines at the track was some 30 years ago, in 1987 when 28 shows were completed.
Zearfoss took home top honors in the division after scoring a five-point margin in the point standings over Dylan Cisney. Along the way Zearfoss took five wins and earned an average finish of seventh.
Finishing second in the class, Cisney had an average finish of eighth.
Drivers also honored in the point standings including TJ Stutts, third; Mike Wagner, fourth; Greg Hodnett, fifth; Kody Lehman, sixth; Blane Heimbach, seventh; Lucas Wolfe, eighth; Curt Stroup, ninth; and Rick Lafferty, 10th.
Drivers Zearfoss, Cisney, Stutts and Wagner scored perfect attendance honors for the year while Wagner earned the Sportsmanship Award.
Lehman was voted Most Improved driver and AJ Flick took home Rookie of the Year laurels with a best finish of seventh on August 26. .
Lupfer of Shermansdale took home honors as super late titlist, adding a third track crown to his career with an average feature finish of eighth. He scored one win on the season.
Andy Haus was second in points with an average feature run of ninth while third place in points Tim Smith Jr. earned an average of 13th.
Coleby Frye was honored as the reigning 2017 Moon Shine Camo Rt. 35 Late Model Challenge Series champion while he finished fourth in oval points for the year.
Also honored was fifth in points Trent Brenneman followed by Rick Singleton, Dave Brouse Jr., Tim Wilson, Nick Dickson and Jason Schmidt.
Lupfer, Haus, Smith Jr. and Scott Flickinger all were recognized for perfect attendance on the year.
Brouse was voted Most Improved while Brenneman was voted Sportsman and Chad Myers earned Rookie of the Year laurels.
Tim Fedder of Newport earned his first ever Port Royal track title in any division by claiming the 355 Econo Late Model crown with an average feature finish of fifth.
Derrick Garman was honored as runner-up in points followed by Shaun Miller, JR Toner, Eric Irvin, Curt Dunn, Ryan Walls, Tim Krape, Harold Ranck Jr., and Garett Gray.
Toner received the Sportsmanship Award.
Bill Powell of Millerstown scored his second career Xtreme Stock title to go along with three previous pro stock crowns and an enduro dash title to give himself an even half-dozen Port Royal crowns.
Powell took three wins on the season, three second-place finishes and one fifth place finish in all seven oval events contested, earning himself an average feature finish of second.
Herm Renninger took three wins on his was to second in the points followed by Kevin Imes, Walt Peters, Pete Leister, Josh Bender, Tyler Amtower, Ryan Zook, Mike Goodwin and Will Brunson.
Imes was voted Sportsman while co-Rookies of the Year went to Chase Kepner and Josh Bender.
Orwigsburg’s Tyler Reeser claimed the 2017 305 sprint series title with one win and an average feature finish of fifth.
Jeff Miller was second in points followed by Zach Newlin, Cale Reigle, Drew Ritchey, Dave Grube, Kassidy Kreitz, Kyle Ganoe, Scott Ellerman and Ken Duke Jr.
Newlin was voted Sportsman.
The inaugural bestowment of the Patrick Bryner Heart and Strength Awards, honoring young adults ages 25 and under who have displayed commitment to the speedway either as employees, volunteers or competitors, saw Dustin Burd, JP Towsey, Trent Brenneman and Devin Hart named as honorees.
All five track champions received beautiful championship rings courtesy of Foss Jewelers of Lewistown.
Hoosier supplied four of five champions with personally embroidered jackets while WRT Speedwerx gave each champion and beautiful 10 x 18 photographic blend of their 2017 winning efforts.
All division sponsors were honored with appreciation plaques including Moon Shine Camo.
The 2018 season opener at Port Royal Speedway will be Saturday, March 10, 2018.
Stay up to date with all the latest Port Royal news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www.portroyalspeedway.com or by following the track on Facebook or Twitter.