Sprints Take Center Stage At Williams Grove Opener

Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – MECHANICSBURG, PA – Williams Grove Speedway is set to open the 2017 racing season with a rare Sunday afternoon opener featuring the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars, this Sunday, March 12 at 2 pm.

The 410 sprints will race in a 25-lap feature paying $3,600 to win on Sunday afternoon

The super late models are on the program for PRACTICE ONLY on Sunday.

Once a staple on the Williams Grove annual schedule, Sunday afternoon openers and early season Sunday programs have been gone from the slate of events for years.

But the tradition is to return in one week when engines roar in the Sunday sun.

If able to be completed, the March 12 Sunday opener will be the first put in the books at Williams Grove Speedway since March 9, 2008 when Fred Rahmer scored a victory.

Adult general admission for the prestigious season opener is set at just $15 with youth ages 13 – 20 admitted for just $10. Ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway.

The Williams Grove portion of opening day 50/50 ticket sales will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Last season it was Rick Lafferty of Pennington, NJ., scoring the opening day sprint car feature at Williams Grove Speedway on a Friday night after being pressured for the lead by Freddie Rahmer and having been passed for the win by Greg Hodnett.

Since 1939 when Tommy Hinnershitz won the inaugural race at the famed facility, so many highly recognized names and even some not so much have scored the prestigious first Williams Grove race of the year.

Well-knowns or on their way up the ladder at the time of their victories were the likes of Jan Opperman, AJ Foyt, Ted Horn and Hinnershitz.

Kasey Kahne, destined for bigger and better things in todays NASCAR arena, took the opener back in 2000.

But perhaps lesser-known at the time or even unique names like Kevin Collins, Brian Paulus, Marlett Naill and Gig Stephens have also taken that famous first checkered flag of the year at Williams Grove.

Williams Grove Speedway will return to action on March 17 at 7:30 pm when Dieffenbach’s Potato Chips of Lebanon present the 410 sprints joined by the super late models in action.

Another identical program is slated for March 24.

Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www.williamsgrove.com or by keeping up with the oval on Facebook or Twitter.