Past Winners Of Grandview’s Freedom 76 Looking To Win Again In 2018
Story By: ERNIE SAXTON / GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Many of the best talents in the sport of dirt track Modified stock car racing have been winners in Grandview Speedway’s Freedom 76. Several of the past winners will be back to try again when the $25,000 to win race takes place on Saturday, September 15th at 7 p.m.
Billy Pauch Sr., one of the legends in the sport, has six wins in the classic. Ten time Grandview Modified champion Craig Von Dohren is a five time winner. Another ten time champion Jeff Strunk has been to victory lane seven times. Meme DeSantis has tallied three wins while Duane Howard has topped the field in four of the Classics. Ray Swinehart and Stewart Friesen are former winners. And it is expected that just about every one of them will be back to try for another win in the “Granddaddy of Modified Stock Car Classics”.
Of course the 48th version of the Freedom 76 will also attract many of the top names in the sport as visiting talents along with a large field of Grandview regulars.
Bobby Gunther Walsh and his sponsors have added some excitement by posting $1,000 to the Hard Charger in the 76 lap race that will this year have no mandatory fuel stop.
The night before the Freedom-38 will feature the Sportsman racing talents in a 38-lap feature race while Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series, the exciting 305 sprinters, will be the second part of the doubleheader show starting at 7 p.m.
Adult admission for the Freedom 76 is $40 but advance tickets are being made available at race events leading up to the big night and they are priced at $35. Youngsters 6 thru 11 pay $10 and kids under 6 are admitted free.
Drivers are reminded, those not regulars at Grandview, planning to use September 1st and 8th as opportunities to race in those events a NASCAR license is required. For the Modified license the cost is $50 while a Late Model and Sportsman license is $25. A license purchased for September 1st will also be good to use for September 8th. Crew members and fans do not need to purchase a license but must pay an extra $5 each on those nights and fill out a brief form to enter the pits. NO LICENSE IS REQUIRED FOR THE FREEDOM 76.
Lap sponsorships are available for $20 and 35% of the Freedom 76 laps have already been taken. Laps can be purchased at the track by seeing Tina Rogers or Tommy Kramer. And you can reach out to Ernie Saxton at esaxton144@aol.com or 215.752.7797 to make lap sponsorship arrangements. T.P.Trailers, Stoudt Auto Sales and others have purchased more than one lap.
Admission for the Friday, September 14th, Sprint and Sportsman doubleheader, is $12 for adults, $5 for youngsters 6 thru 11 and under 6 are admitted free.
The Freedom 76 has a September 22 rain date while the Friday night event offers no rain date.
