Two Races Await Williams Grove Fans In 2019 PA Speedweek Series For 410’s

Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – MECHANICSBURG, PA – The 29th annual PA Speedweek Series for 410 sprint cars will kickoff in two weeks, on Friday, June 28 at Williams Grove Speedway.

Sponsored by Sprintcarunlimited.com, the track will host the series opener on June 28 and then come back one week later with the 31st annual Mitch Smith Memorial on Friday, July 5.

Both races begin at 7:30 pm with gates opening at 5:30.

Williams Grove Speedway is one of two remaining tracks that are still on the speedweek schedule that helped get the series started back in 1991 when Steve Smith Sr. and Don Kreitz Jr. scored inaugural series wins at the oval.

Smith went on to claim the first series title.

Since then, a total of 33 speedweek races have been run at Williams Grove Speedway with Fred Rahmer and the late Greg Hodnett sitting atop the oval all-time speedweek win list with four victories each.

Stevie Smith, Lance Dewease and Danny Dietrich each have three wins during series action at the track.

Winners in 2018 were Trey Starks and Dewease.

This year, the June 28 Williams Grove series opener will offer a total purse worth more than $25,000 including $5,000 to win a 25-lap main event.

The July 5 Mitch Smith Memorial, still the richest race run during sprint speedweek, will post a total purse of nearly $36,000 including $12,000 for the winner of the 30-lap affair, thanks in part to a contribution from the Smith family.

Speedweek fans will get a special treat at the June 28 Sprintcarunlimited.com series opener when they get the chance to meet sprint car driver, author and television commentator Brad Doty of Apple Creek, Ohio.

Doty will be on hand along with his popular Bower’s Coal No. 28D sprint car from 6 – 8 pm, to meet and greet fans while also offering Doty merchandise.

Sprint car driver TJ Stutts will also be on hand signing autographs with Doty prior to racing action.

Adult general admission for June 28 is $18 with youth ages 13 – 20 admitted for $10.

Admission on July 5 is $23 for adults and $10 for youth.

Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway.

Time trials set the heat starting lineups for all speedweek events.

The 2019 series will also visit Lincoln, Selinsgrove, Port Royal, Grandview and Hagerstown Speedways.

Fans Given Special Access To Williams Grove Pit Area Friday

Williams Grove Speedway will be in action this Friday, June 21 with a special night for fans and for drivers!

On the track will be the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars and the HJ Towing & Recovery 358 sprints with action starting at 8 pm.

Prior to the sprint car races, from 6 – 7 pm, all general admission fans will be permitted access to the frontstretch pit area in order to get up close and personal with their favorite sprint car drivers and cars.

Sponsored by Middleswarth Potato Chips, Hoseheads.com and Williams Grove Speedway itself, some 2,500 FREE giveaways will be up for grabs by the fans when they come through admission gates as well as the gates into the pit area.

Williams Grove will be giving away license plates and six-pack, collapsible coolers, both emblazoned with the special 80th anniversary Williams Grove Speedway logo.

In addition, Middleswarth Potato Chips will offer 1,500 bags of chips and Hoseheads.com will have bubble gum and candy for the youngsters.

And after all the fans cruise the pits with their FREE prizes, they will be treated to a full program of sprint car racing including another Yellow Breeches 500 event for the 410 sprints on what will also be York County Racing Club Night.

The 25-lap Yellow Breeches main event will pay $500 just to start.

The 358 sprints will compete in a special Summer Series race going 25-laps in distance.

General admission gates will open at 6 pm with access to the frontstretch pit area afforded until 7 pm.

Adult general admission for the show is set at $16 with youth ages 13-20 admitted for just $10. Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway.