Williams Grove’s 57th Annual National Open To Pay $65,000 To Win October 5th

Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – MECHANICSBURG, PA – The winner of this years 57th annual Champion Racing Oil National Open for sprint cars at Williams Grove Speedway on October 5 will pocket the biggest cash payday ever in the history of the oval and in the East, at $65,000.

The speedway made the huge announcement late on Wednesday.

“Since 1939, for decades and decades, Williams Grove Speedway has represented the pinnacle of the sport of sprint car racing in the East,” said Williams Grove owner Kathy Hughes.

“Fans and drivers look to us and expect us to carry the torch high for the sport as the premier arena for sprint car racing in the east and taking this step just perpetuates and broadens our legacy as the leader in the industry on the East Coast,” Hughes said.

The $65,000 winner’s share of the 57th annual Champion Racing Oil National Open will be up for grabs by the World of Outlaws NOS Engery Drink Sprint Cars Series and the Pennsylvania Posse sprint car stars at the prestigious two-day event slated to take place October 4 and 5.

The 65K winner’s share will be the biggest cash amount ever offered to win a sprint car race anywhere, ever, in the East, much less just at Williams Grove Speedway.

And in addition to the boost in pay announced for the National Open, the speedway has also now posted an $8,000 paycheck to win the September 27 National Open World of Outlaws Tune Up event.

As usual, the Champion Racing Oil National Open will be a multi-day event with two complete World of Outlaws shows staged on October 4 and 5.

Friday’s event will pay $10,000 to win but Saturday’s 40-lap Open itself will be the prize that all in attendance from across the nation will be shooting for as it offers a momentous paycheck worth $65,000 to the winner.

The premiere event for sprint cars at the track since it began in 1963, the Williams Grove National Open first paid $25,000 to win in 2001 before jumping to $30,000 in 2002 and then to a monumental $50,000 in 2006.

The race paid $56,000 to winner Lance Dewease in 2018.

Save for two years when rains forced postponement, the World of Outlaws has sanctioned the prestigious Open every year since 1989.

The race went to 40 laps in 1993 with distances set at 50, 75, 100 and 150 laps at times since the event’s inception.

Hastings’ Michigan driver Gordon Johncock won the inaugural race.