Williams Grove Hosts 410 Sprint Dirt Classic Qualifier September 13th; All Stars Return September 20th

Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – MECHANICSBURG, PA – Williams Grove Speedway will return to racing action this Friday, September 13 at 7:30 pm with the Dirt Classic Qualifier for 410 sprints and the PASS IMCA 305 sprint cars.

The Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars will be racing in the Dirt Classic Qualifier paying $5,000 to win.

The winner of the 25-lap Dirt Classic Qualifier will be a guaranteed starter for the Dirt Classic at Lincoln Speedway on September 21.

The event will be the next-to-last race in the 2019 Diamond Series at the oval that currently has Danny Dietrich leading points by 15 markers over Freddie Rahmer.

The 305 sprints will compete in a 20-lap main.

Gates for the show will open at 5:30 pm.

Adult general admission for the racing program is set at $18 with youth ages 13 – 20 priced at $10. Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway.

The 410 sprint car event will provide another chance for current Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint point series leader Danny Dietrich to widen his already large advantage over Rahmer in the quest to be season-long track champion.

Ironically, Dietrich already has a “410” point lead over Rahmer in the track title contest with just four point shows remaining on the season following this Friday’s racing program.

The track title would be a career first for Dietrich if he is able to clinch the laurels.

September 20 will find the track hosting the All Stars Circuit of Champions Sprints make-up Tommy Hinnershitz Classic, presented by Eleven Oaks Farms.

Paying $6,000 to win, the 30-lap Tommy Classic was rained out in April.

The HJ Towing & Recovery 358 sprints are also slated for September 20 including a make-up main held over from August 2.

The 57th annual Champion Racing Oil National Open, sanctioned by the World of Outlaws NOS Engery Drink Sprint Cars Series, will close the season at the track on October 4 and 5.

Saturday’s 40-lap Champion Racing Oil National Open will pay $65,000 to the winner and will serve to crown the 2019 Williams Grove Speedway 410 sprint track champion.

All Stars Return For Tommy Classic September 20th

The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Stars Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars Series is set to return to Williams Grove Speedway coming up in two weeks, on Friday, September 20 for the make-up Tommy Hinnershitz Classic.

The All Stars will invade for the second time this season to compete in the Tommy Hinnershitz Classic going 30 laps in distance and paying $6,000 to win with action slated to get underway at 7:30 pm.

The race was rained out in April but Williams Grove and All Stars officials worked together to reschedule the event for September 20.

The show comes on the heels of a history-making and memorable event for the All Stars that was held at the track in August when for the first time in history a card-carrying, touring All Star claimed a main event at the oval.

Prior to that August event, the All Stars had succumbed to the local drivers in 35 consecutive races dating back to 1970 before All Stars point leader Aaron Reutzel claimed the first of twin 20s on August 23.

The second twin saw local Lance Dewease pick up the win, making the score now 36 – 1 in favor of the Pennsylvania Posse stars.

However that record could easily go to 36 – 2 on September 20 when Reutzel and his band returns to take on the speeds of Williams Grove one more time this season.

Reutzel is arguably the hottest sprint car driver in America at this time having just roared through Pennsylvania, taking two of three events for the traveling band against all the Posse drivers, including a $52,000 score in one of the biggest races in the area and the country.

The Clute, Texas native now owns an even dozen wins on the All Stars season and without a doubt he will be primed to back up his recent Keystone State success when he gets back to Williams Grove in two weeks.

Fellow All Stars contenders Dale Blaney, Cory Eliason, Paul McMahan, Brock Zearfoss, Greg Wilson and others, will join Reutzel in the Williams Grove pit area for late season action in two weeks.

Tommy Hinnershitz of Oley, Pennsylvania, holds the distinction of winning the first ever race held at Williams Grove Speedway on Sunday, May 21, 1939.

During his 30-year career spanning 1930-1960, “The Fyling Dutchman,” as he was known, amassed seven AAA/USAC Eastern Big Car Championships, taking titles in 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1956 and in 1959.

Hinnershitz passed away in 1999.