All Star Sprints To Invade The ‘Speed Palace’ For Historic Tuscarora 50 Weekend

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – BROWNSBURG, IN – The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 and the world-renown Pennsylvania Posse will face-off yet again in the heart of the Keystone State, but this time battling head-to-head for one of sprint car racing’s most sought-after prizes; the Tuscarora 50.

Awarding a grand prize equaling $51,000 in 2018, the 51st running of the Tuscarora 50 will takeover Port Royal Speedway headlines on Friday and Saturday, September 7 & 8, and will be complete with two, full programs. Friday’s Night Before The Tuscarora 50 main event will award a $5,000 top prize and will utilize a standard All Star Circuit of Champions format. The Saturday night finale, capped-off with a 50-lap main event awarding the coveted $51,000 payday, will feature a unique format, but will still award All Star championship points. Saturday’s total purse stretches to a staggering $106,000.

Lance Dewease is on a roll at Port Royal Speedway during All Star Circuit of Champions competition and will enter the weekend as a heavy favorite. Full-time All Star competitors, including recent Labor Day Classic champion and Texas native Aaron Reutzel, will attempt to end Dewease’s winning streak of five straight All Star victories at the ‘Speed Palace’ including the Keith Kauffman Classic in April, as well as the 2017 Tuscarora 50 and the Night Before The Tuscarora 50. The $50,000 winner’s share in 2017 was the richest payday in Port Royal Speedway history, that until the 2018 winner’s share was announced.

Shining on home dirt, Kunkletown’s Ryan Smith, who eventually finished second in the 2017 All Star championship standings, finished second during Tuscarora 50 main event action a year ago. Recently appointed wheelman for Destiny Motorsports, Brock Zearfoss, finished third, followed by Lucas Wolfe and the ‘Madman’ Kerry Madsen. There were 66 entrants signed-in for competition.

Ahead by a mere 14 markers in the current All Star driver championship standings, Clute, Texas’ Aaron Reutzel will lead the All Star charge into Central Pennsylvania on Friday and Saturday. The former ASCS national champion turned All Star owns eight victories on the season, accompanied by 19 top-five finishes in 37 feature starts. Incidentally, Reutzel’s most recent trip to victory lane occurred in the Keystone State, earning the $5,000 top prize during Thunder Cup competition at Grandview Speedway on Thursday, August 23.

With only 94 points separating the top three in the driver championship, the race for the title is far from over. Lemoore, California’s Carson Macedo will enter Port Royal Speedway’s gates second in the title chase, followed by six-time and defending Series champion, Chad Kemenah. Despite each driver trailing Reutzel in the win column, Macedo with four and Kemenah with two, the consistency is comparable. To date, Macedo and the Gaerte/Norman No. 3G entry have amassed 19 top-ten finishes, most recently earning a victory during the Dirt Classic Ohio finale at Attica Raceway Park on September 1. Kemenah, driver of the familiar Hunter Racing No. 10H, owns a Series-leading 21 top-five finishes and kicked-off the year by earning the All Star opener at Bubba Raceway Park on February 1.

Nashville’s Paul McMahan and High Point, North Carolina’s Dave Blaney currently sit third and fourth in the All Star driver championship, respectively, and own a combined total of three All Star Circuit of Champions victories on the year, McMahan leading the pair with two.

Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa., will open pit gates at 4 p.m. on Friday, September 7. The All Star drivers meeting, as well as hot laps, will share identical times on Friday and Saturday, September 7 & 8; 5:30 p.m. drivers meeting and 6:30 p.m. hot laps.