Short Track Super Series South Mod Title Fight Rolls Into Port Royal For Speed Showcase Weekend

Story By: BRETT DEYO / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – PORT ROYAL, PA – The inaugural running of the Speed Showcase 200 at Port Royal Speedway has attracted plenty of attention on its own with a $53,000 winner’s share up for grabs.

But there is also a ‘race-within-a-race’ during the three-day festival at the iconic Speed Palace.

The sand in the hourglass is growing thin on the 2020 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Velocita-USA presented by Design for Vision and Sunglass Central championship battle which will reward a champion with $10,000 following the Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend at Georgetown (Del.) Speedway at the end of October.

Two points-paying events are on the schedule for ‘Speed Showcase 200’ weekend at Port Royal Oct. 15-17.

On Thursday night (Oct. 15), the STSS Modifieds race 40 laps for $5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green flag plus contingency awards and bonuses. Of course, Saturday (Oct. 17) is headlined by the 200-lap, $53,000-to-win Speed Showcase 200 which was a late-season addition.

STSS management will allow participating Modified race teams to utilize their better of the two Port Royal finishes toward the overall championship fight as a result of the late schedule addition. Both races will award points on the 100-point schedule.

The season finale – Oct. 30-31 at Georgetown – will distribute championship points on the 150-point breakdown. Drivers will drop their worst finish entering the Georgetown weekend.

Entering Port Royal, Stewart Friesen of Sprakers, N.Y., holds a slim 18-point lead over Billy Pauch Jr. (530 points to 512). Friesen announced plans to skip a rescheduled NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series event in Kansas to compete at Port Royal for the weekend with the No. 44 Modified. Timothy Peters will serve as his replacement in the No. 52 NASCAR Truck.

Matt Sheppard sits third (460), followed by Tyler Dippel (427) and Mike Gular (400) in the standings. Currently sixth through 12th, respectively, are Larry Wight (389), Andy Bachetti (371), Jeff Strunk (366), Danny Bouc (358), David Van Horn Jr. and Jimmy Horton (tie – 348) and Richie Pratt Jr. (341).

A minimum point fund of $28,150 is earmarked for the top-12 finishers in the ’20 STSS Modified South Region.

It’s a full weekend of action at the famed ‘Speed Place’ of Port Royal.

Thursday night gets the weekend underway with the ‘Speed Showcase 40’ for the STSS Modified Velocita-USA South Region presented by Design for Vision and Sunglass Central. The big-block/small-block STSS Modifieds race 40 laps for $5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green flag.

Crate 602 Sportsman are welcome Thursday night for open practice rounds.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday. The drivers’ meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.

All Thursday seating is general admission with the following pricing structure: Adults: $20 – Students (ages 13-18): $10 – Children 12 and under FREE. Pit admission is $35 with no license required.

On Friday night, the pressure will be on STSS Modified and Crate 602 Sportsman racers with Bob Hilbert Sportswear Qualifying Night. Following a draw for starting positions, Modifieds will take part in Dirt Track Digest-presented 20-lap qualifiers, with Crate 602 Sportsman racing 15 laps in their qualifying events sponsored by Belmont’s Garage. Four Cylinders, utilizing Port Royal rules, compete in 8-lap heat races and a 20-lap main event.

Gates open at 4 p.m. on Friday. The drivers’ meeting is planned for 5:15 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.

All Friday seating is general admission. The Friday pricing structure is as follows: Adults: $15 – Students (ages 13-18): $10 – Children 12 and under FREE. Pit admission is $35 with no license required.

Saturday’s program is headlined by the 200-lap, $53,000-to-win STSS Modified ‘Speed Showcase 200’ in addition to the 50-lap, $2,500-to-win ‘Speed Showcase 50’ for Crate 602 Sportsman. B-Mains (15 laps for Modifieds, 12 laps for Crate 602 Sportsman) will be run prior to the main events.

Gates open Saturday at 2 p.m. The drivers’ meeting takes place at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 5 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.

Sections A-G are FULLY RESERVED for Saturday. Reserved seats are $40 (all ages) and are on sale by calling the Port Royal Speedway office Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at 717.527.2303.

Sections H-O are general admission. Prices are as follows: Adults: $35 – Students (ages 13-18): $20 – Children 12 and under FREE.

Pit admission is $45 with no license required for Saturday.

Dirt Track Digest TV will broadcast LIVE all three days. Single-day and weekend packages will be available for purchase.

All camping at the speedway – with electric and ‘dry’ spots – has been sold out.