Williams Grove Opens PA Speedweek With Davey Brown Tribute Race Friday

Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – MECHANICSBURG, PA – The 31st annual Pennsylvania Speedweek series will get started in fine fashion coming up on Friday night, June 25 at Williams Grove Speedway when the track hosts the Davey Brown Tribute Race in honor of the legendary, Hall of Fame mechanic.

Friday’s action will begin with time trials at 7:30 pm.

The HJ Towing & Recovery 358 sprints are also on the racing card.

Part of the 2021 Hoosier Diamond Series at the track, the Davey Brown Tribute Speedweek opener will go 25 laps in distance and pay $6,000 to the winner out of a total purse worth more than $26,000.

Speedweek fans will get the chance to celebrate the life and racing career of Dave Brown Sr. prior to the nights racing events during a pre-race meet and greet and live broadcast in the infield beginning at 5:45.

Several Brown drivers including Cris Eash, Billy Pauch Sr., Lynn Paxton, Lance Dewease, Don Kreitz Jr. and brothers PJ and James Chesson will gather to honor Brown.

In addition, former sprint car driver, author and television commentator Brad Doty of Apple Creek, Ohio, will be on hand for a special appearance.

Doty will be on hand along with his popular Bower’s Coal No. 28D sprint car to meet and greet fans while also offering Doty merchandise including his book, “Still Wide Open.”

The current point leader at Williams Grove Speedway with Brown as his mechanic, Lance Dewease of Fayetteville scored the speedweek opener at the oval last season.

Williams Grove Speedway will host the crown jewel of speedweek, the 33rd annual RHI Magnesita Mitch Smith Memorial on Friday, July 2, also a Diamond Series event.

The July 2 Mitch Smith Memorial, still the richest race run during sprint speedweek, will post a total purse of some $40,000 including $15,000 for the winner of the 30-lap affair as presented by RHI Magnesita.

Stars Coming Out To Honor Legendary Mechanic Davey Brown Friday

The stars are lining up to come out and celebrate the career of 87-year old legendary mechanic Davey Brown Sr. coming up this Friday night, June 25 at Williams Grove Speedway when the Brown Tribute Race as the kickoff event to the 31st annual Pennsylvania Speedweek series.

Racing action on the track with will begin at 7:30 pm but the pre-race action to honor Brown and his career will begin in the infield at 5:45with a special presentation planned for intermission.

Slated to be on hand for a one hour live Facebook broadcast on Beer Hill Gang TV and the meet and greet session starting at 5:45 are some of the sports biggest drivers, car owners and mechanics that have come to know and work with Brown best.

Elite sprint car and modified driver Billy Pauch, who wheeled the John Zemaitis No. 1 sprint car for Brown in the 1990s, has confirmed his attendance along with Zemaitis himself.

Racing brothers James and PJ Chesson are also slated to appear along with Cris Eash and Lynn Paxton, all as drivers that worked Brown’s steering wheels during their careers spanning the 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s.

Others expected to be on hand include mechanics Dave Yingst and Lee Stauffer along with the sons of Bobby Gearhart Sr. and Bob Weikert.

Brown wrenched for driver Gearhart to much success in the 1960s and for owner Weikert with driver Doug Wolfgang in the 1980s when the sky was the limit for the legendary team.

More recently, Brown has been wrenching for Lance Dewease since 2016 and for driver/car owner Don Kreitz Jr. since 1999 and both men will be on hand to celebrate as well along with Dewease’s Kreitz-owned No. 69K machine until 6:30.

Davey Brown Sr. began his racing career as a mechanic and a driver in jalopies along with his friend Johnny Mackison Sr. in 1953.

Brown soon dropped the driving career and went on to build engines, fabricate and turn wrenches for many of the sports elite drivers throughout history including but not limited to Johnny Mackison Sr., Bobby Gearhart Sr., Paul Pitzer, Toby Tobias, Mitch Smith, Kramer Williamson, Doug Wolfgang, Kenny Jacobs, Lynn Paxton, Cris Eash,. Billy Pauch, the Chesson brothers, Don Kreitz Jr. and Lance Dewease.

Perhaps only the great Karl Kinser commands the respect and notoriety that Brown does within the sprint car community and racing annals and it’s that contribution to the sport and his legacy that Williams Grove Speedway will honor this Friday.

Race time is set for 7:30 pm with gates opening at 5:30.

Adult general admission for June 25 is $20 with youth ages 13 – 20 admitted for $10.

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