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PA SPRINT SPEED WEEK PLANS IN PLACE FOR 2007
While the weather has controlled early season action in central Pennsylvania, plans for two major racing events continue to move forward. The inaugural Keystone Cup Sprint Series over Memorial Day week, and the 17th annual Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Pennsylvania sprint Car Speedway during the Independence Holiday week.
The Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speed Week will include eight races in nine days, beginning with the Kevin Gobrecht Memorial Race at the Lincoln Speedway, near Hanover, on Saturday June 30. This year's Speed week opener will offer $10,000 to the winner of the 30 lap feature event. Lance Dewease won last year's Gobrecht Memorial, while Doug Esh won a second Speed week event at Lincoln in 2006. Fred Rahmer leads all drivers with six Speed Week wins at Lincoln.
The series will move to the Bedford Fairgrounds on Sunday July 1st. Last year Bedford's inaugural Speed Week event fell victim to rain, but the historic Fairgrounds oval will try again in 2007 to host a Speed Week event. The 30 lap feature at Bedford will offer $5000 to the winner. A rain date of Monday July 2 is in effect.
On Tuesday July 3 the Cindy Rowe series moves on to the Grandview Speedway, in Bechtelsville. The Grandview event is part of the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series and will be a 35 lap feature with $5000 on the line for the winner. Last year's Speed week event at Grandview was rained out, but Fred Rahmer also leads all drivers with four Speed Week wins on the hill.
Wednesday July 4, Speed week moves south of the boarder to the Hagerstown (MD) Speedway. Again the standard format will include a 30 lap feature event with $5000 to the winner. Speed Week returned to Hagerstown last year after a ten year absence, and Lance Dewease scored the win. Dewease has won two of the four Speed Week events held at Hagerstown.
A major change in the Speed Week schedule will find the teams moving to the Port Royal Fairgrounds for the Thursday July 5 event. The first of two Speed week events for Port Royal will include a 30 lap feature event paying $5000 to the winner. Last year Fred Rahmer finally won a Speed week event at the Port. Port Royal's all-time win leader Keith Kauffman also leads in Speed Week wins there with three.
Friday July 6 finds Speed week moving to the famed Williams Grove Speedway for the Mitch Smith Memorial event. Long considered the "Crown Jewel" of Speed Week, the Grove event will offer $10,000 to win the 30 lap feature event. In last year's event, Jeff Shepard claimed the victory. In a familiar theme, Fred Rahmer leads the way in Speed Week wins at the Grove, with four.
It's back to Port Royal on Saturday July 7, but this time the 30 lap feature will offer $7000 to the race winner.
The 17th Annual Cindy Rowe Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speed Week will conclude on Sunday July 8 at the Selinsgrove Speedway. The Jan Opperman Memorial event at Selinsgrove will go 30 laps with $5000 to the winner. Last year Doug Esh scored his first career Selinsgrove win in the Speed Week show.
Over it's first 16 years, the Cindy Rowe Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speed Week has completed 105 races at 11 different Speedways. Fred Rahmer has been the most prolific driver during Speed week, with 28 wins and 10 Speed week titles. Lance Dewease owns three Speed Week crowns, and 16 victories. Greg Hodnett has 14 wins and one series title. Other series champions have been Keith Kauffman and Steve Smith, who each have one title.
The unquestioned success of Speed week has led local promoters to add a similar event leading up to Memorial Day. The Keystone Cup Sprint Series will host six races in six days.
The Inaugural Keystone Cup Sprint Series will kick off on Wednesday May 23 at the Grandview Speedway. It moves to Big Diamond Raceway, near Minersville, on Thursday May 24, then to Williams Grove on Friday May 25. Saturday the Keystone Cup travels to Lincoln Speedway, with Sunday May 27 finding the Sprint Cars at Selinsgrove Speedway. The Inaugural Keystone Cup series will wind up with the Memorial Day Afternoon Classic at Port Royal on Monday May 28.
The Keystone Cup series will offer a minimum of $5000 to win each event, with a point fund to be distributed following the six races series.
The first race of the Keystone Cup Sprint Series, at Grandview, will be held in conjunction with the World of Outlaws who will sanction the big event. Big Diamond was a part of the Speed week series for a number of years until a management change at the Speedway come too late to include the Speedway in the 2006 Speed week series. The Keystone Cup series will allow the Sprint Cars to return to Big Diamond in a big race.
CINDY ROWE AUTO GLASS PENNSYLVANIA SPRINT CAR SPEED WEEK
QUICK FACTS
105 Races held at 11 Different Tracks
19 Different Winners
Leading feature winner of the series- - Fred Rahmer with 28
Fred Rahmer 28
Lance Dewease 16
Greg Hodnett 14
Donnie Kreitz Jr. 8
Cris Eash 6
Keith Kauffman 5
Billy Pauch 5
Steve Smith 5
Todd Shaffer 4
Jeff Shepard 2
Doug Esh 2
Stevie Smith 2
Billy Brian Jr. 2
Mark Smith 1
Brett Mann 1
Sean Michael 1
Tyler Walker 1
Jerry Stone 1
Lenny Krautheim 1
Cindy Rowe Speed week CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fred Rahmer (10) ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95, ‘98,‘00, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06
Lance Dewease (3) ‘97, ‘99, ‘01
Greg Hodnett (1) ‘02
Keith Kauffman (1) ‘96
Steve Smith (1) ‘91
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